Tuesday Tea- Windsor Castle Tea

I have been searching, and searching, for the perfect black tea to go with a salmon dish that I want to serve at one of my upcoming teas. I knew that I was going to serve a whisky-flavored black tea, the smooth malty and oaky notes that are in the whisky tea blend perfect with the salmon, although I needed to find an alternative black tea for those who would not drink the whisky tea

Thus, I began my search for that perfect blend of black tea. Many of the black teas that I had sampled were too strong for the dish that I had in mind while others were too weak. I had almost given up on finding my ‘perfect black tea’ when a box of samples arrived from Culinary Teas.

I sniffed each tea hoping that one would stand out as the perfect blend of black tea, when the Windsor Castle tea caught my attention. Of course, at the time I did not think that it would be that ‘perfect black tea’ because the tea held a distinctive Darjeeling smell to it. Nevertheless, I fixed me a single pot of it and I have to say that the notes that I tasted in the tea surprised me.

The Assam in the tea has a nice full-bodied malty taste, which is what I liked about the whisky tea, but it’s the Kenya helps pull out the flavor while the light and delicate muscatel flavor of the Darjeeling rounds it out.

For me, Windsor Castle  Tea is the prefect blend of black tea and it is highly versatile because I can easily see this tea being served for breakfast or in the afternoon.

The only thing that was left for me to do was to hold a sample tea to ensure that the Windsor Castle Tea would go well with the dishes that I was going to serve. I can happily report that the tea and the dishes were perfect together!

  I can see Mr. Darcy ordering this tea to serve at Pemberley.

Fresh Garden Veggies on top of an oatmeal bap with a lemon-dill spread, cucumber sandwiches, and open-faced  freshwater salmon with a honey mustard sauce.

Windsor Castle Tea is a full bodied flavorful tea with toasty notes of Darjeeling. Maltiness from Assam and deep flavor with golden brightness from Kenya. Worthy of being served at the Queen's home.

Country of Origin:
Sri Lanka/India                        

Region:
Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula / Assam, Darjeeling, South India

Cup Characteristics:
Full bodied flavoury tea with toasty notes from Darjeeling, maltiness from Assam and lively flavor from Ceylon. Worthy of royal households.

Infusion:
Bright coppery color.

Find out more about this tea HERE

 Windsor Castle 

 

To order Windsor Castle Tea you may do so HERE.

I would like to thank Culinary Teas for sending me this sample!

Until We Meet Again,

Monday’s Wonderings-Cover Thoughts

I was looking through my stacks and stacks of Pride & Prejudice spin-offs and I could not help but to notice that the image they use on the covers of most of these books bears a striking resemblance to Frances Anne Vane, the Marchioness of Londonderry.

                      

Frances Anne Vane, the Marchioness of Londonderry

Who is the Marchioness of Londonderry?

Born:

January 17, 1800

St. James’s Square, London, England

Died:

January 20, 1865

Seaham Hall, County Durham, England

Nationality:

English

Occupation:

Businesswoman

Spouse:

Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry

Children:

George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry

Lady Francis Anne Emily Vane

Lady Alexandrina Octavia Maria Vane

Lord Adolphus Frederick Charles William Vane-Tempest

Lord Ernest McDonnell Vane-Tempest

Parents:

Sir Henry Vane-Tempest

Anne, 2nd Countess of Antrim

Random Facts:

-Through her daughter, Lady Francis Vane, wife of John Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, she was the great-grandmother of Sir Winston Churchill.

-She inherited extensive lands from her father in north east England

-With her husband, she started an extensive coal mining operation that included coal mines, a railroad, and docks at Seaham.

-Tsar Alexander I of Russia became infatuated with her after viewing her portrait.

*********

Do you think the covers bare a resemblance to to the Marchioness of Londonderry?

Until We Meet Again,

The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater

Title: The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy                   

Author: Maya Slater

Publisher: W.W. Norton

ISBN: 978-0-393-33636-8

Format Read: Trade Paperback $14.95

Source: My Own Personal Library

Literature’s most famous hero, Mr. Darcy, opens his diary to disclose a complex, passionate inner world.

The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy is a captivating novel of love, pride, passion, and of course prejudice. Off-stage events barely mentioned in Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice are revealed, and many surprising new facts come to light, such as Mr. Darcy’s proposal of marriage to another young woman. Mr. Darcy’s writes of his daily life as a society gentleman in Georgian London and of his dangerous friendship with Lord Byron, and he tells the full story of his sister’s infatuation with the dastardly Wickham. Most importantly, he describes how he gradually falls in love with Elizabeth Bennet, and, in the process, painfully gains self-knowledge. (From the back of the book)

My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of P&P adaptations and when I spotted this novel in the window of Barnes & Noble, I knew that I had to buy it.

I was hoping for something along the lines of Amanda Grange’s series of Austen-inspired diaries, sadly it was not the case with this book. The iconic character of Mr. Darcy was thoroughly destroyed in this novel.

Why did I say that? Well, Maya Slater’s version of Darcy has him leading of life of debauchery, which is the polar opposite of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Also, I do not believe that Darcy would have been friends with Lord Byron. I mean come on Lord Byron was an amazing poet, but he was a bit of a nutter and I do not really see Darcy of Pemberley associating with Byron.

Mr. Darcy is the one literary character that should always be upstanding. This version of him made him feel slimy and more like Wickham.

Sadly, this became a DNF! Maybe one day when I am really bored, or they stop making books, I might go back and try to finish this but for now life is too short to read bad books!

An excerpt from the book to show my dislike:

I took much Port Wine, & raised no objection when Byron came to find us & carried us off to meet some ‘charming women’ of his acquaintance. I remember little of the evening after that. My bit of muslin was fair & curvaceous, with a loud laugh. She had fine paps to her, her name, I believe, is Clarabelle.

I am not sure who brought me home.

-page 21

Until We Meet Again,

All Around The World With Jane Austen Constest

 

Hello Dear Readers,

After two months of horrible internet/phone problems and one month with no internet/phone due to someone tapping my lines, I finally have service!

I hope to get back into the swing of blogging within the next few days. To restart my posts on Addicted To Jane Austen, I bring to you an exciting adventure contest from Sourcebooks!

The Rules:

In the June memoir, All Roads Lead to Austen the author Amy Elizabeth Smith took Jane Austen’s works along with her as she traveled to foreign countries. Her goal was to see if the magic of Jane Austen could hold its power across borders, languages and cultures.

Amy took Jane to far off countries – and we need your help to take her even further! We are holding a contest called All Around the World with Jane! Join us on our Austen love fest by printing out our Jane Austen “flat Stanley.” Take pictures of yourself with Jane in your hometown or on your vacation, and submit it from April 30^th – June 30^th!

We will award the following prizes to the individuals with the most creative picture:

1 Grand Prize Winner will receive:

• An E-reader with all of our available Austen sequels/continuations downloaded on to it
• A signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith
• A Skype session with Amy Elizabeth Smith

3 Second Place Winner will receive:

• A signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith
• A choice of 5 Jane Austen sequels/continuations from Sourcebooks

5 Third Place Winners will receive:

• A signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith

You can then submit your pictures on the All Around the World with Jane Facebook page or email your submission to landmark@sourcebookspr.com.

Below are some examples of where Jane has been already (Times Square, The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, and the Sourcebooks offices!) along with the flat Stanley that you can print off (also available on the Facebook page). 

One more thing! Barnes & Noble will be offering this title as a NOOK early exclusive and will be offering the eBook at $6.99 starting Monday April 30^th for a limited time!

See where Jane has been.

The Sourcebooks offices.

 

                       Times Square

 

The Jane Austen Centre in Bath

Where will you take Jane?

Print off the picture below and start your own Travels with Jane!

 

Until We Meet Again,

Getting to know Northanger Abbey-

 

Northanger Abbey is perhaps Miss Austen’s most satirical and humorous novel. Originally titled as Susan it is considered to be her earliest completed novel. The tone of the novel is closer to the sarcastic, cutting wit of Miss Austen’s Juvenilia than any of her other novels. It was eventually published after Miss Austen’s death, in a combined edition with Persuasion, and it was her brother Henry who prepared the manuscript for print and changed the title to Northanger Abbey.

Title page of the original 1818 edition

Fun Facts Regarding the Publication:

-Northanger Abbey, or Susan as it was originally titled, was wrote in 1798

-The first publication of the novel was 1817. 19 years after the first draft.

-The combined edition of Northanger Abbey & Persuasion sold 1, 409 copies within a year.

The Gothic Novel:

The Gothic novel is defined as a genre of fiction characterized by mystery and supernatural horror blended with romance. These novels often took place in an abbey or castle and often times the plot dealt with damsels in distress held captive by an evil tyrant or deep, dark family secrets. They offered the readers a pleasing sense of terror. Often you see element of parody and satire in these types of novels. When thinking of the Gothic novel, the first book that comes to my mind is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Northanger Abbey was Jane Austen’s first and last Gothic novel. Throughout the book, we see the melodrama associated with this genre in form of the heroine, Catherine Morland. As an avid reader of the Gothic novel, Catherine starts to see those elements of mystery in her daily life. Northanger Abbey is a brilliant mocking of this genre.

The Gothic Novels mentioned in Northanger Abbey:

-The Monk by M G Lewis

-The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

-The Italian by Anne Radcliffe

A Look Inside:

Estate- Northanger Abbey

Location- Somerset, 30 miles from Bath

Income- Enough to provide a respectable inheritance for Fredrick Tilney, a large dowry for Eleanor and to buy and furnish a parsonage for Henry.

Fact-Although the Abbey becomes the focus of Catherine’s wild Gothic fantasies, the Abbey is described as thoroughly modern.

Settings of Northanger Abbey:

1-Fullerton, Wiltshire- The village where Catherine Morland is from.

2-Bath- The city Catherine goes to visit and where she meets Henry Tilney.*

3-Northanger Abbey, Gloucestershire-The home of the Tilney family.

4-Oxford-Where Catherine’s brother James goes to university.

5-Putne, London-Where the Thorpe family are from.

* The scenes from Bath- the Assembly Rooms, the Pump Rooms, and The Royal Crescent would have been experienced by Jane Austen herself in that exact location.

Meet the characters:

1. Catherine Morland-The Heroine of the novel and lover of Gothic novels.

2. Henry Tilney-The Hero of the novel. A handsome young clergymen.

3. Eleanor Tilney-Sister of Henry.

4. Isabella Thorpe-Catherine’s first friend in Bath.

5. John Thorpe-Isabella’s rude and arrogant brother.

6. Mr. & Mrs. Allen-Neighbors who take Catherine to Bath.

7. Captain Frederick Tilney-Henry & Eleanor’s elder brother.

8. James Morland-Catherine’s elder brother who believed to be moderately wealthy.

9. General Tilney-Father of Frederick, Henry, and Eleanor. Owner of Northanger Abbey.

10. Mrs. Morland-Catherine’s mother.

Northanger Abbey is my second favorite Austen novel and while I have gladly taken the leap and devoured book after book of Pride & Prejudice adaptations, I cannot seem to bring myself to read an adaptation of N.A. Why? I have no idea. Although I have been eyeing Henry Tilney’s Diary by Amanda Grange and seeing how I love Amanda Grange’s adaptations I believe that I will start my Northanger Abbey collection with her book!

Have you read an adaptation of Northanger Abbey? If so, what were your thoughts about it?

I have one copy of Northanger Abbey to giveaway.

The Rules:

Leave a comment with a valid email address

Giveaway is WORLDWIDE

Ends April 16.

 

Until We Meet Again,

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Darcy’s Decision by Maria Grace

After a mini-battle with a defective html code that was allowing quick-tags and posts from other people to appear on here as well as downed power lines due to a February ice/snow/ice/wind storm Addicted to Jane Austen was having a few technical problems. Thankfully, all is now in working order provided no more ice/snow/ice/wind storms. Please enjoy this review of Darcy’s Desire

Title: Darcy’s Decision (Given Good Principles Vol. 1)

Author: Maria Grace

ISBN: 9780615582771

Formats available: Trade Paperback, Nook, Kindle

How I read it: Trade Paperback sent from the author

A Pride & Prejudice Variation

Six months after his father's passing, Fitzwilliam Darcy still finds solace in his morning reflections at his parents' graves. Only in the quiet solitude of the churchyard does he indulge his grief. None but his unlikely mentor recognize the heartache and insecurity plaguing him as he shoulders the enormous burden of being Master of Pemberley.

Not all are pleased with his choice of advisor. Lady Catherine complains Darcy allows him too much influence. Lord Matlock argues, "Who is he to question the God-appointed social order?" But the compassionate wisdom Darcy finds in his counselor keeps him returning for guidance even though it causes him to doubt everything he has been taught.

In the midst of his struggles to reinvent himself, his school chum, Charles Bingley, arrives. Darcy hopes the visit will offer some respite from the uproar in his life. Instead of relief, Darcy discovers his father's darkest secret staring him in the face. Pushed to his limits, Darcy must overcome the issues that ruined his father and, with his friends and mentor at his side, restore his tarnished birthright.

(from the back of the book)

My Thoughts:

Although it is billed as a P&P variation Darcy’s Decision is actually a prequel to the highly favored novel and is about Darcy’s life before the Netherfield Ball, so those of you looking for Elizabeth to show up in the novella may be a bit disappointed.

With that being said, let me tell you that I enjoyed this novella. You have probably read many times before where I have posted the quote from Jane Austen where she states that she could not write a novel with a man at the center as she did not know what they got up to when left alone, and while I absolutely love and adore her novels, I feel that the whole story is never fully told. So many gaps are left for others to fill and with this novella I feel that a few more pieces are coming together.

In Darcy’s Decision, we get to see that journey Darcy goes through while acclimating to life as the new master of Pemberley and as a reader who is overly analytical, I have often wondered how he felt about this transition. Not only did he have to struggle with the burdens of heirship but he had to find the balance between acting as Georgiana’s guardian and brother.

While I did like the novella and highly recommend it there was one element that sort of came out of left field and while I wasn’t over thrilled with it, I could see where Maria Grace was coming from and if you think of Miss Austen novel Sense and Sensibility the theme of illegitimacy was an approach that she take on. Some readers may feel that it was too far off for their taste however; I do think that you should give this novella a chance.

Overall, it was a quick read, (I read it in less than an hour), that explores the road not taken and shows a different side to Darcy as well as a different approach to Wickham.

Until We Meet Again,

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

12 Days of a Jane Austen Christmas

Winners of Misconceptions by Doris Nieves:
- Lúthien84
-Laura Hartness

Winner of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star by Heather Lynn Rigaud:
- Lauren

Please send your mailing address to:
newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

Jane Austen and tea go hand-in-hand so for today’s giveaway we have a tea giveaway, actually.

The kind people at Bingley’s Teas has generously donated two boxes of loose tea. As they kindly sent me samples of the two teas, I can say that they are delicious.

This giveaway includes:

-1 box of Mr. Knightley's Reserve  55 grams of loose tea
Best Seller. An Earl Grey that is true and balanced. The Bergamot is smooth and steady. A tea to depend on and love more with each passing cup!

-1 box of Emma’s Perfect Match 50 grams of loose tea
Is green naive? Our green tea blend with strawberries from Mr. Knightley's garden and rose petals to encourage romantic matches just might cause you to fall in love.

-1 Copy of Emma Penguin Classic Deluxe Edition

 

About the Jane Austen Tea Series:

Ms. Jane Austen, well known authoress during the Regency period of timeless favorites such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion has held a longstanding place our hearts.

Our own company name is drawn from one of her characters, who was quick to approve of everyone he met and always approachable in his manner. This inspiration spilled over into our Jane Austen Tea Series. Characters from our beloved author's novels have been specifically paired with very particular premium teas and tea blends. Each was carefully chosen to reflect that character's personality and well known traits. We hope you will enjoy, what we find a natural combination of Jane Austen novels and Tea!

With Tea Names such as:
Mr. Darcy
Miss Elizabeth or Darcy’s Distraction
Sweet Jane
Wicked Wickham
Compassion for Mrs. Bennet’s Nerves
The Patience of Miss Price
The Captain
Marianne’s Wild Abandoned
Treasures from the Colonel
Longbourn Wedding Tea
Bingley’s Blend
Longbourn Wedding Tea
Mr. Collin’s

These Teas are the perfect companions to Jane Austen’s novels.
If you would like to find out more about the Jane Austen Tea Series, or Bingley’s Teas you may do so HERE

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the question:

Who is your favorite Jane Austen Character?

2. Giveaway is Worldwide .