In which I get ready for Dawi to return to The Old World...
With The Old World bringing back two of my white whales from my childhood in the form of Bretonnians and Dwarfs I’ve had a lot of fun projects this year. I wanted to do a slightly different Dwarf scheme than the old green and gold I remember seeing in White Dwarf as a kid and settled on the old Zhufbar livery of white and light blue. It makes for a striking force on the table top and is relatively speedy to paint up as detailed below!
In which I finally start delivering on the promised painting guides...
I have been sat on a fully constructed Battle of Pelennor Fields box for just about a year after purchasing it as a Christmas present to myself at the tail end of 2021. Having signed up to a few "slay the grey" style challenges in the New Year I thought it was time to start with a nice easy paint job.
In which I modify an old family recipe to be vegan friendly...
After successfully turning my hand to vegan Christmas cake I thought it was high time I adapted my old Christmas pudding recipe to be vegan too.
In which I discuss getting the dominant colour from an image quickly...
I have recently made a Discord bot that searches for online versions of board games to help people find games to play remotely. This link will add it to your server.
Discord embeds have a colour bar down the side that can be manually set. I thought it would be cool to have this display the 'average' (i.e. dominant) colour of the board game box and decided to investigate the best way to do it.
In which I plan my holiday tasks…
So it may just be because it is 2020 or perhaps I'm just a bit lazy but I’ve found that I often start holiday breaks with a list of things I’d like to do and by the end of the trip* I’ve not achieved most of them. Whether it’s odd jobs or relaxing activities I wanted to get through I just accidental sit around and don’t do them. This holiday season I decided I needed a to do list and though I’d try out the new Todoist Boards feature.
*Or, let’s be real this year: sitting on the sofa at home.
In which I review some floral green tea and update you on my life...
So thesis writing is fully under-way now and my supervisors assure me that writing will get harder and longer as it continues - fun, fun, fun!
It takes me a while to get into writing but I expect I'll make a video about Thesis writing soon. I actually quite enjoy writing though so I hope I'll be able to keep the pace up and stay on schedule :)
In which I describe a tea failure of epic proportions...
Dear Reader,
Let me set the scene for you. It was a warm but not unpleasant summer afternoon. The kind which threatens rain.* The kind we British deem perfect barbecue whether. And indeed I did barbecue for it was the last evening of Cubs this term.
An enjoyable game of kwik cricket, two burgers and a few glasses of fiery ginger beer later I was satiated. The cubs all left with their respective guardians and I set off home.
On the drive back I got to thinking, as I often do, that I desired some good company and a pot of tea. Potentially even a biscuit to round off the evening.
That tea review data in full...
So we set out to try all the major and supermarket brand teas and decide which was the best this year.
We tried the following teas:
In which I try a fruity and flowery green tea.
Green Orange Lotus Tea
"We suggest brewing this tea for a maximum of 2 minutes, any longer and you'll lose the delicate taste. Allow one bag per person and use freshly boiled water"
This is a fairly exact brewing time but for good reason. Over-brewing really does ruin this tea.
A brownish-green like most green teas but it looks a little more orange to me :)
Smells like green tea with a strong hint of orange. I'm not sure if I could smell the lotus flower as I don't know what they smell like.
Obviously this should be drunk without milk. This tea has a light, delicate, complex flavour. You first get a familiar green tea flavour with a hint of orange which builds before tailing off into a floral flavour. I can only assume this is the lotus flower flavour which is delightful :)
I drank this tea from my new camera lens mug :D
Camera lens mug
Delicate, floral, tasty!
http://twinings.co.uk/green-teas/orange-lotus-flower-green
So at the end of the month my plan is to drink all the 'standard teas' i.e. Tetley, PG Tips, Yorkshire, Sainsbury's brand etc. and compare them. I anticipate this may require the help of my house mates. I will then run a double blind study to assess taste etc. and post the results in the style of a scientific paper sometime in December :D
Tom out!
P.S. Camera lens mug:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0058CW9UO/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00
Tesco xmas sandwich
Since it is now November I feel I can now get away with breaking the Christmas embargo. At the bottom of my tea reviews I will be reviewing a Christmas sandwich from one of the major retailers. This week it's time for Tesco.
Price: approx £2.60 (although it is in the £3 meal deal too)
Taste: The turkey is nothing special but it normally isn't in these sandwiches anyway. The cranberry sauce is good. The sausage was a nice addition but the sausage wasn't particularly flavourful. I found there was too much mayonnaise which, coming from someone who loves mayonnaise, made the sandwich a little lackluster despite it's moistness.
In which I try a variety of black tea I was not previously aware of.
"Use freshly drawn cold water. Use water at a “rolling boil” (100°C). Steep for 3 to 5 minutes (or to your taste). This delicate tea is best drunk black or with just a touch of milk … and for freshness every time, keep your tea somewhere cool, dark, dry and airtight!"
As usual I went for a strong brew and tried it both with and without milk.
Slightly darker than your standard tea but a good tea colour nonetheless.
Smells like a normal tea, nothing fancy here. Though I think you can pick up a slightly nutty aroma too.
I tried this tea with and without milk. Without milk the tea is stronger than assam or ceylon based teas and has a slightly nutty taste. With milk the same description holds but the flavour is lighter and more delicate.
This has joined my new set of work teas for the duration of my work placement at AstraZeneca. Luckily there is a kitchen here with plentiful milk allowing me to expand my tea horizons once more :)
A nice change to my line-up of standard teas. Simple but tasty :)
http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/keemun-tea-bags.html
I have a whole gamut of teas to try over the next weeks so this will likely become a weekly feature once more! Also I'm gearing up to a large scale tea review - The Great British Tea Test 2012! Details next week!
Tom out!
Here's the second of my candidates for a new workday green tea.
Brewing
"We suggest brewing this tea for a maximum of 2 minutes, any longer and you'll lose the delicate taste. Allow one bag per person and add freshly boiled water."
Same as last time - a nice quick brew for a delicate tasting tea.
Colour
Very pale brown with a reddish tinge.
Aroma
Unlike last time you can clearly smell the cranberry and the general tea aroma is less pronounced.
Taste
At first the tea tastes like a herbal tea with a weak cranberry flavour - very refreshing. The after taste is stronger than last time and tastes more like your usual green tea.
BC-ISMRM
I've been drinking this tea while going over my slides for a presentation at the British Chapter of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Getting nervous now as this is my first presentation at a conference.
Conclusion
A refreshing workday green tea with a subtle cranberry flavour - lovely.
Verdict
Which is better? There's only one way to find out - DRINK!
I think the Mango and Lychee tea is the more interesting but the Cranberry tea is more suitable for day-to-day drinking. For now I think that will become my workday green tea :)
Web-link
http://www.twinings.co.uk/green-teas/cranberry-green-tea
Tom out!
P.S.
I ran out of green tea so this review and the next review my attempt to find a new workday green tea :).
Brewing
"We suggest brewing this tea for a maximum of 2 minutes, any longer and you'll lose the delicate taste. Allow one bag per person and add freshly boiled water.
"
A change to my usual long brewing habits. However I did over brew the first cup and I don't think it ruined the tea at all - it just made it taste more of green tea than mango.
Colour
Very pale brown.
Aroma
I'm not sure if I would pick out the smell as mango or lychee (I don't believe I have ever sniffed a lychee) but there is definitely a pleasing fruity aroma.
Taste
At first the tea tastes like a herbal tea with a strong mango flavour (probably lychee too but it's clearly a complimentary flavour as I don't know what it tastes like and it isn't very obvious). The after taste is a weak tea flavour which is equally enjoyable.
Lasagna Lunch
I've been drinking this tea while enjoying a home-made lasagna for lunch. Back to work soon though!
Conclusion
A very refreshing tea which, as it's green, doesn't require milk. A fruity, soothing change to my workday tea schedule :D
Web-link
http://www.twinings.co.uk/green-teas/mango-lychee-green
Tom out!
I've decided to post about new teas as and when now and might try a different style.
A chance sighting in Sainsbury's has allowed me to track down a tea I had previously sought but found impossible to find in the North.
Brewing
"Brew one teabag per person & pour on boiling water. Leave for three to four minutes, or until you think it's ready. Then drink it as it is, this one is made for drinking without milk.
"
Easy to brew and best of all needs no milk! (See previous work tea comments)
Colour
Light brown - one could fancifully say it has a golden hue too :).
Aroma
As with Earl Grey you can smell the bergamot and there is also a hint of lemon.
Taste
Do you like Earl Grey with lemon? Then this is similar. Obviously you can't control the strength of the lemon as you can when you add your own. However as a work tea it allows me to enjoy Earl Grey without the need for the fridge (I do like Earl Grey with milk and without - there is nothing wrong with this).
"Whistle While You Work"
This tea is definitely the cornerstone of my work teas now where I sometimes whistle. This allows me to make the above tenuous song title usable. Although I have recently learnt how to whistle more than one note which I previously found impossible so maybe I can finally whistle properly while working :)
Conclusion
An excellent workplace tea which once again fills my requirement of no milk due to lack of fridge. Though I must concede if you have a ready suppply of lemons your normal Earl Grey will do just fine.
Web-link
http://www.twinings.co.uk/speciality-black-tea-bags/sunshine-grey
See you all next time!
For those of you who don't know, Twinings are currently giving away free samples (http://www.twinings.co.uk/discover-our-range/free-samples/)! I took them up on their kind offer and chose a Blossom Earl Grey for this week's tea.
Brewing
"Use freshly drawn water. Use water at a rolling boil. Use one teabag per cup or one per person in a teapot. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes (or to your taste). This delicate tea is best enjoyed black or with just a touch of milk."
Your standard Twinings brewing instructions once again. I brew it strong and enjoyed it with milk as I would normal Earl Grey.
Colour
Dark brown.
Aroma
Though you can still smell the bergamot present in your usual Earl Grey tea it is much more restrained. The hint of orange blossom makes this tea nice and distinct from traditional Earl Grey.
Taste
I think this might be the tea with which to convert those who don't normally enjoy Earl Grey. With a weaker flavour the bergamot doesn't overpower the taste as much and this is a very refreshing tea.
Hard Work Pre-Quiz
I enjoyed this tea before clearing out the basement and heading off to a quiz in Withington. A quiz run by a man who can only really be described as a gentleman pirate (impressive facial hair and a waistcoat) who has possibly the most amazing voice I've heard outside of a particular episode of Black Books.
Conclusion
A lighter version of an old classic. Very refreshing.
Web-link
http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/taiwanese-high-mountain-oolong-6.html
See you all next week!
While out in Deansgate the other day I decided to be a little daring in my choice of tea. I went for the interestingly named Rooibos tea which until recently I knew nothing about (except that my friend Aisha was a fan of it).
For those who don't know Rooibos (or Redbush) tea is made from a bush found in Africa and is naturally caffeine free. Since it is not made from true tea leaves it counts as a herbal tea. It is still full of anti-oxidants though!
Brewing
"Use freshly drawn water. Use water at a rolling boil. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes (or to your taste) to release all of the flavour. Delicious with or without milk."
I brewed this tea for about 4 minutes but I didn't keep diligent track of the time since I was enjoying myself in a restaurant. I enjoyed this herbal tea with milk partly because if you can have milk in tea I normally do and partly because I left the waiter standing there for so long while I made my decision that it would have been rude not to.
Colour
A rich red-brown colour that compares to most everyday teas.
Aroma
The aroma is nothing special, smelling very much like an ordinary tea.
Taste
This was the most interesting part as I had absolutely no idea what to expect because herbal teas have such a wide range of flavours. Rooibos tea, it turns out, tastes very similar to normal tea. In fact had I not known it was different I would likely have thought nothing of it and assumed it was simply normal tea.
Since this is clearly marketed as caffeine free alternative and is a lot nicer than many decaf teas I can definitely see the appeal.
Cake & Conversation
I tried this tea with a slice of carrot cake (Café Rouge is yet another place which does a 'cake & coffee' deal) and a delightful conversation.
Conclusion
Very similar to your standard teas but without the caffeine. A pleasant surprise!
Web-link
http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/twinings-tea/redbush-teas/redbush-628.html
See you all next week for the second Twinings sample!
For those of you who don't know, Twinnings are currently giving away free samples (http://www.twinings.co.uk/discover-our-range/free-samples/)! I took them up on their kind offer and chose a flavoured green tea for this week's tea.
Brewing
"Allow one bag per person and add freshly boiled water. Leave to infuse for no more than two minutes to ensure you get a light, delicate, fresh taste. Always best enjoyed without milk."
This tea is brewed for much less time than the others in the Twinnings range. Also since this is a green tea no milk is required.
Colour
Very pale green-brown similar to normal green tea.
Aroma
Very light smell with orange definitely present. I'm not sure that I can smell the lotus flower but I do have a cold at the moment.
Taste
Delicate is definitely the case this is much lighter than normal green tea. If you're not a fan of green tea normally you might enjoy this. You can definitely taste the orange but it is again fairly light. Definitely refreshing but very weak compared to my usual tastes.
Television
I tried this while sat down for this week's episode of The Apprentice after a thorough spring cleaning of the house. It definitely helped refresh me during my well deserved sit down.
Conclusion
Delicate and light with hints of orange. Nice after a spring clean!
Web-link
http://www.twinings.co.uk/discover-our-range/green-teas/green-tea-with-orange-and-lotus-flower/
See you all next week!
It may not have escaped your notice that today is one of the hottest days of the year (I write these in advance, so it's probably raining by the time you read this). Having disproved the old adage that hot tea makes you cooler in the summer (this has never, ever worked for me or anyone I've asked under the age of 40. Lies I tell you!) and with this being tennis season I felt some iced tea was in order.
Ingredients
8 Tea bags (I have a penchant for Earl Grey)
Water
Lemon
Sugar (I used brown but caster is fine)
Ice cubes
Brewing
Boil 4 cups of fresh, cold water in a saucepan.
Add the tea bags and leave to brew, while covered, for 5 minutes.
Remove tea bags.
Pour tea into large jug.
Add 4 cups cold water to jug.
Add sugar and lemon to taste.
Add ice cubes to cool the tea to desired temperature.
Enjoy!
Colour
Your iced tea will be a darker brown than commercial brands.
Aroma
As the tea is cold there is less aroma than usual but you can still pick out the bergamot as well as the lemon. It definitely has a nicer smell than shop bought ice tea.
Taste
Though I would normally consider sugar in Earl Grey to be sacrilege (though I do add milk which is seen as equally bad by some) it works very well in iced tea. The normally strong flavour of the tea is subdued but still present. All-in-all a pleasant experience.
Interesting Facts
Iced tea makes up for 85% of all tea consumed in the United States.
There is a very nice story about the recipe being invented at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair but sadly recipes have been found dating back to the 1870s.
Conclusion
Follow instructions. Be refreshed!
Web-link
http://www.twinings.co.uk/discover-our-range/speciality-teas/earl-grey/
See you all next week!
Since I realise that not everyone has the time to invest in loose leaf tea this week I present a nice tea in teabag form.
I was first introduced to Lapsang Souchong via the comedic stylings of one Bill Bailey and as such had to try it. Since then, for reasons most likely linked to regular consumption of a pot (or two) during revision for my final year exams, this has become a tea I drink in order to focus myself and work harder.
Brewing
"Use one tea bag per person and pour on boiling water. Leave the tea to brew for three to five minutes, or until you think it's ready. Then drink it black, or with a drop of milk."
I tend to brew this tea for the length of one song in my playlist (this usually falls neatly between 3 and 5 minutes) as I'd feel strange timing my tea in the office.
Similarly, I drink this tea without milk due to the lack of adequate fridge facilities in my office (all my work teas can be enjoyed without milk)
Colour
A deep brown.
Aroma
Step 1: Cut down a pine tree.
Step 2: Build a bonfire from it.
Step 3: Inhale.
Or alternatively take a deep breath over your mug of Lapsang Souchong.
Taste
In a word: intriguing.
This tea tastes of smoke (from the aforementioned pine trees). This is indeed odd but surprisingly refreshing.
Although this week I haven't any tea tasters to hand I do recall introducing my housemates to it last year. I believe the consensus was: strange but good.
Music
While writing this (and enjoying the tea) I have listened to: Pearl Jam, Queen, The Eagles, Supertramp and Blink-182. A good mix of strong beats and good lyrics to keep me working.
Conclusion
To quote The Mask: "SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSMOKIN'!"
Web-link
http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/lapsang-souchong-1.html
See you all next week!
