Sweet treat time: Virtual chocolate-tasting class courtesy Theo Chocolate

Theo Chocolate virtual tasting class comes with a box full of candy bars

What's better than chocolate? More chocolate! Add a virtual tasting class from Theo Chocolate to guide you through the dark-to-milk varieties - and everything in between - and you have an evening of fun and flavor!

Earlier this month, I was gifted with Theo's virtual chocolate tasting kit from my daughter and son-in-law. They had recently participated in the same event and thought it was fantastic. Knowing I love chocolate as much as I love tea, they sent this to me as birthday treat. My class experience certainly matched all their rave reviews.

Ready to excel in class!

Bars are sectioned for easy sampling

A few weeks before the on-line class, participants will receive a sealed box containing several chocolate bars. and a labeled with an empathetic warning. Knowing that recipients will most likely be those who have a deep affinity for chocolate, and with that, prone to sample such treats if they are in close proximity, Theo advises: "we understand if you can't resist and want to snack a tiny bit before your class, but try to save most of the treats . . for your tasting".

Tasting kit comes with sound advice.

Incredibly, I held off opening the box until class time, but I confess to tucking it away in our pantry, out of site, to lessen the temptation.

Our class started promptly at 8:00 PM, EST. Theo Chocolate is located in Seattle, Washington, so for our instructor and other guests on the west coast, things began at 5:00 in the afternoon. 

Class was educational and entertaining

captivated students

Our instructor was amazing:  he was informative, encouraging and entertaining. He began with a short presentation, explaining what chocolate is and where it comes from. Then he demonstrated tempering chocolate: the process of melting, cooling and, and in this case, "tabling" - spreading it around on a marble surface with a metal spatula.

We then worked our way through the candy bars, starting with the very dark (and less sweet) chocolate to the very creamy milk chocolate.  There were some classic additions: sea salt and raspberry which were phenomenal (sea salt being our absolute favorite!), but also some interesting specialty bars which included: peanut butter and jelly, bread and chocolate and root beer.

It was a well-paced and delightfully decadent sixty minute journey. Another bonus, after the class you will receive a discount coupon for your next purchase. Mine is already on order. And, yes, I bought myself the "Spring Tea" collection which is comprised of four different teas infused in chocolate ganache. I will report back once I've sampled! 

I so enjoyed furthering my chocolate education. BTS gives this a solid (chocolate) two thumb's up!

For more information on Theo Chocolate's virtual tasting class and kit, click this link:  Theo Virtual Class.

 

The band is back together: Second Downton Abbey movie coming this December!!

Visiting Highclere (aka "the real Downton Abbey) with Rachel (foreground) in 2015

Officially announced this week through various news outlets, including the blog of the current countess of  Highclere Castle (aka "the real Downton Abbey"), Lady Carnarvon, the production has begun on the sequel to the 2019 Downton Abbey movie.  To those of us DA-devotees, this is tonic in a year-plus of quarantine. 

As quoted in Variety, producer Gareth Neame sums it up well:  "After a very challenging year with so many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead and that next Christmas we will be re-united with the much beloved characters of Downton Abbey." 

Just a sample of our Downton Abbey collecton

The sequel to Downton Abbey will bring together familiar faces and a few new ones, including Hugh Dancy (for Janeites, you may recall that attractive lad from the 2007 movie, "The Jane Austen Book Club"). 

Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, will once again write the screenplay. As Neame told Variety in an interview from 2019, Fellowes was planning on starting the sequel once he completed  "The Gilded Age" (a new series on HBO also expected out this year - and YES! BTS will be revving up its Gilded Age tea talks, too!).

Downton Abbey Exhibit in Delaware, 2014

In anticipation of the Downton Abbey movie, we've gathered up memories and mementos of our DA-focused  trips. With daughter and BTS partner, Rachel, our first DA-themed getaway was in 2014 to Delaware for one of the first Downton Abbey exhibits. That same weekend (and, by the way, we do know what that is!), we met up with author, Jessica Fellowes, writer of the DA companion books and niece of Julian. We got a lot of fun inside tales from Jessica.

Meeting Downton Abbey companion book author, niece of Julian Fellowes, Jessica Followes

The following year, Rachel and I made the trek to Highclere Castle and Bampton Village, the movie sites of the Downton Abbey home and village, respectively.  (and yes, we had tea while there and, of course, brought back the souvenir cup.)

Tea at Highclere

Bampton Village

I also had the great pleasure of interviewing Lady Carnarvon for an article featured in TeaTime Magazine. 

Downton Abbey article for TeaTime

In addition, this captivating series launched six years of Downton Abbey tea talks and events for BTS.  We are happy to announce, we're already scheduled for another one in December to coincide with the Downton Abbey movie release. (Hint: it's one of our favorite venues.)  More details to come, so stay tuned!

As Lady Carnarvon noted in her blog this week, it is a bit of relief - now that the official announcement of the second movie is out - to no longer be worried about "let[ting] the news of the film slip out inadvertently".  She, too, is filled with excitement and comfort, comparing the arrival of cast and crew on the grounds of Highclere to a feeling from her youth when returning to school at the start of a new term. It's  a mix of "apprehension allied to the welcome feeling of a familiar structure to the day."

More Downton Abbey tea talks this year!

DA fun at favorite venues

The band of the Crawley clan, from upstairs to downstairs, will be back together again and we can't wait.  We're polishing the tiara and counting down the days!

With tiara and tea, waiting for the next Downton Abbey move

The Downton Abbey sequel is scheduled to be released December 22nd. Keep checking back to here for updates on DA-2021 events! 

Get your Masters tea-gree from Adagio: Specialty, limited edition teas with a story

Premium teas from the Masters series from Adagio

Masters is a series of  specialty teas from Adagio teas.  As noted in previous blogs, this collection not only features fresh loose teas to savor, but also, through Adagio's Masters website, an opportunity to learn more about the region in which they are grown and meet some of the tea harvesters.

For the past three years, I've had the opportunity to sample the early release of some of these wonderful teas and last month, I received two delightful selections from the Rohini tea estate located in the Darjeeling region of India:  Rohini first oolong and Rohini gold wire.

Two selections from the Rohini tea estate in the Darjeeling region of India

These teas come from the same tea estate, but that's not all they have in common. Both are light, smooth and brew up a beautiful amber liquor in your teapot. They also are harvested by Debbi Chittri who shares a bit of her story on the  Rohini teas' pages.

Brewing up Rohini first oolong, mild but not timid.

The Rohini first oolong is sweet with a touch of  delicate fruity notes. It offers up a mild, but not timid, taste. 

Both Rohini teas brew up a beautiful amber liquor

The Rohini Gold Wire has a faint earthy but refreshing taste with subtle honey notes.

Rohini gold wire has subtle honey notes

I enjoyed both of these Rohini teas and sampling such high grade teas reminds me of all the amazing offerings that come from the camellia sinensis plant. It gets me out of my black tea rut go-to's like English breakfast  and Earl Grey (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

It also inspires me to continue my tea education and work towards my Master's tea-gree, courtesy Adagio. 

Product review disclaimer:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free or discounted price. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

We're making changes! Welcome to Barb's Coffee Service

With coffee, one can add milk OR cream and one may be so bold as to raise a pinkie. . .or two!

We're making some big changes here at BTS or, as we now can be referred to as "BCS" or "Barb's Coffee Service".

We're replacing Camillia sinensis with the coffee bean. The latter produces such a hearty drink, we can add, not only milk, but as much cream or half-and-half as we desire.

Replacing Camillia sinensis with the coffee bean

With that change, we're also eschewing some of the etiquette that comes with drinking tea. I had a cup of coffee today and raised both pinkies while sipping. 

Once travel opens up, instead of scoping out exciting tea venues,  I've mapped out visits to coffee houses around the country and abroad - mostly Starbucks. Although they're pretty much all the same, it will save a lot of time on my blog reviews. 

It's a slippery, but, robust slope. 

But first, COFFEE . . . until tomorrow!

 

We'll be back to Barb's Tea Service tomorrow.

Happy First of April!