The Conclusion to the Griggs Mystery…Or Is It?

Mystery, you say?

So this year’s theme is “mysteries” in honor of Agatha Christie’s novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles turning 100 years old. To really have this theme be present I decided to review a mystery every month…somehow and ideally connecting it to Jane Austen.

Time to get on the case!

In January, I wasn’t sure what to do when I received a goblin in my mailbox.

It turned out to be a a mysterious package from The Mysterious Package Company. 

Hmm…

So the first package seemed to be saying that there is something wrong with 27 East Heath Road. The architect, Henry Griggs, had been going crazy trying to finish building his house after his wife died-using all his money. He even felt as if something was there making him continue, something altering his plans, something controlling him. The house was almost complete, but Griggs had descended into some kind of madness. He ends up putting his daughter in an orphanage and Griggs disappears, presumed dead.

Hmm…

Then in the second package, the house is sold to Dr. Elliot, a physician who likes to experiment on himself with his tinctures.

He has a strange patient, Beth Siggers (could it be ElizaBeth Griggs?) who acts off  in his home. He also starts seeing something in his mirror. He died from overdose…or murder?

Hmm…from The Wolfman

Then the house was bought by magician’s assistant, Héléne Ashworth and her magician husband The Great Goodyear, Claude Goodyear. Helene loves the house, espechially the conservatory as she can grow all her plants. But then strange things happen-other plants are being planted, she starts having trouble remembering, she feels a presence in the house, and she thinks she sees something. She starts searching her home and dies of fright…or was she murdered?

Hmmm…

In the third package I received a demon mask that I instantly boxed up to never see again. Elizabeth Griggs has come into her inheritance and has bought 27 East Heath Road revealing that she created multiple identities: Beth Spriggs, Lilibet, the “psychic” Mrs. Alizbeta Divak. She loved the house, but she didn’t stay there long. A madman in a mask came out of a secret passage in the house and tried to kill her, both dying and it was revealed the crazed man was her father,

He was never dead but just hiding in the house.

I was also able to decode all the secret messages in everything.

I thought the story was over, but then I received another package.

This one has:

• An article on “The Black Moon Tragedy” from This Mortal Recoils
• A pamphlet for Griggs Manor
• A letter from the people who sent the package

 

The article “The Black Moon Tragedy” from This Mortal Recoils tells of a Goth sounding band, Spiritus Lost, renting the house for its creepy reputation to do a spooky show. They left everything as it was, creepy, scary, gothic, etc. for aesthetic.

Creepy…

But what was supposed to be an amazing night went extremely wrong. There is something in the house, something dark. Flower scents where there are no flowers, pools of blood, the doors locked, people dying trying to get into the mirror (that’s where the secret passage is), people going crazy, ghostly figures seen in the mirror, one woman died of fright, and more.

I would stay far away from that house or just knock it down to be honest. It really needs to be destroyed. Salt and burn that thing.

Salt and burn it

The pamphlet says that they have redone the Mansion and converted it into 20 ultra deluxe suites. It sounds really nice with a library, garden, conservatory, underground parking, a marble fireplace-the pictures are beautiful, but there is no way I’d ever live in a demon house.

Not okay.

The final note is from The Mysterious Package Company with a link to type and see who sent it, and it turned out to be a group of my friends, exactly who I suspected it would be.

I have to say this whole experience was a ton a fun. It is expensive, but worth the amount of effort that goes into it. I mean you can definitely see the worth in it.

I recommend trying it out if you are interested in receiving fun mail, espechially with shelter in place coming into effect again.

For more from The Mysterious Package Company, go to Creepy Demon Mask & Haunted Hampstead Heath House of Horrors!

For more mysteries, go to Murder She Hoped: Raising Hope (2013)

For more haunted houses, go to Trapped in a Mansion in the Middle of Nowhere with a Psycho: The Cat and the Canary (1939)

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). The first week we had Cederberg Tea Company Rooibos + Ginger Tea, Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream, Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Cucumber-Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese Canapés, Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry, and Mini Apple Pies.

I couldn’t share the recipes in October as I was in the middle of Horrorfst IX, so I will be starting now-and as I started with scones, I’m moving on to sandwiches.

Party time!

So this recipe comes from Tea Time Magazine Annual British Issue, and was originally called Cucumber-Blue Cheese Canapés, but I don’t like blue cheese. I think it is extremely gross.

So when I was browsing for a goat cheese substitute I spotted Laura Chenel’s Chèvre Four Peppercorn Fresh Goat Cheese Chabis and boy let me tell you, that cheese is absolutely delicious. So if you want the original recipe, you’ll have to buy the July/August 2020 issue as the recipe isn’t online.

Ingredients:

• 4 Slices of firm White Sandwich Bread
• 3 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
• 1 Teaspoon of Laura Chenel’s Chèvre Four Peppercorn Fresh Goat Cheese ( I used way more as I love cheese)
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Chopped Parsley
• 1/2 English Cucumber
• Garnish: Parsley Leaves

Directions:

1. Using a serrated bread knife in a gentle sawing motion, trim and discard crusts from bread slices. Cut bread into 8 2.5×1.5 inch rectangles.
2. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, cheese, and parsley until combined.
3. Spread a layer of the mixture onto the bread rectangles. Add more cheese to your desired taste.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut a cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a mandoline, cut 32 very thin lengthwise slices from cucumber halves. I actually did half and half as I love the cucumber cut into circles.
5. Arrange 4 cucumber slices width-wise in a shingled, parallel fashion on the mayonnaise side of the each bread rectangle, trimming cucumber slices to fit the bread rectangle.
6. Garnish each canapé with a parsley leaf, if desired.
7. Serve immediately, or cover with damp paper towels, place in a covered container, and refrigerate for up to an hour before serving.

These were soooo good. I loved the mix of the four peppercorn cheese with the cucumbers. In fact I used the leftovers to make sandwiches the next few days and it was fantastic. This is a wonderful addition to any tea party.

It was delicious, just as I planned.

For more from The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club, go to Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream

For more recipes, go to Brown Sugar and Cream Cheese Scones

For more cucumber sandwiches, go to Cucumber Sandwiches

For more sandwich recipes, go to Basic Chicken Salad

For more tea posts, go to Mug o’ Tea Treats Christmas Gift

Mug o’ Tea Treats Christmas Gift

Christmas is coming!

And I don’t know about you all, but I’m trying to finish my shopping as early as I can. And I thought I would share this fun little gift with you all. Every year my coworkers and I exchange Christmas gifts and every year I try to do something different. I’ve made cookies, ornaments, did chocolate chip cookie mix in a mason jar, sugar cookie mix in a mason jar paired with cookie cutters, etc. Last year I did the sugar cookie mix in a jar when on pinterest an image popped up this idea for “Mason Jar Tea Time”  from Thirsty for Tea. I really liked the concept of having the teabags, honey, scones, jam, etc. all in a jar with a cute ribbon, and I pinned it to my pinterest board for next year.

“Next year” rolled around and I still liked the idea, but with COVID-19, the homemade scones had to go.

I also found these mugs at the 99¢ store and thought they were so cute, I purchased all they had and decided to use them instead of the mason jars.

That’s Yuletide in the background.

I put in each mug:

• Honey sticks (16¢ each)
• 3 Teabags (I purchased Bigelow Assorted Herbal/Tisane Teas for $3 [about 17¢ each] along with some Stash teas at 21¢ each)
• Lorna Doones (I bought these to replace the homemade scones and they were 50¢ each)

So the total for these little gifts ranged from $2.16-$2.28. You of course can do exactly what I did or add more tea, honey, tea treats, or even an infuser if you want. It’s a very easy and cute gift to give and as everything is individually wrapped or can be washed, it is perfectly safe for COVID-19.

For more tea posts, go to Countdown to Christmas: Tea Advent Calendar Swap 2019

For more Christmas posts, go to Holiday Mix Tape

The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). The first week we had Cederberg Tea Company Rooibos + Ginger Tea, Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream, Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwiches, Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry, and Mini Apple Pies.

I couldn’t share the recipes in October as I was in the middle of Horrorfst IX, so I will be starting now-and of course beginning with scones.

So last time I made scones I was trying to decide between Brown Sugar and Cream Cheese Scones and this one-Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream. When it came to picking out a scone, I immediately went to this one as it was part of a Fall Teatime and because I really, really want to try it.

This comes from Teatime’s Teatime Celebrations Autumnal Harvest Tea

Cranberry-Spice Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Flour (They said whole wheat but I just used regular)
• 1/4 Cup of Granulated Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice
• 1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Cup of Cold Unsalted Butter, Cubed
• 1/3 Cup of Dried Cranberries
• 3/4 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• Sugar for Garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, allspice, and pepper, whisking well.
4. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Add cranberries, stirring to combine.
6. In a small bowl, combine cream and vanilla extract, stirring well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until mixture is evenly moist. (If dough seems dry, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough forms.
7. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 4 to 5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll dough to a ¾-inch thickness. Using a 2¼-inch round cutter, cut 10 scones from dough. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
8. Garnish tops of scones with additional sugar, if desired.
9. Bake until edges are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean, approximately 20 minutes.

Maple Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Cold Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 Tablespoons of Confectioner’s Sugar/Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup, Divided

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat at high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, beating until stiff peaks form.
2. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 2 hours.
3. Before serving, drizzle cream with remaining ½ tablespoon maple syrup.

 

OMGOODNESS these were so good! They were just beyond delicious. I loved them and I loved the cream that went with it. All of us at the tea party did and couldn’t stop eating them.

No, stop! Alright.

If you like good scones, you should definitely make these.

For more recipes, go to Brown Sugar and Cream Cheese Scones

For more scones, go to Scottish Oat Scones

For more tea posts, go to Countdown to Christmas: Tea Advent Calendar Swap 2019

Countdown to Christmas: Tea Advent Calendar Swap 2019

So last year on Instagram I saw that @TeaisforTravel was starting an Advent Calendar Tea Swap. When I first saw it I was extremely interested and totally wanted to join:

But then I thought about it…a few years ago I did a book swap and sent my books off to the people I was assigned and was supposed to receive some, but I never did. I decided to skip it as I didn’t really want to get involved in something, have my hopes up, and then have nothing arrive.

Not okay.

Then I saw @teaandme blog was going to do it, and it looked like so much fun…plus I had almost 25 teas I just needed a few more…I figured aw, why not?!

So I signed up to do it. But then I was like how do I make an advent calendar? Whenever we did an Advent Calendar/Christmas countdown growing up, we always did paper chains. I never had one that had things in it. Thank goodness for the internet-I googled and searched pinterest to try and find some ideas.

So the concept I really wanted to do, didn’t work with mailing it to my person. I had a few ideas but I needed to finish it up between all the other holiday things I needed to do + get it out in the mail before December 1st, so I ended up doing a very simple envelope style.

I actually had so much fun making my advent calendar I didn’t even care if I ended up not getting one. With mine I chose certain teas for certain days and every pod had a tea and a letter about why I picked it to be a part of the calendar or to be had on a certain day.

I can’t remember what I wrote for everything, just a few-but I do remember the teas I used. They were:

December 1st-Lifestyle Awareness Serene Slumber Soothing Lavender: As Sunday was the first day of Advent I chose a “purple” tea (I did for every Sunday of Advent). Purple is a symbol of Advent as in ancient times purple was extremely expensive and used for royalty. As Advent is awaiting the “coming of the King”, its color became purple as well. The first Sunday of Advent symbolizes Hope and the first candle lit is the “prophecy candle” in remembrance of the prophets, such as Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ.  I also wanted to start off with a soothing tea as Christmas can be super stressful for people.

December 2nd-Stash Earl Grey

December 3rd-Tiesta Tea Maui Mango

December 4th- Lipton Black Tea

December 5th- Stash Chai Spice

December 6th- Tiesta Tea Fruity Pebbles

December 7th- Good Earth Sweet & Spicy

December 8th- Stash Wild Raspberry Hibiscus: The second Sunday of Advent is also a purple candle and represents faith. This one is called the Bethlehem candle and is a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

December 9th- Sencha Naturals Organic Matcha: Just in case I included in my letter how to make a matcha latte.

December 10th- Bigelow Pumpkin Spice Tea

December 11th- Stash Premium Green Tea

December 12th- Oliver Pluff & Company Jasmine Green Tea: I had won this tea in a giveaway from Regency Marketplace. 

December 13th- Panera Ginger Peach Tea: Our library hosted a parent event every month. Right before I put the advent calendar together, they canceled their meeting but forgot to cancel their order at Panera. So we enjoyed a bunch of breakfast sweets, coffee, and tea.

December 14th- Stash English Breakfast Tea

December 15th- Tiesta Tea Nutty Almond Tea: This sunday of Advent you use the pink candle, so I chose a tea that is pink after it steeps. This candle symbolizes joy and is the Shepherd’s candle-representing the joy they and the world had with the birth of Christ.

December 16th- Twinings Earl Grey: December 16th is Jane Austen’s birthday so I chose a Tea that Jane Austen would have had. In one of her letters she wrote she purchased Twinings tea, because it was unadulterated -unlike other tea that was blended with anything.

December 17th- Tiesta Tea Royal Breakfast

December 18th- Stash Chamomile: Being halfway through the month I thought it was a good time to have some more relaxing tea.

December 19th- Tea Bar and Fusion Cafe Octavia Tea Company Earl Grey: I love this place and wish it wasn’t an hour away but in my city.

December 20th- Stash Peppermint

December 21st- Bigelow Pomegranate Pizazz

December 22nd- Tiesta Tea Lavender Chamomile: This is the last Sunday of Advent. This candle represents peace and is called the “Angel’s Candle”. I thought it was perfect for today as this close to Christmas chamomile is perfect to give one peace as they finish any last minute anything they need to do.

December 23rd- Stash Lemon Ginger: December 23rd is my sister’s birthday and she loves Lemon Ginger Tea.

December 24th- Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea: When I was a kid I had such a hard time trying to sleep on the night before Christmas as I would be too wired. My mom used to always have us drink Sleepytime Tea to ehlp us sleep, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t-but I still drink it every December 24th.

December 25th- Tiesta Tea Victorian Earl Grey: When I think of Christmas I of course think of A Christmas Carol and so what would be better than Victorian Earl Grey? 

In fact I had so much fun making this, that I ended up creating and sending one to my niece as part of her Christmas gift.

So it turned out that the person who was making my Advent calender was @TeaisforTravel, the creator of the swap. I tried to use a different cup each day and have the pictures be different or about what I was doing that day. Some days I combined it with my 25 Days of Christmas Movies or with my reading Praying With Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Now I like different types of tea, but I tend to only buy/drink one: Tiesta Tea Victorian Earl Grey.

So it was nice trying out different teas, some of them being ones I had never heard of before. And while I may not have loved all of them, I loved having this experience of trying all these different teas.

So I am sharing the pics I really liked/thought turned out great. If interested in seeing all of them, just head over to my instagram @janeaustenrunsmylife

December 1st- Old Barrel Tea Lavenderberry: This was a very delicious tea that made me think of relaxing in a field of flowers.

December 2nd- Tazo Prickly Pear Cactus Tea + Praying With Jane. This tea was beyond good. I gave one of the tea bags to my niece who also loved it.

December 3rd- David’s Tea Seaberry Spa: This was a fruity and relaxing tea. I gave this to my niece to try and she LOVED it.

December 4th-Good Earth Rosa de Jamaica: This was my first time having Rosa de Jamaica hot as I had only ever had it as a cold brew and I really enjoyed it.

December 5th- Encore Chocolate & Tea Candy Apple: This tea wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t for me. I gave this to my niece who loved it.

December 6th- Whittard Earl Grey– I loved this tea and drank it while reading my Book Club’s Pick monthly pick, Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale.

December 7th- Trader Joe’s Lemongrass Earl Grey: I’d never had this tea before but I was surprised how much I enjoyed this variation on my favorite type of tea.

December 8th- David’s Tea Nutty & Spice

December 9th- Teatime Scottsdale Royal Tea: A very sweet tea that is in no need of sugar.

December 10th- Stash Chai Spice: Is it really winter if you haven’t had a cup of Chai tea? A delicious tea for a cold winter’s day.

December 11th- Teatopia Yellow Mudan + Praying with Jane: This was a tea I had never heard of but it was really good.

December 12th- Bigelow Lean and Fit Citrus Oolong Tea: I was so tired I needed to drink a whole pint.

December 13th- Artful Tea Purple Lychee: This was a Friday the 13th so of course I needed to wear my Ghostbusters T-Shirt, use my Ghostbusters mug, eat pizza, and watch horror films. This Purple Lychee was really good as I am not a big fan of lychee but enjoyed this.

December 14- Whittard English Breakfast: I’m really picky about my English Breakfast, but LOVED this tea. I also really love cats and Audrey Hepburn movies (if you couldn’t tell lol).

December 15th- Nobilitea Pina Power: I didn’t think I would like this as I don’t care for pineapple, but I enjoyed it. I also gave this to my niece.

December 16th- Nobilitea Prima Donna: This was a nice tea, but not for me. I also gave this one away to a friend. I paired this with my viewing of Star Wars: A New Hope as part of my 25 Days of Christmas. I know most will say it isn’t a Christmas film, but my family watches it every year at Christmastime.

December 17th- Steepologie Sour Patch Tea: This tea surprised me as it was better than I thought it would be. This day we decorated our family Christmas tree, our family tradition is to have an ornament that represents important events that occurred in the year.

December 18th- Buyulu Bohca Green Tea with Jasmine Flowers: I drank this to relax after wrapping gifts.

December 19th- Nobilitea Regal Plum: Drank this while wrapping more Christmas gifts.

December 20th- Crafted Leaf Teas Golden Tip Lapsang Souchong: I LOVED this tea so much that I ended up buying my own bag. It is so good and worth every penny of the price.

December 21st- Steep by Bigelow Organic Oolong and Jasmine Green Tea: A delicious tea and perfect for starting off a day in which one has a lot to do.

December 22nd- Nobilitea Cinnamon Blondie + Praying with Jane: I really loved this tea as it smelled and tasted like Christmas, just like gingerbread cookies.

December 23rd- David’s Tea Lemon Smash: This tea was perfect for today as it was my sister’s birthday and she loves anything lemon. This tea was delicious and we both had a cup.

December 24th- Stash Double Bergamot Earl Grey + Holiday Mix Tape: I loved this tea and drank it as I edited my review of Holiday Mix Tape, a modern Christmas Persuasion.

December 25th- Nobilitea Banana Pancakes: I wasn’t sure if I would like this as banana flavored things aren’t really my thing, but I really enjoyed it.

This was so much fun, that I was excited to do it again this year. I wasn’t sure if @teaisfortravel was going to do it again (with COVID19), so this year I put together a tea swap with some friends and family members.

If you are interested in doing it, contact her or try to do it with your friends or family. It is a lot of fun and a great way to stop and take some moments to relax during the holiday season.

For more tea posts, go to The Picture of Earl Grey Tea Cookies

For more Christmas posts, go to Holiday Mix Tape