Virginia Heath: Lost in Translation?

This week I am heading back to the USA. A country I love and have visited many times. And will continue to. Top of my bucket list is to visit every single one of the 50 states. As a Brit, American culture is so interchangeable with ours that in many ways it is a home from home.

Almost.

There are certain things about the Land of the Free that baffle me and only one which truly makes me mad. The tea.

Proper tea- made with tea leaves. The words on the mug are true!

Tea is our national drink. It is the perfect accompaniment to gossip, happiness, sadness and fatigue. It gives us Brits something to cling to if people insist on discussing uncomfortable topics like feelings. We start and end our day with the stuff. If a typical human is 65% water, then your average Brit would be at least 50% tea. There is nothing worse than a bad cuppa. A brit will tolerate poor service stoically, choke down a plate of bad food in a restaurant without complaint- but serve us a weak, lukewarm brew and expect terse words.

American tea is alien. Everything about it is wrong. If you ask for tea in a restaurant you get given a cup of tepid water with a teabag on the side.

ON THE SIDE!

When it should be immersed in that water.

Brewing.

If you dunk said bag of dust, masquerading as tea, into the water, at best you get a beige drink when every Brit knows tea is a beautiful, steaming, golden brown! Hotels are worse. They expect you to make tea in a c-c-coffee machine. Just typing those words makes my blood boil. And seriously, do not get me started on the practice of providing coffee creamer when you ask for milk… it is a Traves-tea. No wonder everyone in the states drinks coffee.

But fear not, I would ever allow something as petty as a simple hot drink to put me off my American adventures. I am prepared. Proper English teabags and my trusty travel kettle are already packed in my suitcase- once I get stateside, the very first thing I am buying is milk! And I still love the USA...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Virginia Heath writes witty, fast-paced Regency romantic comedies with a modern twist for Harlequin Historical and Mills & Boon.

Her latest novel, The Discerning Gentleman's Guide, out now.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter or in a tea shop somewhere.

The Weather Outside is Frightful. . . .

Winter arrived here in southern NJ this week and the temps took a windy, frigid tumble. The windchimes outside my former office window have been clanging like a school bell this week, wobbling to and fro, for hours and hours. Luckily, my bedroom is on the other side of the house or I'd get no rest. . . ! 

And, as Thanksgiving approaches, there are some other cold weather traditions I enjoy....

Hot chocolate!  The cold seems to awaken my need for hot chocolate. I associate it with snow and shoveling snow and kids playing in the snow and the first flurries send me running to check on my supplies -- either packaged or the fresh ingredients. 

Chai tea!  I drink tea all the time, and it's mostly always plain black tea, no flavorings, with fat-free milk and sweetener in it. But, when Autumn and Winter arrive, I need chai tea, with its rich flavors of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and even some pepper. I like to sip it, hot, and inhale the wonderful aroma of it.

Coffee! I know, I know, I don't drink coffee. I love the scent of it and the taste but coffee does not like me... So, I wait for a family gathering -- usually Thanksgiving, but this time a baby shower -- and I allow myself one cup, mixed with lots of milk and real sugar. I sip it and savor it, making appreciative noises (that drew my hubby's attention and curiosity) and know that I will pay the price to enjoy it. And I did, all through the night AND the next day -- but it was sooooo worth it. 

And finally, the ultimate sign that winter is approaching in my area? The arrival (and too-quick departure) of the WaWa turkey bowl! 

What, you ask, is a WaWa turkey bowl? Well, WaWa is a middle-Atlantic and Florida regional convenience store that makes incredible food, sandwiches, coffees and specialty drinks and . . . turkey bowls. They only arrive for a limited time -- and are a teasing hint of your homemade Thanksgiving dinner. Hot turkey in gravy served over mashed potatoes or stuffing or some of both. A dash of cranberry sauce can be added by why mess up the perfection of turkey, gravy and potatoes/stuffing? 

This year, an inside source told me of a pending end to the turkey bowl supply! They won't even last until Thanksgiving and connoisseurs of the dish are already mourning its loss. . . until next year....when it will come back when the cold weather returns. 

So, how about you? Do you have certain favorite foods or beverages you turn to when the weather turns bad? Please post and let me know....with turkey bowls disappearing, I'm going to be needing a new one very soon...! 

While awaiting the release of RISING FIRE in March 2015, Terri is working on the second in her new fantasy series - Novels of the Stone Circles - RAGING SEA. She's also going to have her next Harlequin Historical - the first in the new A HIGHLAND FEUDING series - coming out in April 2015! Please visit her website for more info about her books and upcoming events...!