Dear reader, I am here today to talk about something I’ve never talked about in a blog post before, magazines! Thanks to the kind and very helpful librarians at our reference desk here at Mead I was able to learn about a new feature in the Libby app! Do you use Libby at all? I hope you do, it’s a great resource available to all cardholders!
Earlier this year my sister-in-law’s mom mentioned to me how she was gifted a subscription to a magazine called TeaTime. After looking it up I was intrigued! Of course I went straight to the Monarch catalog to see if I could find it, but alas, it wasn’t there! I remembered that Mead has several resources available where you can read magazines online, but I didn’t have any luck finding it there either. So I did what any respectable library patron does when they need help…I asked the librarians! They showed me how to access the Magazine Rack feature in Libby where you can search for and subscribe to magazines! I was set! There is even a feature where you can read back issues, which, believe you me, really held me over during those two month stretches between issues!
If you’re worried about the magazines not translating well to a tablet, phone, or computer, have no fear! Although admittedly, the bigger the screen you can view them on, the better. At the beginning of each story there is a button that says article that you can click on. Not only do the pictures come up full screen, but the orientation of the text changes too so it’s easier to read.
Another bonus is that, since you’re reading the magazine online, if there are product links you can simply click on them and they will take you straight to the website! Let me tell you, this has been a most dangerous feature whenever I’m reading TeaTime. Many a new and exciting tea has been ordered each issue!
TeaTime
TeaTime is designed to appeal to the growing market of tea lovers. This bimonthly publication highlights tearooms and their owners, providing tea party ideas and sharing enhancements to the enjoyment of tea. TeaTime is a source book for all who love tea and who want to enrich life with the serenity of teatime. The magazine proclaims the pleasures of tea as a gourmet beverage, and offers informative articles that range from food features to tearoom profiles. TeaTime goes beyond the history and science of the beverage and celebrates the art and passion that make drinking tea a memorable occasion.
Dear reader, I have only ever attended one tea party in my life, and I cannot bake anything, even if I was facing imminent death, but even still, I thoroughly enjoy each TeaTime issue bestowed in my Libby app! That is one of the greatest powers of reading, is it not? Living vicariously through others, whether they be real or imagined! Each delicately made, miniscule finger sandwich, tart, scone, etc., that graces an elegantly designed table almost makes me want to take up baking, just to experience some of the pure magic for myself! Emphasis on the almost! Each table setting is thoroughly thought out, from the design of the dishes and cups, the flatware, and even to which desserts will be paired with which teas, and the order the teas arrive in! At the end of each article it will always list each tea and where to find it.
TeaTime also features elegantly appointed tearooms throughout the United States, as well as outside of it. It also features tea cruises! Who even knew those were a thing? Amazing! What I find most tantalizing, though, are the train rides featuring tea! Dear reader, when it comes to train rides, I am a hopeless romantic. It’s a direct byproduct of my obsession with steam trains. Imagine sitting on a plush velvet chair looking out at the mountains and small towns gliding by while you sip delicious tea. Pure heaven!
Of course the magazine also talks about the history of tea, which is equally fascinating. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but when I read historical accounts from other countries that are centuries old, I’m always struck with a sense of awe. Compared to most other countries, the United States is truly a young country. It’s hard for me to imagine such ancient history! But that doesn’t get in the way of my enjoyment of such stories.
How the tea is grown, how it’s harvested, the different drying methods to achieve different strengths and types of tea, it’s always intriguing! Learning about such things can make you appreciate that hot cup of tea all the more
Country Home
Country Home magazine is packed with warm, inviting, personal houses that evoke the feeling of “home” on every page. From contemporary lofts that radiate a modern version of country to Texas farmhouses rich with patina, each issue delivers the style and inspiration that readers hold dear.
Dear reader, Country Home is one of those magazines that was always in the house while I was growing up. I remember picking it up whenever I was bored, or had a few moments to myself. Flipping through the pages while looking at all the finely decorated houses always brought me great comfort. There is something about a cozy home tucked away in the countryside that feels like a new book by a favorite author. You may have never been there before, but the comfort of familiarity, is right below the surface, waiting to embrace you.
My fondest memory of a home in the countryside is my great aunt’s old farm in Upper Michigan. While, sadly, she hasn’t lived there in several years, I have many memories of meeting other relatives there for a day, all of us coming from points near and far like intricate lace being woven around a single bead. My great aunt had two bird feeders filled with black oil sunflower seed that were in front of her kitchen windows. One day while we were eating lunch a beautiful male red-headed woodpecker came to the feeders. My great aunt and I were the only ones awestruck and excited! I still remember it like it was yesterday! If you’ve ever seen these birds you will understand my excitement, they are stunning.
Her home was originally a one-room log cabin built in the late 1800’s, so the floors have settled and sagged overtime. Walking over them was like traversing the bones of a family member. There were also large, intricately carved metal grates in the floor upstairs where you could peer down into the downstairs below, probably an old method of heat transfer. I remember waking up to the sound of all the adults conversing in the kitchen, and how could I forget the smell of coffee brewing in the percolator on the stovetop! Pure heaven!
While all the homes featured in the magazine won’t be for everyone, there is always something to appreciate in each of them. As someone who gathered all of the items for my apartment from near and far via Facebook Marketplace, I appreciate the magazine’s method of pairing mismatched pillows, rugs, chairs, couches, etc., to create a haphazard but chaotically comforting atmosphere. After all, we all know the epidemic of Millenial Gray!
Taste of Home
Every issue is jam-packed with 100+ delicious, home-style recipes & tips—all made with easy, everyday ingredients—and all shown in FULL COLOR!
Dear reader, I have a confession. Taste of Home is another magazine I grew up with at my parent’s house, but it wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I truly came to appreciate it. Finding simple recipes that are quick and easy to make is like striking adult gold! It’s like that old joke, where now you understand why your mom made the same recipes all the time. It’s true, isn’t it!
I’m one of those people who can eat the same thing over and over and not be bothered. I will also make a full casserole recipe so I can eat it the whole week. That’s a guaranteed meal I only need to make once! But even still, I can always appreciate a new recipe! I find them exciting. Admittedly, when I still lived with my parents I was more experimental with recipes, venturing into Japanese and Korean food more so than I do now. It may be a mark of how old I am, but all I want from a recipe nowadays is simplicity, both in directions, preparation, and ingredients! The audacity of some recipes to throw in the most obscure – and expensive – ingredient is just insulting! What about us common folk? Us nine to fivers who just want a nourishing meal!
I recently made a very good pizza recipe from a Taste of Home magazine, asparagus, bacon and herbed pizza. I also added chicken because I happened to have some breasts already cooked up. I’m a very visual learner so I’ve never been able to just throw a recipe together simply by looking at ingredients I have in my kitchen. My sister-in-law can do that and I admire her for it! I’ve also come to realize the importance of a well-stocked kitchen. If I found I’ve run out of chicken broth, some of the base soups like cream of mushroom, or pasta I immediately put it on my grocery list.
That was one of the things I found most intimidating about moving out on my own, actually. The fact that I would have to cook for myself! Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve known how to cook since college, but when I lived at home I came home from work to a meal already on the table, prepared by my mom. It’s a whole different ball game when you come home to an empty apartment and realize it’s you who has to cook everything! I actually envisioned myself starving because I didn’t have a fully stocked kitchen. Maybe you’re laughing right now, but it took me a long time to overcome that irrational fear. I’m sure now I overcompensate by having too much in my kitchen, but I would rather have that than the alternative.
While having the Taste of Home magazine on my tablet isn’t the same as having the physical magazine, opening a new issue still has that same comforting effect. I enjoy how each issue is tailored to the seasons, with the issue featured in my blog post being the summer issue. In fact, this particular issue has an article on kimchi that includes several different ways you can incorporate it into your meals! I found that interesting as I am a big fan of kimchi.
Dear reader, whether you pick up one of these magazines, or a different one, may you discover something new with each issue! As always, happy reading!
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