Taking Tea Encourages Intimacy

Somehow, taking tea together encourages an atmosphere of intimacy when you slip off the timepiece in your mind and cast your fate to a delight of tasty tea, tiny foods, and thoughtful conversation. 

Greco

Hola, Cobalt Teacup

I have an affinity for cobalt blue. No matter how many times I decide to change my home decor, I find that I always have to save a spot for the cobalt pieces. It is especially endearing to me in pottery and china. So, I was delighted to receive this interesting and unusual teacup and saucer from a friend. She found it while on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and thought I would enjoy it. It's not especially dainty, but the design and glaze are beautiful. And it's really fun to be able to say that I have a teacup and saucer from Mexico. A scalloped edge frames its rim and four pedestal legs form a lovely base. The teacup's handle is gracefully scalloped. Hand-painted, each floral pattern is varied from the next as one looks around the teacup. I enjoy this teacup and display it on my bookshelf. I never look at it without remembering the friend who gave it to me.

Think Warm & Feel Close

 

"The daintiness and yet elegance of a china teacup focuses one to be gentle, to think warmly and to feel close."

 

Carol & Malcolm Cohen

 

Listening for the Wonderful Silence

“Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven't the answer to a question you've been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause of a room full of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you're alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful if you listen carefully.”

Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

Blossom Bear & Teacup

The ornamental crabapple blossoms are so pretty in vibrant pink! I decided to bring some inside and pair them with a pink blossom teacup and saucer so I could enjoy them in the house. Dusty miller provided some contrast to the vibrant pink and bright green leaves. The arrangement is more whimsy and casual than symmetrically formal or elegant. But, it was fun to create!

The pictures are of my Blossom Bear. She's just the right size to sit on a chair and to look pretty on display, but she's really not stylish any more. Trends have changed from the days when bears were so ultra-popular. But I don't mind. She is special to me. My mother made her about twenty years ago. The fabric is an embroidered 1950's luncheon tablecloth that had been a wedding gift to my parents. Mom kept it as such for about 40 years. Then she decided to re-purpose it by dying it pink and using it to make a bear out of. She strategically positioned the embroidery on the body and face so that it would be featured well. Isn't she sweet? I thought you might like to see her. I love Blossom Bear because she has become a family heirloom.

Are you familiar with the crabapple tree? I have memories of my father raving over how good crabapples were. My grandmother would stew them or can them in his childhood and he developed a fondness for crabapples that has never gone away. I like them too, but not well enough to put up with their messiness in the lawn when the apples fall. So, our crabapple tree is ornamental. The apples are very small; similar to berries. They are a popular ornamental tree used in landscaping, having beautiful blossoms that announce spring so loud and clear! Their blossoms are beautiful even before they open. The bud stage is called "balloon". Flowers in the balloon stage are often a different color than the open blossom. The leaf colors can vary from tree to tree.

Today I paired this teacup with Blossom Bear and my ornamental crabapple blossoms (top photo; lower photo is shown with dogwood blossoms).  The teacup and saucer are Peach Blo Limoges, Silver Moon pattern. They are American made and feature a square plate with scalloped corners. The teacup and saucer are platinum trimmed with a pale pink background and have pastel blossoms and foliage. It was manufactured from the 1920's to the 1940's.

The tea is Adagio's Ceylon Sonata, a black tea from Sri Lanka. Grown on the Kenilworth Estate, it is fresh, citrusy in aroma and has the sweet, juicy notes of mandarin peel or grapefruit. It is quite balanced in astringency and has a refreshing, smooth texture.

It's been fun to look around my house and the garden, finding things that go with this and that. Today is the day for pink! I hope it is a wonderful one for you!

An Impromptu Tea

It was a mixed day of sunshine, rain, clouds, and brisk breezes yesterday. But the sunshine ruled for most of the day. Garden gloves, pruners, and a wheelbarrow were gathered to help me as I trimmed roses and lavender, pulled weeds, and spiffed up the flower beds. 

Nearly done, I went into the house for a glass of water and discovered a missed call on my phone. It was my friend, Tari. I called her back and she said she'd be passing by my house in about half an hour and asked could she stop by. Of course!

I swiftly changed my focus from gardening to making afternoon tea. It was definitely impromptu, plus! It was the end of the week-end and there wasn't a single slice of bread in the house! Time was of essence! I was about ready to resort to "just tea" when I remembered my blogging friend, Tammy, from T's Daily Treasures. She always creates simple and delicious looking tea times. So, I decided to create like Tammy! She truly inspired me.

Old London Melba Toasts and Wasa Rosemary Flatbread were in the pantry. Peanut butter and raspberry jam were found and spooned into little glass containers. Almonds, walnuts and dried apricots made a pretty mixture in Turkish nut bowls. And there was oatmeal cake that was quickly cut into squares and plated.  Adagio Sonata Ceylon was brewed and poured into a teapot and Tari's favorite teacups were found. She'd given them to me for a birthday one year, and when we have tea together, I always use them.

Things were ready to carry out to the porch table when she arrived. Whew! That was a quick put-together! Although it wasn't proper, nor fancy, it was wholesome and a perfect accompaniment to tea. We chatted for an hour or more, soaking in the sunshine, enjoying the tea time snack and friendship.

At some point during our tea time, our family pets found us, one by one. Two dogs and a cat, just hoping for a tasty morsel! So patient and quiet, yet with eyes one could not resist! The pets enjoyed tea time too!

Chocolate Almond Coconut Balls

Chocolate and tea. Two of my favorite things and so delightful when paired together. Whether it is a piece of a great quality chocolate bar, a brownie, a cupcake, or a truffle, it's wonderful! A local tea shop conducts tea tastings and I enjoy how they serve yummy chocolate and sugared morsels to give the palate an opportunity to shift from one tea to the next. Their Seattle Chocolates are excellent!

Replicating the experience at home is easy if you can keep chocolate in the house. A good quality, very dark chocolate bar is usually kept in a kitchen drawer along with doggy treats and zip-lock bags. One square at a time it disappears as family members discover and enjoy it. There are times, though, when there is not a bit of chocolate to be found. Those are the times that quick and easy chocolate recipe is required and more than necessary! Here's a recipe that I love. I hope you do too!

Chocolate Almond Coconut Balls

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 cup coconut, unsweetened

Stir all ingredients together in bowl. Scoop out one tablespoon at a time and roll into balls. Wet hands to keep damp, as it keeps the dough from sticking and makes rolling easier. Roll some in unsweetened coconut, some in cocoa powder, and leave some plain. Place the balls on a metal tray that is lined with wax paper. Place in freezer. After 24 hours, place them in an air-tight container. Best kept frozen and served chilled, although some prefer the more fudgy texture of them completely thawed.

Serve with your favorite kind of black tea. I would pair this with Darjeeling, Yunnan Gold, or PG Tips.

Enjoy!

Tea & Chocolate

A friend who loves tea, just like me, and who adores chocolate, sent me all the ingredients for a tea and chocolate pairing.

I received a package in the mail. It was from Teresa. It was sent with a lovely note from her in which she expressed thankfulness for being able to share tea experiences with like-minded friends. The package also contained all teas and chocolates. Everything was so nicely organized and thoughtfully put together. I decided to set it aside to enjoy  during a quiet day. 

The tea selections are unique and varied; a real delight. Teresa labeled each one after individually packaging them in tea sacs. The teas are Victorian Earl Grey, Strawberry Mint Lavender, Shu Puerh Vanilla Mint, Pai Mu Tan, Vanilla Black, Maple Delight, O'Connoer's Cream, Bossa Nova, Kaluna Lime, Red Robe Oolong, and Darjeeling.

The chocolates are Lavender Chocolate, Mint Tea Truffle, Birch Cream Caramel, Honey Cinnamon Truffle, and Key Lime White Chocolate. 

Pretty little menus which instruct of the pairings were included. So was a worksheet that charts the teas and chocolates and can be marked as tastings occur.

The teacup is ready. It's time to begin. A perfect way to start the day. Can it get any better than tea and chocolate?

I feel most honored and thankful. Much appreciation goes to Teresa! The tea and chocolate tasting was wonderful! 

Apple Flan

Tea always pairs to nicely with something a bit sweet. This is a family recipe that is simple yet festive. Incorporating fruit with a tender crust and a thin layer of cheesy creaminess, it's an elegant dessert that is uncomplicated and that has a nice balance of flavors. The crust is remnicient of shortbread; tender with a melt-in-your mouth quality.

Apple Flan

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 apples
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• cinnamon 
• 1/2 t. vanilla

Cut the flour, butter, and powdered sugar together and press into a tart pan. Pare the apples and slice them very thin. Arrange the apples over the crust, using a pretty pattern. In another bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, eggs, and cinnamon. Add the vanilla. Pour the creamy mixture over the crust and apples. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 40 minutes. 

A tart pan has a removable base, making it easy to lift out of the ring while leaving the flan secure on its base. Place the flan on the tart pan base onto a large plate. Garnish with a slice of raw apples in its pretty red peel and a mint leaf or two.

Served sliced, like a piece of pie. 

This recipe works nicely as a gluten-free dessert as well. Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or sweet rice flour or cornstarch. 

For a dairy-free version, replace the cream cheese with a soy cream cheese and the butter with margarine or coconut oil.

I don't remember how this became a family recipe. I think it was shared with my mother by one of the college students who lived with our family during my teen years. Mom, sis, and I made it frequently for week-end guests. 

Wonder

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.

One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'

The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction."

Rachel Carson

My boys and their cousin enjoy a "tea party" at grandma's house. Raggedy Andy has a place at the table too!

The Centerpiece of a Ritual

Tea Up: As the centerpiece of a cherished ritual, it's a talisman against the chill of winter, a respite from the ho-hum routine of the day. 

Sarah Engler

"Tea Up,"Real Simple magazine, February 2006

Cold Strawberry Soup

May is the month of strawberries! 

The Urban Dictionary defines strawberry thus: 

Strawberry

(n) A delicious fruit and despite being called a "berry" it can be quite large. Strawberries typically are very tart and sweet. They are recognizable due to their red heart-like shape and its many visible seeds covering its outside.

The more proper definition can be found on dictionary.com. It says this:

straw·ber·ry

  [straw-ber-ee, -buh-ree] 

noun, plural straw·ber·ries.

1.

the fruit of any stemless plant belonging to the genus Fragaria,  of the rose family, consisting of anenlarged fleshy receptacle bearing achenes on its exterior. See illus. under achene.

2.

the plant itself.

Origin: 
before 1000; Middle English; Old English strēawberige.

No matter how you define it, the strawberry is a tasty morsel of delight! It can be used as a garnish, for dessert, and even as the first course for an afternoon tea party. 

Here's a recipe for {Cold Strawberry Soup} that looks so pretty in a clear glass bowl that contains it for tea time.

{Cold Strawberry Soup}

• Puree 2 pints of hulled strawberries, 1/4 peeled cucumber, 2 tablespoons parsley, and 2 tablespoons of cilantro. Remove from blender and gently stir in a pint of hulled and chopped strawberries, 2 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and salt to taste. Chill until very cold. Spoon into individual bowls and garnish with a strawberry rose and sliced green onions.

The Festival. . .of Afternoon Tea

In nothing is the English genius for domesticity more notably declared than in the institution of this festival—almost one may call it so—of afternoon tea. Beneath simple roofs, the hour of tea has something in it of sacred; for it marks the end of domestic work and worry, the beginning of restful, sociable evening. The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose. 

George Gissing
The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, 1903

Alone with Tea

“Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven't the answer to a question you've been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause of a room full of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you're alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful if you listen carefully.”

Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

Tea for one during a quiet time of the day can provide respite in the midst of busy days. A quality tea with milk and sweetener feels so good as it slides down one's throat. Adding a sweet or savory treat to nibble on adds to the moment. It's amazing how these quiet moments can provide refreshment and renewed energy to face the daily scenes of life. Alone time at the tea table can be a wonderful way to start the day. 

Madeleines a' la Lavende

Madeleines are small, shell-shaped tea cakes made from genoise cake batter. Scented with lavender and with sweet glaze and a flower to embellish, they are a perfect combination of deliciousness!

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. dried or 2 Tbsp. fresh lavender flowers
• 2 Tbsp. plus 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
• 1 cup unsifted all purpose flour
• Confectioners' sugar

In a food processor with chopping blade, process granulated sugar and flowers until flowers are finely chopped.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush 36 madeleine-pan molds with 2 Tbsp. of the melted butter.

In a large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs with lavender-sugar mixture and vanilla until light and fluffy, about five minutes. At medium speed, gradually beat in remaining 3/4 cup melted butter.

With wire whisk, fold in flour. Spoon a scant 1 tablespoon batter into each mold. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container. Just before serving, dust curved bottom side with confectioners' sugar.

The teapot is filled with the tea for the day; Earl Grey Lavender from Adagio Teas. Its sweet, floral fragrance is notably soothing, invoking relaxation. It's perfect for a tranquil tea alone.

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want."

Bill Watterson
Calvin and Hobbes

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness."

Lam 3:23

"Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee."

Psalm 143:8

Since the lavender bud teapot was displaced by the little plum teapot, it filled another role. Instead of standing by without purpose, it holds a generous bouquet of fresh lavender. With no water in the pot, the lavender will dry in the shape it holds and will look beautiful and smell fragrant for months ahead.

Have a cup of tea and please, enjoy the day!