SPRING TEA - FOR YOU, FOR NEW

Though I enjoy hosting tea at my home, I took March off, and as much as I enjoyed a break, I really miss all that's involved - choosing the guests, the invitations, the date, the food, the linens, the cups and dishes.  I love it all, and I missed it.  I wasn't ready to end the season.

In April, spring shows its face and though it is slow to come, spring does arrive. Maybe I could host another tea, maybe. Then a lady asked me about the teas I host in my home.  She told me of how she went to England and enjoyed a cream tea.  The look on her face, her smile, just the way she looked when she shared her memory of tea in England, made me realize that she would like to come to tea.  Her comments helped me decide to hold a spring tea. This is for you, Ruth, for new friendships.

Six for tea, minus one meant I could set a place at the table for myself.  I usually eat my lunch before everyone arrives, so that I can focus on welcoming the guests, getting them seated, and pouring the tea as they become acquainted.  My personal trainer has encouraged me to incorporate more healthier choices in my tea party menus, which I have found challenging.

  But since I am now eating entirely different than ever before, not just dieting, I knew it was time to do so.  Besides, one of my guests was a new friend from Motions Fitness, where I spend quality time every week.

My color choice was yellow and blue, and though that represents my Scandinavian heritage, I chose the two because  it was April - sunshine and blue sky - and what we all want so much in the spring.










The recipes I chose come from Tea Time Magazine or from Pinterest, two of my favorite places to search for the latest delectable pairings, both of tea and food.  The salad is the combination of two I found on Pinterest, which incorporated vegetables, fruits, avocado and a marinated chicken.  (Good carbs, healthy fat and protein)





The scones are two of my favorites: Cranberry Orange and Whole Wheat Chocolate Chunk.  I've gotten used to making them in advance, freezing them and baking them fresh the morning of the tea.  Mmmmm! Fresh scones!

One of the guests and I had recently talked about how much we loved minced meat.  So I served my homemade mincemeat in phyllo tarts; teapot sugar cookies, and mascerated strawberries with plain Greek yogurt.  

I've accumulated a variety of lady's hats for my guests to wear at tea.   Wendy is wearing a Fascinator, which she found in her many travels.

Deb has a talent for coordinating her wardrobe with many unique pieces, including hats.

 Marilyn chose a hat that we felt resembled royalty.

 Gloria found a hat that brought out the vibrant purple of her suit.

Bringing together two women who had been to tea at my house previously, and three others who may have never met, was a delightful group!   It seems there is never an end to the need we all have for getting a little dressed up, leaving our worries behind, and visiting with others in a peaceful setting. From the latest good reads, and where we've traveled, to sharing tea time recipes and resources, to voicing our concerns for the disasters of the world, our conversations brought us together, now new friends.

It is always such a pleasure to welcome, serve and share an afternoon with every lady who comes to tea at my home.  Thank you!  

DOWNTON ABBEY TEA 2015

I recently heard that Downton Abbey has as much of a following in the USA as in England.  It must be true, as many of my friends, as well as merchants are certainly enthralled with the fashions, customs, foods, and of course, personalities of the characters.

For the second year, I hosted a Downton inspired tea in my home.  Ten guests enjoyed an afternoon of conversation, fun and food, connecting with old friends and making new.  To set the mood, we watched a portion of Masterpiece Theatre's "Manners of Downton Abbey" though I informed my guests that I had not intended to follow the strict guidelines set forth in the Edwardian times. I was intrigued by the measurements for placing the plates, silverware, and chairs at the table, and the many pieces of cutlery and number of glasses at each place setting.

We continued our conversation with Downton Abbey fan suggestions.  We played a short game which revealed which character our own personality was most like.  Click on this link to find information about the game, Pinterest.  And search Pinterest for Downton event ideas.

My menu came in part from the January/February 2014 issue of Tea Time Magazine, and my own pins to my Pinterest boards. I chose the sandwiches and currant scones from this issue of Tea Time.  The red velvet scones are from the January/February 2015 issue.  The dessert includes: homemade mincemeat found here, used in place of dates with a date bar recipe; cordial cups filled with raspberry jam and sweetened cream cheese; and white cake with cranberry soda and jello, found here.

DOWNTON ABBEY AFTERNOON TEA 

Downton Inspired Menu

Cucumber Sandwiches

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Currant Scones

Red Velvet Scones

Mock Devonshire Cream

Mince Meat Bars

Raspberry Chocolate Cups

Cake

My dear friend Nancy of Two Cottages and Tea graciously helped with the sandwiches.

Another guest, Cindy, has a sharp eye for vintage fashion, especially hats.  She upcycles and remakes the hats worn by our mothers and grandmothers into works of art.  Her flair for embellishing and remaking old hats, and her gentle voice invites even those of us who are afraid of "hat hair" to wear a hat, and enjoy it!  

Since I've met Cindy, wearing hats to my teas has become another aspect of the tea, besides the atmosphere of gentle conversation, delectable food, and finding rest for the soul.  Here are the fashions and hats worn by my Downton fan guests.

(From L to R) Nancy, in a navy felt hat with feather; Emily, wearing a pure sheep's wool hat; and

Wendy, who chose a black cloche'.

Connie is wearing a black cloche' that coordinates with her burgandy jacket

 Lee's hat is one of Cindy's designs which goes nicely with her lace and burgandy jacket

Nancy shows her hair with hat

Cindy's hat is embellished beautifully

Cathy's hat is part of her"Red Hats" wardrobe

On a very cold but sunny wintery day, we shared our love for Downton Abbey and the English heritage many of us have.  We talked of fashions of the 1920's, good reads, grandchildren, love for fine dishes and delicate linens, and the need for an afternoon of leaving the world behind to enjoy tea friendship together.   We drank many cups of Rooibos Chai and Sugar Plum tea by the Tea Can Company, and promised not to call each other at 9:00 p.m. (EST).

Their parting gifts were hand decorated sugar cookies, and quips and quotes by our favorite Downton stars.

“I take that as a compliment.” Isobel

“I must have said it wrong.” Violet

The Dowager Countess and Isobel have grown from adversaries trying to best one another to confidants who understand one another. While they'll probably always trade quips and delight in their disagreements, so too will they likely be there for each other, nursing through illness, bolstering through grief, and laughing, sharing companionship and confidences.

“Vulgarity is no substitute for wit.”

“A lack of compassion can be as vulgar as

an excess of tears.”

“What is a weekend?”

Countess Dowager Violet

“I should hate to be predictable.”

Lady Mary

HOUSEHOLD RULES – Mrs. Patmore

The position of Cook is of great importance as she heads up the Kitchen Department, not only for the pleasure and sustenance the food may bring the family and guests, but also their good health.

All the dynamics of a true mother and daughter relationship are present in Mrs. Patmore and Daisy: love, rebellion, pride, nurturing, sacrifice, hurt, and more love. Daisy has blossomed under Mrs. Patmore's care. And like a true daughter, it may take her many more years to appreciate it!

HOUSEHOLD RULES - Baxter

Mending skills, tidiness, and ability to pack clothes correctly and speedily are essential. Being of good temper and reliability are good qualities. A Lady's Maid shall be expected to dress in a smart and modest manner at all times.

“Oh heavens, girl. You're building a fire, not inventing it.” Mrs. Hughes

“If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”

“What would be the use of living, if we didn't let life change us.” Mr. Carson

Thanks for stopping by. Until we meet again....may God continue to bless you on your journey.  SB

Fancy That Vintage Hats with Flair

Fancy That Vintage by Cindy Hallam, Designer

From a stressful time in her life to a creator and designer of fancy vintage hats, Cynthia Hallam, Cindy, has brought many wonderful memories forward.  Whether she is displaying her creations at a craft show, demonstrating how to remake a drab attic hat into a brand new creation, or encouraging women to wear a hat for tea, Cindy has stirred up our excitement of once again feeling elegant and fancy.

Though not a fashion item in today's society, Cindy's eye for color and beauty invites us to remember a time when a woman's hat was a necessary part of her wardrobe.  Perhaps a woman bought a hat to compliment her dress like a woman of today's society buys a purse and shoes.

On the afternoon of my Blues of Winter Tea, I invited Cindy to bring some of her hats and share her story with us.  She invited us all to try them on and choose one that we felt comfortable in, or one we could have fun with, or most complimented our outfit.  Looking around the tea table, I noticed that nearly all of us had chosen a hat with a blusher veil, and even though some may have protested that (a hat) "will mess my hair,"  we all wore one.  I must admit that taking the hat off, after wearing it all afternoon, made me feel like I was missing something.  

We all want women's hats to be more stylish again.  I guess instead of waiting for the fashion world to grasp it, we'll just have to start a new trend ourselves!

If you want to know more about Cindy's hats and the stories people have shared while trying them on, you can contact her by leaving a comment on this blog post.

Thank you Cindy!   It was a delightful afternoon!

SUMMER TEA

Summer is so short here in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan, and this year, it seemed even shorter.  We had an unusually long, cold winter, cool spring, and not so hot summer. With summer coming to an end soon, I did a quick rewind to what I look forward to doing in the summer, and what hadn't I done yet.
All winter, I long to sit in my front porch, only accessible in the summer as it is not heated. And of course, I look forward to having a summer tea. The front porch has been a quiet corner to read or take a nap, so now was the time to have the summer tea.  A couple of tea-loving friends are teachers and will be going back to their classroom next week, August 28, so time was of the essence.  I'm still meeting people who want to come to tea, so I sent a note to a few friends and soon-to-be new friends, inviting them to a summer tea.

There is an abundance of ripe fruit right now - wild blueberries and raspberries, and  I added nectarines and kiwi.

I chose a colorful hand-embroidered white table cloth, colorful napkins, and chose my fruit-patterned dishes and cups.

Here is the menu, some of which is from the latest issue of Tea Time Magazine and my own boards on Pinterest.  The teas are Rose Raspberry (Downton Abbey) and Blackberry Sage.

I made biscuit "cones" out of crescent rolls, by making a cone shape out of aluminum foil, and wrapping the dough around it.  The filling was a spread made from local, fresh salmon, cream cheese and sour cream; and a golden cherry tomato from my garden.  I laid each salmon biscuit on a leaf of romaine lettuce.  

I don't believe its a tea party without serving scones and mock devonshire cream. This is the first time I made the blueberry thyme scones, two ingredients I wondered about pairing together.  But the recipe in the lastest issue of Tea Time Magazine, again, proved to be wonderful!  I also learned a new technique from this recipe that keeps the blueberries mostly whole, which holds in the flavor.

Start by putting half the blueberries on one side of the dough, and fold the dough over, gently kneading or rolling them in.  Finish by adding the remaining blueberries to the dough and repeating the kneading and rolling.

Fruit Cup: to enhance the fruit with big flavor, combine fresh chopped fruit and berries in a bowl, mixing just to blend.  Add enough berry flavor wine cooler to cover the fruit, and refrigerate for several hours or over night.  Strain the fruit, saving the juice/wine liquid. (this makes a great drink) I served the fruit cup in double shot glasses with a little dollup of mock devonshire cream on top.

Dessert was a mini ice cream cone filled with a mock cheese cake filling, just like a little ice cream cone (!), and a mini pink cake heart with chocolate ganache drizzled on top.

I packaged raspberry muffins for my guests to take home.  They were baked in paper/cardboard cups, which are available at World Market stores.

Thanks to friends Marsha N. and Sandy A. and their families' estates, I now have a collection of hats for my guests to choose from.

Here's to you, teachers - Lori and Louise; and friends - Darleen, Wendy and Nancy. Thanks for sharing a summer afternoon tea. It was a delight!

FOUR SEASONS TEA ROOM - birthday tea with friends

I certainly celebrated my birthday this year - it's a year ending in 9, and holding!  Dinner with family at Red Lobster; lunch and treats with my daughter and 4 grands; lunch at Sweet Water Café with my crafting friend Suzie; full tea at Four Seasons Tea Room with friends, Wendy (she is my first cousin) and Connie.

The Four Seasons Tea Room, (find it here) is about an hour and half ride or so from home.  It was an cool, overcast rainy day, but later it warmed and the sun came out.  Here are some highlights from our afternoon. 

  How lucky we were to find a parking spot right in front!

 

As we entered into the tea room, and we were pleasantly surprised with live harp music.

 

 The Four Seasons Tea Room is located in an historic building, once a pharmacy.  The high ceilings, and colorful walls enhance the atmosphere. 

 

 There are many teapots and cups on display for visitors to admire.

 

 I chose Queen Elizabeth tea.

 

 

 Opening a birthday gift from Wendy, included the lovely pink Infinity Scarf I am wearing.

 

 We each chose a different type of tea - black tea, white or green - from the one page menu. If the taste was not to our liking, we had the option to chose another kind.  Each person had their own pot, which held a surprising two plus cups.

 

It is a practice at this tea room, to offer hats of all types and styles for those who wish to wear them. I chose the white.  Wendy's hat is called a bird cage hat which she put together for herself.  Connie is a Red Hatter, but chose not to wear a hat today.

 

 Our first course was soup and quiche' or soup and salad.  Next came the three tiered savories and sweets: orange banana cake and scones; tuna and cranberry cream sandwiches; and three delectable sweets. 

 The remaining foods are wrapped in foil in the shape of a swan for us to take along and enjoy later.

 

 Don't forget to greet Grandma.  She is delighted to welcome you to tea!

 



Each table is set with old photos under glass, and tea cups ready for you to enjoy special moments.

 

It had been six years since we were here - we won't wait so long to come back - in fact, we will come every year!

 

You're really missing out if you don't take time to sit and sip at

the Four Seasons Tea Room, Houghton, Michigan