Teacup Tales

Hello Tea Friends, There are so many wonderful things about autumn!  One of them being pumpkins! (The pumpkin display to the left is from a local quilt show I attended at a garden nursery.) I love decorating with pumpkins and of course cooking with them. They seem to embody the "taste" of autumn. This year I decided I needed to bring the taste of pumpkin to my actual tea. While ordering more masala chai from adagio tea, I decided to try their pumpkin spice tea after reading positive online reviews. I don't know if I actually taste pumpkin, but there is a sweetness similar to one found in rooibis. It makes for a nice autumn tea and will complement many spiced baked treats. (Sorry for the rather blah photos.) Last week I baked chocolate chip pumpkin bread using a recipe I found on Pinterest. My family liked it, but I felt it was just "okay." The chocolate overshadowed the pumpkin taste in my opinion. So this weekend, I baked my tried and t...

Probably like many of you, I'm trying to hold back time and grasp any summer delight before it's too late. Granted, I love autumn. It's just that this summer seem to go by way too quickly. Last weekend I was given two very large crooked neck squash. They were so large; I was concerned they would be a bit dry for sauteing or grilling. Since baking bread is a favorite of mine, I decided to bake squash bread. I couldn't find a recipe specifically for crooked neck squash so I used a green or yellow squash recipe from the internet. (I have a nice recipe for zucchini bread but wanted to try something different.) I made a huge loaf and was quite happy with the results. Come join me outside for a cup of tea and a slice or two of squash bread. (The cushion on my chair is getting a bit flat. Too much reading!) Today's featured teacup is Strawberry Ripe.   It's an English bone china produced by Hammersley and Co. which was part o...

Hello everyone, Spending time with my friends and family over a cup of tea is something I always cherish. I'm sure you agree. Tea has a way of welcoming and extending conversations, and I love to chat! This summer I've been reevaluating and prioritizing things. I definitely need to dedicate more time with friends and put work priorities on the back burner for a bit. I decided tea time with friends was long over due. With soaring summer temperatures and a broken air conditioner, afternoon tea isn't ideal, but I was determined to still host a tiny tea party. Last week I hosted two very early morning cream teas in the garden. What a wonderful way to start the day! What is a cream tea? According to Wikipedia: A   cream tea  (also known as a Devonshire  tea , Devon cream tea  or Cornish  cream tea ) is a form of afternoon tea  light meal, consisting of  tea  taken with a combination of scones, clotted  cream , and jam. As you can see,...

Happy May! I have been eager to share with you my new chai tea discovery! Chai is one of my favorite types of tea and flavoring. It has become quite popular and is infused in many other types of foods. I first discovered chai while on a vacation in Vancouver about twenty years ago. Starbucks was doing a promotion for their latest drink: chai tea latte. Since I wasn't a coffee drinker, I never had been inside a Starbucks before. The promotion lured me in with the enticing "gift" of a free coffee travel mug decorated with various stamps from Canadian provinces. Well needless to say, I was hooked! I'm not a huge dessert lover, so this is my treat: A tall nonfat no water chai tea latte I adore the mix of sweet and spicy in this chai syrup. Starbucks uses Oregon Chai which can be found in most grocery stores. (courtesy of amazon) I can make the latte on my own with the help of a milk frother, but somehow it tastes better when I go to Starbucks. (Yes, it i...

Happy Leap Day! We are experiencing spring like temperatures and I believe our gardens are confused. All of my daffodils have withered and the tulips have sprouted but not bloomed. While I adore the sunny days, it's not so lovely to experience this in the midst of a drought. We need more rain! While we are on the subject of gardens, I have been fixated on my camellia bush. It bloomed profusely every December for the first three years we moved here. Last December we didn't have a single bloom. As you can see in the photo above, we have only one flower that bloomed last week.  Gardeners, any ideas what is causing the lack of flowers?  The bush itself is healthy with new glossy green leaves. Camellias are such a treat to enjoy in winter as they are my only cut flower. Well, since I can't have camellias in vases I will enjoy them on a teacup.  Come join me for tea and a piece of chocolate pudding cake. Today's featured teacup is one that caught my eye...

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope all of you had a weekend where you were able to celebrate something or someone you love! Enjoying tea time with my friends is something I really cherish. Yesterday I invited some close friends from college over for Afternoon Tea. For some reason this year, I was really excited to celebrate Valentine's Day. I finally finished the heart wreath I was making for the front door. Found the idea on pinterest. I sent a proper paper invitation as I'm really tired of evites and started planning the menu. Since all invited are very health conscious, I ended up tweaking the menu a bit so the food was a tad bit healthier. I was so excited to use some new tea ware and linens.   One of my favorite things is setting the table. (The morning light was beautiful in person but not in photos.) I wanted to create a soft feminine look with pinks and a bit of red. I chose a hydrangea for the centerpiece using a g...