People, prepare for Tea Time!
Set your alarms; mark your calendars; tie a string around your finger, wrist, knee, or pets' collars - just don't miss tea!
I'll be pouring every hour on the hour from now until next Tuesday.
I've been up since 0400 baking scones, tea cakes and breads, making lemon curd and raspberry jam and jelly.
I have seven types of tea to brew, two types of coffee to press, pitchers of iced water, lemonade, and lemon/cucumber/mint/ginger spa water.
There will be more tea sandwiches than you can image - roast beef with horseradish, smoked Alaskan salmon, cucumber with dill, fresh shrimp, radish with cream cheese, chicken salad, egg salad (cause the chicken got here first), peanut butter and ???, and bread-and-butter.
Don't overlook the bowls of various green salads and platters of succulent fresh fruits.
On the drinks table there is Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava, a Spanish-type champagne. It's from the stash I brought home after my AIr Force stint there! Some consider it too plain and cheap. I consider it nose tickling delightful, wonderfully dry, and affordable enough to flow non-stop.
You will also find your favorite international red and white wines, Andalucían Sherry, brandy, port, and several types of beer.
Wear your favorite hat and gloves or your grubbiest gardening gear - just be here! Chat, laugh, inspire, empathize, entertain, or just put you feet up and relax.
If I've forgotten your favorite Tea Time treat, feel free to add it to the tables.
One lump, or two?
Comments (50)
caroline94535
7 years agoRelated Discussions
tea party time, by judith (virtual tea party)
Comments (94)Betty, I LOVE the pink tablecloth in your tea setting. If you hadn't told us, I wouldn't have known it was plastic. It is such a pretty colour and goes so well with your beautiful dishes. What I find particularly appealing (besides sweet Hanna and the yummy food!) are the candlestick holders you used...I love candles of all sorts and those are great. Are they crystal? Thanks for keeping this post going, it's a good one! DD...See MoreUpping Tea Time to a New Level
Comments (31)LOL shades! It's perfectly OK to bring your hubby's dinner to him. It's YOUR choice to do so, and very considerate too! I remember reading an article years ago about how both dinnerware and portion sizes have grown over the years. We tend to fill whatever size plate we have, and we tend to eat however much food is on our plate. We had it ingrained in us as children to "finish your plate." I recently heard a piece on BBC about how much food Americans (and other first world countries) waste. Besides the food that is rejected before it ever gets to the supermarket, the study showed two things Americans tend to do. The first is over-buying. People stuff their refrigerators full when there is no possible way they could eat it all before it spoils. The second thing people tend to do is over-cook. They put more food on the table than the family can reasonably consume, and then they over-fill their plates. And a lot of people don't save left-overs like we used to. Everything left on plates/dinner table goes into the trash. And when folks clean out their fridges, they throw out a lot of spoiled food. Steph, I couldn't carry those dishes either, or at least not very far. We don't actually eat that way, with all the plates & bowls and flatware and glasses. I just set the table that way to take pictures for some Amazon reviews. Normally for us it's just a plate and a fork, lol. And our water bottles or a can of diet soda. My saving grace is that the sink is less than three feet from the table. :-) I really do love Correlle, though. Murraysmom, that's a lovely set you and your mom had! I grew up with Corelle dishes. When my mom got her masters degree, when I was about 15, my dad insisted she buy something nice for herself, which she never did. She said she'd like a new set of dishes. I thought she might come home with Noritake or something like that. Nope. She bought a new set of Correlle! She never threw the old ones out, and now I have them. I'll try to remember to snap some photos before they leave on Saturday. Maybe I'll regret giving away the new Correlle I just got. But I'm really trying to do this minimalist thing, and not keeping more than I need. And I honestly have no place to put them. So my friend Hannah, a newlywed, will have a nice Correlle set and if I ever want them again, they are so reasonably priced, I won't feel bad buying them again. Shades, one of the misconceptions about minimalism is that you can't have nice things or things that are beautiful. (I'm not saying you think think that, I just want to get on my soapbox, lol!) Minimalism is different from the "simple living" or "pioneer" movements. Joy and I are writing a book, "Minimalism and the art of the lovely home: Declutter, organize, and clean your house today!" I make the point that the book is NOT "Minimalism and the art of used lawn chairs and no art/beauty in your home." Haha! In minimalism, yes, you have fewer things. And everything you have should be used. But what is the definition of "used" or "useful"? If you look at something in your china cabinet and that brings you joy and pleasure, that is most definitely useful! We need beautiful things around us. Art and beauty enrich us as human beings. And who gets to define "art" or "beauty"? YOU do! If it's beautiful to YOU, it's beautiful. OK, stepping down from the soapbox now. :-) Steph, what's CFA! Wracking my brain. but can't come up with it. I rarely leave a restaurant without a doggie bag good for a meal or two. Can't remember the last time I ate out, though, lol....See MoreIs it tea time?
Comments (35)OH Caroline. What a terrible experience for you and harry. So sorry. I hope you can resolve this some how for you and the pups. I think Lilacs would be the perfect hedge. If some one has well established hedge give it a good soaking then look for the shoots growing at the bottom of the mother plant not too close. Tie that plastic tape on the stalk them take a sharp shovel and cut down through the off shoot root this stalk is growing on but do not dig it out. Just cut the root and leave it there. In the spring go back and dig it and bu then it will have made nice roots of it's own and will transplant nicely. Or you can do the cutting of a stem and rooting hormone and poke them in a big pot until they grow their own roots and plant out. I have not found out the best time to do this part.My lilacs are not setting out side shoots. Well I need to look closer maybe they are. Yesterday was another busy run around day for me. I did sew the do over curtains for the studio and I am pleased with them. Pictures later. Today is going to be just a catch up day. No big projects planned. I am suddenly very tired. Feeling good on what I have accomplished I just need a little break. Mother Nature did me a huge favor and it rained hard last night so I do not need to be watering the yard. Happy for me sorry for the farmers that had hay down. I made a list of things I still need to do so I can get them off my brain and just look to the list when I am feeling energetic again....See MoreWhat Foods Are You Preparing Ahead of Time?
Comments (16)Looney, you officially have one more freezer than I do, and I always thought I had too many, LOL. I don't make that much stuffing, but I do raise beef and pork and chicken and my husband hunted deer this year with a bow, so that takes much of my freezer room. My daughter is celiac and can't have gluten, so I make two kinds of stuffing, a cornbread based one for her and my Southern sweetheart of a husband, but I've never seen one with evaporated milk added. I might have to try that.... I do much of my cooking just a day or two ahead of time. Desserts get made the day before as they "hold" fine, although whipped cream has to be beaten just before serving, I cannot get it to stay without breaking if I do it ahead. I've added cornstarch, powdered sugar, cream of tartar. It still breaks after about an hour, every time. I sometimes make dinner rolls a month ahead and kept them frozen, then thaw and bake the day of the meal. If I make butterflake rolls I make them the night before, refrigerate the rolls and bake just before the meal. I make the Cranberry Jezebel the day before, and usually assemble the vegetable side dishes so they can be heated in the oven, including that sweet potato/marshmallow abomination that my girls love. My girls also want a fruit salad concoction that includes crushed pineapple, apricots, walnuts, cream cheese, orange jello and whipped cream. I make that the night before so it can thicken, if I have that, some years I just can't face it and just make a nice fruit mixture instead. The turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes and the gravy all get made the day of, as well as any fresh salad if I decide we're having that. Appetizers always include a cheeseball of some kind, I think this year it's going to be pimento cheese and that will be done the day before, I'm still working on another appetizer, maybe artichoke/spinach dip, everyone likes that. We also always have a relish tray with homemade pickles, a variety of olives and crackers, usually deviled eggs because I like them. The pickles are all home canned, so those go in the fridge a couple of days before to keep them cold and crunchy, especially Chase's dills which are a favorite of Bud's, but he wants them cold. Deviled eggs get made the same day or the texture suffers. I usually make my menu, then make a list of what I need to do and which day I need to do it, then I prioritize tasks. A couple of days before we'll add the leaves to the dining room table, bring in the extra chairs, make sure the tablecloth is clean, find the turkey platter, and pick up the turkey so it'll have time to brine. My girls usually come early and help me get all the last minute stuff done. Annie...See More
User
7 years agocaroline94535
7 years agoShades, I just recently learned how to peel and freeze fresh ginger. I've been making the cucumber, lemon, peppermint, and ginger water. I add a thinly sliced orange to mine, too.
I'll be growing and drying my own peppermint this summer. It's impossible to find, fresh or dried, here.
Next up - making candied ginger!
Murray'sMom, don't over exert yourself ! You are a good neighbor! What kind of habitat does Hot Shot live in? Would they let you share a photo of His Sauciness?
Happy Iowa - I don't think so, LOL I want to experience everyone's idea of company snacks, too. I went a bit overboard because I was hungry and suffering from cabin fever.
Eldi, I've put out more smoked salmon canapés for your snacking pleasure. I am making these IRL for Good Friday. I will leave some of the green skin on my cucumber slices and probably add some diced red onion to the spread.
Eat up!
The recipe is here...
http://bakerbynature.com/smoked-salmon-cream-cheese-cucumber-bites/
murraysmom Zone 6a OH
7 years agoOK, I got him fed and took a picture. He is bigger than I expected! I don't know anything about crayfish except that we find them in creeks here. It wouldn't be my choice for a pet, but to each his own. :) He lives in this tupperware bowl and the orange pieces are his place to hide. I lifted the one and set it aside to get his picture and then put it back for him. Not much of a life I would think. There was talk of setting him free before they went on vacation but then little Joe decided he wanted to keep him. It's hard to see but just outside the bowl is a baggie with his food in it. Tiny red specks. I have no idea (nor do I want to know) what that is, but he get's two pieces a day. Purina Crayfish Chow I guess. LOL
caroline94535 thanked murraysmom Zone 6a OHcaroline94535
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoHere's my 1 p.m. break. The Numi tea was a gift from a friend.
Why are my photos so weird? You'll have to click on it to make show properly.
caroline94535
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoDing-a-ling-ling; ding, ding, ding.
I'm ringing a tiny silver tea bell. Tea is on all week. The magical tablecloths are keeping all the foods and drinks fresh, hot, or cold, and replenished all week.
So, what's everyone having today?
Hot Sauce needs a better living space, although it does look like he's kept clean. I hope to find time tonight to look up crawfish care. I think he needs "decorating" with some natural colored aquarium stones for a substrate, and some type of natural looking aquarium cave, and an easy care aquarium plant, maybe a hornwort? He might be happier, or would it just be me?
I know they appreciate wider bowls rather than deeper ones and should not be in chlorinated water. I would top up his water just a little bit now.
I use bottled water when I "raise" frog spawn. I release the tadpoles as soon as their back legs emerge. I know; it's weird, but I've raised frog eggs nearly every spring since I was a kid.
He is a cutie, and he has good color so he must be happy.
My mom and aunts used to go to the creek at the bottom of Grandma's property as young children. They would build a fire, and set a coffee can of water over it. They would catch crawfish, boil them in the can, and then eat them.
I spend my childhood summers in the same creek, catching crawfish, but I didn't want to eat them. I did the "catch and release," fishing. LOL
I still don't care for crawfish, but I can put away the shrimp.
-----
I'm adding a tray of egg salad sandwiches to the offerings today! Oh my, I hope this isn't a faux pas - discussing boiling wild crawfish in front of Hot Sauce, our guest of honor, and then setting out egg salad sandwiches.
I must work on my etiquette and table manners! LOL
schoolhouse_gw
7 years agoHis name is Hot Shot? I thought it was Hot Sauce?
Today I had a pot of Harney's Cranberry Autumn and two pieces of Cinn.Raisin bread toast. The egg salad sandwich looks great. My problem is if I have sandwich makings in the house I'm eating sandwiches all the time! sometimes at 9:30pm before bed. Almost bought some bologna the other day but talked myself out of it. Now I want some egg salad.
A photo I took one time while having tea in the garden. It's my favorite 3-cup brown teapot.
caroline94535 thanked schoolhouse_gwcaroline94535
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agocaroline94535
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agocaroline94535
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMurray's Mom, please ask your neighbors to keep us posted on Hot Sauce's adventures. His Smaller Home is now part of our Smaller Homes.
Happy Iowa, is the nightlight on in the barn so the horses can go outside without waking their neighbors? LOL
Steph - I think the PVC tubes and elbows, especially if they were black, would please Hot Sauce to no end. He would feel safe and hidden when he molts!
StringWeaver - your dog's reaction made me smile. "Mom" can fix any problem!
Shades, there seems to be many varieties of crawdads, most can be in temperatures ranging from the low 60s to the high 80s. They seem rather low maintenance, as water pets go.
I loved the 15 gallon tank I had while in California. In it I kept 12 raspbora tetras, one male Siamese fighting fish, and two Cory cats. I had it for several years with no problems.
About that mouse eating pup ... big dogs are wolves, little dogs are wolves, coyotes are wolves, and no matter how far away they are from their wolfdom, most of them all love mice.
You will want to watch him. There is one type of tapeworm that lives in mice. When a dog eat the mouse, the tapeworm can thrive in the dog. You will see "signs" if your pup got an infected mouse.
Ask me how I know this? LOL
The vet gave Harry 2-3 doses of wormer and he was all clear.
This particular type of tapeworm will not transfer to humans - unless you eat it.
And all together now - "Yuck!"
Harry was a mouser extraordinaire! He'd be out on the prairie hunting whatever. He'd jump high in the air and come down on his front feet just like a coyote hunts. His head would flip up, the mouse would go flying and he'd catch it in his mouth. One gulp and it was gone.
Sam points his mice and gets them with a stealth attack. He runs away to gobble it down in secret. Ahhh, the joys of hunting dogs free ranging on the prairie. At least Sam had never caught a tapeworm.
This photo was taken when Sam was three or four months old. He had to be on a long check cord so we could catch him if needed.
Look off in the far distance, near the tree row at about 2 o'clock. That's Harry running for all he's worth. He's jumping "up," preparing to come down on a mouse. At that far away distance there's not a thing that we can do but wonder what he's up to.
I don't know if you can see them or not, but his ears are flying in all directions; he's in his own personal Heaven.
Shades_of_idaho
7 years agodesertsteph
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agocaroline94535
7 years agoShades_of_idaho
7 years agoWell I DO have mice here in the house on occasion. I am not sure if they have been brought in for sport by kitties or are just in the house. I seem to have them in fits and spurts. Always fighting the kitchen even to the point of keeping Clorox in a spray bottle for clean up. For some odd reason they only go on one side of the kitchen. And not in the top cabinets. With 5 kitties in the house it makes me scratch my head. I also have the two out side kitties bring their trophies to the front porch for praise.
I actually thought it was hilarious to find the mouse toy in the bathtub too. One of those times or things I know would have made Joe laugh too.
Do not want this on the new tea thread. Talk about yuck. I woke up sick in the night. Got up to go to the bathroom to get wash cloth. I was too hot. I wound up on the floor a little too hard and mucked up the side of my face. This morning I am sporting a lovely shiner. I was going to drive to Boise to see my nephew as they did not make it here yesterday. Well that is off. No way can I drive 200 miles. I might even try to get my friend to take me tomorrow for my appointment at the chiropractor. I jammed my neck when I fainted and fell. There are times it is a little frightening to be alone. Debated about calling some one at 3:00AM. So bummed out as this is going to lay me up at a time I do not need to be laid up. Half way through a big project. GGGRRR My face hurts but it is my neck that is really giving me fits.
desertsteph
7 years agodesertsteph
7 years agocaroline94535
7 years agostringweaver
7 years agoShades_of_idaho
7 years agoschoolhouse_gw
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agodesertsteph
7 years agocaroline94535
7 years agoUser
7 years agomurraysmom Zone 6a OH
7 years agoShades_of_idaho
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7 years ago
schoolhouse_gw