A Children's Tea

Our children's tea typically features kid friendly food. We begin with baby carrots and a dipping sauce followed by a beautiful plate of fresh fruit with marshmallow cream. The sandwiches today included egg salad triangles and bologna and cheese teapots. We also serve a miniature three tiered tray with the favorites ~ peanut butter bites, jelly triangles and peanut butter and jelly squares. The little heart sandwiches were popular (simply buttered bread cut with a cutter and sprinkled with assorted colored sugars - thanks Marilyn from Heart's Delight for sharing this kid favorite). Scones of course, and a rose decorated cupcake completed the menu. There was a choice of pink lemonade or a pot of tea from our extensive tea list.

The young lads and ladies enjoyed a delightful afternoon with moms and grandmas today.

Children's Tea Sets

A few of my children's tea sets have been moved to center stage for our Please Read to Me Tea tomorrow. This delightful afternoon includes child friendly tea party food, a grown up sandwich or two, some pink lemonade and/or tea for the kids and the moms.
The miniature tea sets will be placed on the tables as centerpieces within easy reach of little hands to play tea party. This tea set, Made in Japan, is on permanent display in the tea room, and marks the beginning of my interest in tea. A gift from my Aunt, many many years ago, it was my first tea set. Dolls, bears, and imaginary friends sipped hot water from these cups as we pretended to savor the special delights of afternoon tea. Complete with a casserole dish, salt and pepper shakers, and another serving bowl, it's not your ordinary tea set. Chips and cracks commemorate the joy and pleasure of many hours of enjoyment from this simple gift.

Collections!

What do you do with all those little magnets that accumulate over the years? My tea themed magnet collection is extensive ~ and they are tucked here and there! Since the tea room also serves dinner, we do occasionally offer coffee with the meals. This collection of tea related magnets decorates the front of the coffee machine. When he was younger, Cedar enjoyed moving them around, redesigning the placement of the magnets; even taking a few to put on the fridge in his home!
This quiet collection of magnets hides on the side of the fridge, in the kitchen. That's Mom in the teacup, always present, looking over my shoulder as I work in the kitchen.
And this collection is attached to the inside of the medicine cabinet in the tea room powder room, filling up an otherwise empty cabinet door. Really, I don't need any more tea related magnets; but, why is it that I feel the need to buy one when I see it?

Happy Fourth of July!

Celebrating Red, White, and BLUE!

A glimpse of the blue in our lives!

Celebrating Red, WHITE, and Blue

Finding white this holiday weekend with Marilyn at Delights of the Heart and friends. White in the garden has its own hue when you compare it to
say, pristine white
or simply elegant white, wouldn't you say?

Celebrating RED, White & Blue

Honoring America's Independence Day

with a glimpse of the colors associated with our country.

Joining Marilyn, LaTeaDah, and other friends in blogland

as the celebration of colors splashes across the Internet.

Featuring RED today, White tomorrow, and Blue on Friday...

join us as we begin the holiday festivities!

Thyme in a Garden

Taking time this morning, making time, to find thyme in a garden.
After an early morning stroll about, can you find the time?

Does anyone really know what time it is?These old shoes silently mark the passing of time,
complete with woolly thyme tucked in amongst them.
Alas, there is never enough thyme.

What do you plan to do with your thyme today?

Day Lilies in Full Bloom!

The garden pops with color this time of year as the Day lily (Hemerocallis fulva) bursts open in all its glory. This hardy perennial will bloom late June thru early July. We have a lovely patch of day lilies near the pond. According to the book Flowers in the Kitchen by Susan Belsinger, all parts of the day lily are edible, although she suggests that the smaller buds (2 inches or less) are best for eating, while the petals can be used whole or finely shredded if desired. We like to pluck the buds and drop them into a jar of pickle juice, allow them to marinate for a week, and enjoy pickled day lily buds as a special treat. Of course, if you do this, you have greatly decreased the amount of beautiful blooming blossoms! What do you do with your day lily blossoms? We recently had an evening event in the tea room for the Cumberland Herb Society where we featured day lilies as the appetizer! Stuffed with savory cheese spread, garnished with fresh parsley, and several tasty crackers, they were served to oohs and aahs as the first course of an herbal tea party. Most of the guests nibbled their way thru blossoms, cheese spread and crackers. I did remove the stamens and pistol before stuffing with the cheese spread. They would also be pretty served on a luncheon plate, stuffed with tuna or chicken salad, perhaps hummus. Aren't they just cheery! If you were served this appetizer, would you eat the blossom?

June ~ National Iced Tea Month

We would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge National Iced Tea Month! Summertime is finally here, the sun is shining in southcentral PA, and the iced tea is brewed, chilled and ready for kicking back, 'livin the good life!The brew on the left is a botanical blend, harvested from our garden, which includes lemon balm, lemon verbena, apple mint, and a touch of spearmint. After gathering a large bunch of these herbs, I tossed them into a gallon jug and covered them with about a quart of boiling water. Let the herbs steep for 20 minutes, remove them, and fill the gallon jug with ice cubes and water. I added two large lemon verbena stems to the gallon jar to continue to flavor the herbal brew overnight. This morning we have a very refreshing lemon tisane, naturally caffeine free, and unsweetened. If you would like, a touch of lavender syrup or honey would add another flavor component to the mix. Experiment! You can't go wrong.
The tea on the right is a mint tea. Brewed using a black tea base with a large bunch of spearmint leaves added and sweetened generously with a cup of sugar to the gallon, it is a very refreshing way to celebrate National Iced Tea Month. Susanna, enjoying the bright summer morning while the kids are at vacation Bible school, opts for the caffeine kick the black tea provides.

Happy Father's Day!

Note: This photo, taken in 2001, marks the celebration of our Father's 80th birthday.

Willow Pond Farm Lavender Festival

The Lavender Festival continues today and tomorrow, June 20th and 21st at Willow Pond Farm near Gettysburg, PA. If you get a chance to stop by, there are great programs featured all day long, the opportunity to pick your own lavender, purchase plants, and order lavender-flavored items off the menu.

Tom Wajda, pictured here, and his wife Madeline, are the hosts for this fun event in rural PA. Their big beautiful farm house overlooks a field of lavender.

Lavender, shown drying, takes center stage at this event. For additional details and program schedule, visit their website.

Photos courtesy of Willow Pond Farm Herbs and Everlastings.