One of my cardinal rules of shopping is this: Never, ever pay retail. Retail is for suckers. If you have to pay full price, you simply aren't being very creative in your shopping. For that reason, several years have passed since I first saw Afternoon Tea Serenade, a gift boxed set that includes a cookbook and CD, but since I never saw it on sale, well ... the $25 pricetag just never swayed me.
Fast forward to Saturday's visit to a T.J. Maxx. The set was marked $14.99, and I had a $10 gift certificate in my purse. $25 item for $4.99? Yes! My kind of shopping!
Happily, I got home with my find and discovered this set is even better than I'd hoped. The book is much larger than I'd expected, 224 pages, and it even includes recipes from two tea rooms I visited in London, Harrod's and Fortnum and Mason (and the recipes use American measurements! Yippee!). The chamber music CD is one I'm very happy to have, and I imagine it will be put to use at my very next tea party!
Love it! Years ago it was said that the police chief cleared Main Street week for my mother's weekly trip to the beauty parlor. He had no desire to take away that sweet old (80's) lady's drivers permit. I wonder, because you are so much fun with tea, do the merchants see you driving up and quickly dispatch workers to lower prices on tea products? "Here comes Angela! Places people! Look sharp!"
ReplyDeleteLove it! Years ago it was said that the police chief cleared Main Street for my mother's weekly trip to the beauty parlor. He had no desire to take away that sweet old (80's) lady's drivers permit. I wonder, because you are so much fun with tea, do the merchants see you driving up and quickly dispatch workers to lower prices on tea products? "Here comes Angela! Places people! Look sharp!"
ReplyDeleteOh, Gwendol, IF ONLY that were how it happened! (But what a wonderful, and truly humorous, thought!)
ReplyDeleteLove that the streets were cleared for your mother's beauty parlor appointment, too! That detail belongs in a novel somewhere ...
What a fabulous deal, and the book sounds delightful. I'm always intrigued by books that have recipes from specific (and well-loved) places.
ReplyDeleteDoes the CD coem with a lsiting of the music? I'd love to read it, as I'm always looking for new sounds.
I too love everything tea so I love reading your posts every day..love the pictures. It's one of those little joys I look forward to each day :o) I’m an avid Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s shopper, but I’ve never seen a tea book at any of these stores. I’ve drained my debit card with plenty of other tea items, but never a tea book. I’ll never pass by the books again!
ReplyDeleteCin,
ReplyDeleteYes, the CD does list the music. The pieces include: Siciliano, Berceuse, Rondeau, Greensleeves, Haru no Umi, Interlude, The Swan, Allemande, Gigue, Gymnopedies, Girl with the Flaxen Hair, Sicilienne and Chanson dans la Nuit, all performed by the San Francisco Silverwood Ensemble.
And to Anonymous (the fellow shopper), I must say that I am often surprised where bargain tea books turn up. I've found "Tea" by Jane Pettigrew at T.J. Maxx, and books with recipes for scones and biscotti there as well. And JoAnn crafts store, of all things, was the source of a favorite National Trust (Great Britain) tea time recipe book - a lovely hardback - at 40 percent off!
I was one of those suckers that bought the book and CD when it first came out. I've listened to it a hundred times and used it when I catered small tea parties. You got a deal! :)
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