Summer Tea Blend from Upton Tea

It dawned on me the other day that I hadn't checked the offerings at Upton Tea Imports in a while, so to the website I went. And really, who could resist a new tea called Summer Tea Blend? I sure couldn't!

This blend is described as "China tea with grapefruit and orange flavoring, delicately laced with juniper needles and berries. Refreshing either hot or cold. The perfect way to bring the aroma of summer to any season." When I opened the tin, I was greeted with a wonderful citrusy scent, and I also enjoyed seeing what this tea looked like as it was steeping! I rarely drink a tea with grapefruit flavoring, so it's always a nice surprise when I try a new one and get that extra zing from the citrus flavor.

Another reason I like ordering from Upton? Well, here are two: a) I got my order in just two days and b) I enjoy reading their (free!) Upton Tea Quarterly. Of course you don't have to be an Upton's customer to read their publication, and you can go here to read the Summer 2013 article and see photos of some American tea packages from 1935.

"Sharing a Cup of Friendship" by Sandy Lynam Clough

Oh, happy day! I think most of us here in tea-land are huge fans of the artist Sandy Lynam Clough, and the good people of Harvest House have sent me a copy of her newest release, "Sharing a Cup of Friendship." Isn't that cover painting absolutely charming? Although, really, what has she ever painted that wasn't? This new book is a small, 7x7-inch gift book, and I can already think of several friends I want to purchase a copy for.

In this book we are treated to some new paintings which feature hydrangeas, among other flowers, as well as a few new teatime pieces and lots of nature-themed paintings I've not seen before. Birds and eggs are so popular in the design world, and I'm delighted to see her take on them!

And roses. Ahhhh ... do we ever tire of roses? I don't! The book focuses on five different types of friends (Sweet Friend, Faithful Friend, Newfound Friend, Rainy-Day Friend and Special Friend), and I think *any* friend who occasionally enjoys a nice cup of tea would like this book. There's also a scone recipe included in each chapter, and I'm particularly interested in trying the Maple Oatmeal Walnut Scones with Maple Syrup Glaze this fall. For those of us who love all things Sandy Lynam Clough, this new book is definitely a must-have addition to the tea library!

The cookbook winner is ...

Frances L.! If you'll send me your current snail mail address via the e-mail button at right, I'll get this headed your way. Congrats!

Tea, totes and Trader Joe's

Some weeks ago now, I was reading Darlene's blog one day and saw where she had found some wonderful new canvas totes at Trader Joe's there in New Jersey where she lives. So off to Trader Joe's I went, but no totes for me. The bag boy said he thought these were old and had sold out. Hmmm. Odd. So when Cheryl in New York thoughtfully sent me a photo the other day of the same tote bags *she* had recently come across at her local Trader Joe's, I decided bag boy might have been misinformed. Indeed yes, and the Trader Joe's I occasionally visit in Atlanta (on Monroe Drive) was well-stocked with these great canvas bags.

Don't you love the sweet vintage tea kettle design?

And the rose-bedecked teacup?

And the teaspoon? Really, what tea lover couldn't use one of these bags? (And at just $2.99, I thought these were quite a bargain.) So, I bought two for me, and two to give away. That's right, TWO of you will win a tote bag -- just in case you're like me and a bit Trader Joe's-deprived in your hometown, here's your chance to win a free tote. Just leave a comment to this post between now and 7 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16, and one of these cuties can be yours. (U.S. and Canada only please.) Good luck!

Tea Room Recipe #32 - Tea Tyme & What Nots (Fredericksburg, Va.)

This week's tea room recipe is one of those slapped-together quickie things that's so easy, I feel compelled to say I "assembled" this rather than that I "made" this because it was so easy—and uncommonly good!

The recipe is from a 2004 book that my friend Deberah gave me, "America's Best Tea Room Recipes," which is really a fun little tea room cookbook because of the many establishments, old and new, included. Happily, it appears that Tea Tyme & What Nots is still in business, too!

Now icing a cake with whipped cream is a tricky thing, and as you might guess the Cool Whip threatened to melt before I could get it on fast enough. Still, a dab of whipped cream here, a toss of coconut there, and voila, you have cake! I believe the word my hubby used to describe it was "Fab-o-rama," or something to that effect. He agreed with me that the lightness of this cake from the whipped cream icing is one reason it was so good. Next time I have friends over for tea, I'm slapping together slaving over one of these cakes again!

Tropical Cake

1 box lemon cake mix (the store was out of lemon flavor so I used pineapple, with fine results!)
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip
Shredded coconut

Prepare cake mix and bake according to package directions using two 8-inch or 9-inch pans. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks. In small saucepan, combine pineapple, cornstarch and sugar. Bring to a boil and let cool completely. Place one layer of cake on a plate and spread with the pineapple mixture to within about an inch of the cake's edge. Top with remaining layer, frost with Cool Whip, and garnish with coconut. Store in refrigerator. (Assuming there is any left!)

A calendar for 2014

Last fall I came across a line of greeting cards at Hobby Lobby that I absolutely adored, the "Redeemed-flea market treasures" line from DaySpring greeting cards featuring images of vintage goodies from flea markets. I loved the cards so much I was rather sad to have to give them away, but this week I discovered some of those same images now appear on a 2014 calendar!

Vintage dishes tied with ribbon, sweet sentiments about friendship — what's not to love?

And my birth month of May (when I will turn 50!) features a stack of teacups, so surely that was a sign this is the calendar for me for 2014. The calendar retails for just $12.99, and of course those great Hobby Lobby coupons will allow you to get it for 40 percent off. If you're a fan of vintage flea market treasures as well, this might be worth a look!

A sweet(grass) memory

As I looked up from the treadmill the other day, my eyes fastened on the shelf holding this sweetgrass basket teacup, and I couldn't believe I've never blogged about it before!

Years ago, my friend Kathy and I went to Charleston and Summerville, S.C. for a girlfriend getaway, and we had a truly marvelous time! I remember the non-stop conversations in the car and at the hotel, the shrimp and grits at a restaurant overlooking the water, the half-dozen or so quilt shops we invaded (purchases made at all), a trip to a bookstore where we both bought copies of The Gullah Bible (who knew?), and a visit to the Historic Charleston City Market where I found this teacup.

Actually, I found quite a few teacups before I saw this one, but they started at $60 and I thought that was too much. Yet, if you've read Laura Childs' tea shop mysteries set in Charleston, you know how important sweetgrass baskets are to the local culture. This style of basket weaving is one of the oldest art forms of African origin in the U.S., and oh, how I wanted one of these baskets in the shape of a teacup! Fortunately, as I perused table after table of wares, I found the prices getting better and better. I began to see them for $50, $40, $30. And Kathy would have to refresh my memory, but she told me to pull out cash (which I did), and I think the vendor ended up selling me mine for $20. Score! When we got back home, we learned there had been a small earthquake in Charleston shortly after we left the City Market that day. I cannot believe it had a thing to do with our bargaining skills, but whether it did or not, this sweetgrass basket teacup holds a heap of happy memories for me!

A tea room cookbook giveaway

Recently I purchased a tearoom cookbook online, "The Pleasures and Treasures of Taking Tea at Miss Miss Mable's Tea Room," shown at left. This book was published in 2003, and I learned of its existence only after writing about the 2007 book at right, "Family Recipes from Miss Mable's Tea Room," which I purchased on a visit to this Tennessee tea room some years ago. To my surprise, when I purchased a copy of the older book, included in my package was a copy of the second Miss Mable's book as well!

Now I happen to have that book already, but I'm betting not everyone reading this blog does! So if you'd like to win this cookbook, just leave a comment to this post between now and 7 a.m. EST on Monday, August 12. Please be sure to include your e-mail address or a clickable link to your blog so I'll be able to contact you if you're the winner. Good luck!

A Downton Abbey Inspired Tea & 31 Days of Giveaways!

Jessica Dotta, author of the soon-to-be-released historical novel "Born of Persuasion," is launching her new book with a special month of giveaways on Facebook. I thought all of you Downton Abbey fans in particular might like to know about these giveaways considering the theme! Go here to visit her Facebook page during the month of August to see what goodies she is giving away each day.

One giveaway Jessica said is open all month long is the Aug. 1 giveaway for this gorgeous teacup painting by Wanda Wright. I'm counting on one of you to win it! If you visit her Facebook page above and scroll down to Day 1, it will tell you how to enter.

If you'd like to learn more about the book and read an excerpt online, go here. Today I'm hosting Day 6 of the Giveaways, a loose leaf tea sampler any tea lover would love to win! Good luck to all of you, and best of luck with the new book, Jessica!

Day 6 - Loose Tea Sampler!

Teatime & Tissues

Recently I came across an old crochet pattern for a teapot tissue box cover, and as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make one. The box is inserted on its side so the tissues come out of the spout!

The pattern is from the February/March 1982 issue of Annie's Pattern Club, if any of you have (or wish to look for) that magazine. This shows the PDF of the design I purchased online from an Etsy seller. I changed the colors up on mine from the original mauve and gold, which looks very "circa 1982," I think!

This took just a few hours to make, the spout was the only slightly tricky part, and I was so pleased with how it turned out. My mom wants one in yellow for a guest bathroom, only she wants crocheted roses in place of the word "TEA," and my aunt wants one for her pink and blue Victorian-decor bedroom. Guess I'll be crocheting teapot tissue covers for a while to come!

Tea Room Recipe #31 - Something Special (Newnan, Georgia)

For summertime enjoyment, I thought it was high time I included a frozen fruit salad in the tea room recipes. This one is easy, unusually delicious, and can be made in individual portions in cupcake papers!

This week's recipe source is a vintage tea room cookbook I personally know something about, because I had the pleasure of eating here at Something Special in the early '90s when it was still operating as a tea room. This historic home in my town of Newnan, Ga. is now a popular special events center, and I'm so glad the sweet ladies who used to run a tea room there included their recipes in a cookbook!

The author of the book, Martha Sue McCain, wrote a charming note about why she included this recipe in the book: "When I start planning a special meal, whether it's for the bridge group, a professional group or a holiday dinner, it always comes up, 'And for salad, oh, you know, that frozen salad we all like.'" And so that's what she calls this delightful recipe!

That Frozen Salad We All Like

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (8-1/2-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large (12-ounce) container whipped topping, thawed

In blender (or food processor), mix cream cheese, sugar and pineapple. Pour into a large bowl. Next place in blender the cranberry sauce, pecans and mayonnaise and blend. Pour into bowl with cream cheese mixture. Stir in the whipped topping. Pour into greased 12 x 9-inch glass baking dish or individual paper-lined muffin tins. Freeze. Miss McCain recommends serving these on a "bed of shredded lettuce with an ever so small dash of mayonnaise." Yields 18 frozen salads.

A new napkin from a friend

A friend's birthday gift was surreptitiously dropped off Tuesday morning. In that day's mail, a card from her arrived. How, I wondered, did she manage to get a thank-you note written so quickly? (Princess Diana was so thorough in writing her thank-you's, she was once accused by a magazine editor friend of writing the thank-you note *before* she even went to the party, so the next time she made sure to mention what the editor was wearing that night so the friend would know the note was written after the fact!) But no, my friend hadn't yet written the thank-you note for her birthday gift, she was simply sending me a thoughtful note and including this gift, a hand-embroidered teacup napkin she found at a local thrift store.

Isn't it delightful?

The teacup is so pretty and pink -- so cheerful!

Even the crocheted edging ... I know many of you find the same beauty in these details that I do. What a lovely idea to tuck a single napkin into a card for a friend. I think I'll try to copy her sweet idea one day soon!

"Wish You Were Here" by Elizabeth Hudson

Do you read editor's letters in magazines? I do, but perhaps that's because I've long been a magazine junkie, and I like knowing who's behind the magazines I read. As a former magazine editor myself, I've developed strong opinions about magazine editors if I know anything about them. There are some editors I dislike (a certain fashion magazine editor comes to mind), but there are plenty of others I love. At the top of the list is Elizabeth Hudson, editor of Our State magazine in North Carolina. When I read last week some of her essays had been compiled into a book, I immediately ordered a copy. (I confess I'm a little annoyed that she is apparently a good bit younger than I am and yet writes with the wisdom of someone decades older. She seems so darn likable, I just don't have it in me to be as jealous of her as I should be.)

And so I got her book. As with a box of fine chocolates, I'm not eating these up all at once, preferring to pick and choose which essays I read each evening, enjoying some now, saving some for later. I was more than a little delighted to find this essay on tea, "Brewing Sunshine in a Gallon Jar." She writes of going to Rose's discount store with her grandmother and buying a special jar so they could make Sun Tea. They did, and "it took all day. By dinnertime, we finally proclaimed it 'done' and poured ourselves a glass. The tea was warm and melted the ice in our glasses, and it went down sweeter and more delicious than anything I'd ever had. We drank nearly the entire jug in one sitting, going back to the spigot for more, saying how, yes, it was worth the wait, the way so many good things, done simply, are." (Isn't that lovely?)

Another essay, "History Among Us," tells of her antique collector parents (hey, mine are too!) and how she got the bug herself and started collecting community cookbooks. "I liked the recipes, of course, but more than that, I liked how you could read a town — how you could tell the story of a place — based on the recipes in the books. … I may not ever make Mrs. Marvin Staley's Quail Pie, but I love knowing that she did." That is *exactly* how I feel about the old tea room cookbooks I collect! The book is illustrated by Suzanne and Edgar Cabrera, and their watercolors are simply charming. If the book appeals to you as much as it did to me, go here to order. You don't have to be from North Carolina to enjoy this one!

Inko's White Iced Teas

Inko's. Now that's a new name in tea to me, but I recently spotted these at an Ingle's grocery store that is on the route I pass when I'm visiting my parents. I stop by occasionally when I need to pick up a few things, and this time I was intrigued to see yet another new name in teas.

The Inko's label touts the fact they use "all natural ingredients" which include fructose crystals, not corn syrup. The White Peach tea had 7 grams of sugar and 28 calories per 8-ounce serving (2 servings per bottle), which is better than a lot of the more sugary bottled teas I've purchased before realizing I was drinking the equivalent of a candy bar! This tea had a lightly sweet taste with the emphasis on the peach, not the sugar.

I give high marks to the Blueberry flavor as well since, once again, the blueberry-ness really was a natural flavor, not one of those faux-berry flavors you sometimes run across. (The calories and sugar content are the same as the White Peach flavor.) I definitely think I'll be buying these teas again, and soon. Anyone else tried Inko's before?

Tea Horse teas from England

Recently I was invited to sample some Tea Horse teas from the U.K., and since I was asked which teas I'd most like to sample I selected their black teas. After drinking so many fruity herbal teas this summer, it was time to try some new grown-up teas! When my samples arrived in the mail, they included Ceylon Uva FBOP, Assam Mangalam SFTGFOP1 and Panyong Golden Needle.

When I opened the Ceylon packet, I got a nice scent that reminded me of wood shavings combined with something sweet, like the smell of a candy store perhaps! Once I brewed the tea, I found it to be a smoky, sweet and rather brisk blend. The strong (but not too strong) tea was quite enjoyable, and I think some of you black tea purists would really enjoy it as well.

The Assam had a woodsy scent also, and I was pleased to find that nice malty quality that seems so prevalent in a really fresh Assam. It made me wonder why I don't drink Assams more often!

Finally, the Panyong Golden Needle had a woodsy/spicy scent and a lovely sweet/spicy taste to match. I very much enjoyed sampling Tea Horse teas. (Wondering about the name? To learn about the Tea Horse Road in tea history, go here.) I was pleasantly surprised to see that the (very elegant) Tea Horse website offers very reasonable international shipping, so anyone who wants to try these teas ought to be able to. Count me a new fan!

The summer stationery winner is ...

Judith of the Lavender Cottage blog in Canada! Congrats, and I'll have these goodies headed your way very shortly, Judith!

The Anne Hathaway's Cottage Teacup

If you're like me, you've probably got a teacup "wish list" that's a mile long. There are loads of things I don't own and would like to, and recently I came across a particular style of teacup I've seen before and wanted, only I'd never found an unchipped cup and saucer in this style until now!

I've really developed a fondness for red transferware after seeing it on so many other blogs. These patterns blend so well that no matter which ones you collect, they all look good together, it seems.

What I find most intriguing about this cup and saucer set—and I do hope you can tell from the image—is that the saucer is quite unusually shaped, with a depression for the cup in the middle but then sort of curving up and out, giving an almost flat appearance to the saucer. It sort of reminds me of a dip tray with that little bowl in the middle!

And as a fan of The Bard, I of course loved the fact this J. & G. Meakin pattern is Anne Hathaway's Cottage. If anyone happens to know what you call this style of saucer, I'd love to know!

Tea Room Recipe #30 - Waioli Tea Room (Honolulu, Hawaii)

I hadn't made a good old tea bread in a while, so this week a recipe I found in a 1974 tea room cookbook sounded awfully good, this Mango Bread.

The cookbook is the "Waioli Cook Book II," compiled by the Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary of Honolulu and the Waioli Tea Room Restaurant. Still in business today, this tea room was built in 1922 and is on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. There are at least three different volumes of this cookbook I've seen, and I plan to add volumes I and III to my collection as well. Since the recipes were from Hawaii, I knew I wanted to make something with a bit of a tropical flavor to it.

This Mango Bread with fresh mango and shredded coconut was super easy to make and very, very moist. I also enjoyed eating the fresh mango that was left over, and if you're a mango fan as well, give this a try!

Mango Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups fresh mango, chopped fine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil*
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup melted shortening*
3 eggs

(Note: I wanted to reduce the oil content in this recipe, so I used just 1/4 cup each of the oil and shortening and added 1/2 cup applesauce, my new favorite substitution in these kinds of recipes.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two loaf pans with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, add dry ingredients and stir. Make a well, add remaining ingredients and combine. Divide batter in loaf pans and bake for 1 hour or until firm to the touch. Yields 2 loaves of tea bread.