A teatime dish cloth giveaway

Alex and I just got back from a trip to Huntsville and Decatur, Alabama, and during the weekend's shopping, I found some cute tea-themed dish cloths that I decided would be fun for a giveaway, so I got a pack of them for me and a second pack for one of you! If you'd like to be entered to win the dish cloths, just leave an "Enter me" to this post between now and 7 a.m. EST Saturday, September 18, *making sure to include an email address (if not already on file) so I can contact you if you're the winner* (very important), and you'll be entered to win. US only, please. Good luck!

Some delightful new reading

Last weekend, I whiled away a completely lovely couple of hours perusing the latest issue of a new favorite magazine, My French Country Home. The July/August issue, which I imagine is still on some newsstands since it comes from afar, had lots of great features, but what I liked most was that unlike American magazines these days, it doesn't appear to have an agenda. Unlike so many of the other magazines I've read lately, this one didn't seem on a mission to promote this or that cause, agenda, or concern. And when I finished reading the magazine, I realized how utterly delightful it was to forget all the issues of the day and just look at pretty photos of homes, gardens, and decor. It was so refreshing!

This photo of a teacup caught my eye, and I loved learning that a California woman visited Paris and learned to enjoy a teatime ritual between 2 and 4 p.m. each day, a ritual she continues to enjoy—with Mariage Frères teas from France, not surprisingly.

I also look for macarons in any articles I read about France, and I found some here, on one of the prettiest tole trays I have ever laid eyes on. (If anyone knows of an online source for French antique tole trays, I'm all ears.)

And to my delight, there is a tiny town in France known as the Chocolate Box Village, and it is fondly known as…

 "the town of a thousand rose bushes," drawing crowds in the spring when the roses are in full bloom. If this magazine sounds like your cup of tea, too, please give it a look! (I got mine at Barnes & Noble.)

An elite new tea: Deberah's Tea

 

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting my friend Deberah for lunch. While we've certainly been in touch over the past year and even worked on some book projects together, it was the first time we've met for lunch in more than a year, and it was so fun just to catch up with her. It was also fun when she handed me a gift bag containing several goodies, including this tea she grew and processed herself!

I am so impressed! I have a camellia sinensis plant, too, but I've never plucked my leaves and actually made tea with them. Deberah said it is a black tea, and she advised me to use more than I usually do, so that's what I did.

And I must say that this was an exceptionally smooth tea with no astringency. If "Deberah's Tea" were available commercially, I'd absolutely be a customer. It leans a little toward an oolong taste, and I savored every delightful sip. I suspect, however, that this tea was made with love and friendship, and I'll bet it will be hard to find anything comparable. It occurred to me that this is the very definition of a "small-batch" tea, and I'm so thrilled my friend shared some with me.

Happy Labor Day!

 

A tea shop from 1846

I don't imagine I will ever tire of researching the tea history of this country. Recently, I came across an 1846 advertising print on the Library of Congress website here. It's an ad for T. Sharpless & Sons in Philadelphia, and it's fun to see how prominently tea is featured in the image.

I also loved the lengthy summary of the ad from the Library of Congress:

This 1846 advertising print shows a four-story building located at 30-32 South Second Street, below Market Street in Philadelphia. The double storefronts have signage advertising the "Wholesale Ware Room" of "T. Sharpless & Sons," as well as the "Tea Store" of the Pekin Tea Company. Massive merchandise displays adorn the windows and front facades of the businesses. At the wareroom, reams of different cloths hang from rods within open windows. Tables are covered in swatches and bolts of cloth. A number of patrons, including women and a couple, admire the displays. Some enter the store; the shadowy figures of female clerks are visible inside. More merchandise is visible in showcase spaces on the second floor, including bolts of cloth and cloth-covered hat boxes. At the tea store, couples exit and enter the business, and a clerk stands within the store. Several boxes of tea are piled between the Chinese figurines displayed in the window. Potted plants adorn the windows on the third floor, between which hangs a large model of a box of tea. In front of the store, boxes of tea are piled under a frame for an awning that displays a sign advertising, "Fresh Teas." Manhole covers and a fire hydrant are seen on the sidewalk. Around the corner of the building, a woman and a girl walk past a horse-drawn dray traveling down a side alley to Strawberry Street, which is partially visible in the background. This print also shows partial views of adjacent buildings. The Pekin Tea Company relocated to Sixth and Callowhill streets in 1847. The textile firm established by Townsend Sharpless in 1815 moved to this address in 1841 under the name T. Sharpless & Son; in 1842, the firm was renamed T. Sharpless & Sons. This lithograph was created by Robert F. Reynolds, an artist born circa 1818 in Pennsylvania, and known for his fine-detailed architectural advertising prints. The printer was Wagner & McGuigan, a firm that specialized in the production of advertising prints.

I don't believe I've ever heard of the Pekin Tea Company before, but if I happen to come across the name in some of my vintage pursuits, I'll sure remember one place where it was sold!

Cozy Cupfuls Stamp Set by Marcella Hawley for Power Poppy

Every other news story I read lately mentions how the "supply chain" across the world is still disrupted, so I'm starting to get my Christmas lists in order while that's on my mind. I was Googling tea-themed Christmas stamps recently when I came across this darling set by Marcella Hawley for Power Poppy, and I think some of you might like it too!

This charming tree-in-a-teacup stamp is the one I instantly fell in love with, and I know I will enjoy using it to make cards to share with tea friends this Christmas. The design would be pretty to stamp on small packages as well.

But wait, that's not all, as they say on TV! There's another design with a mug on it, and since I assume that most mugs may actually be used as tea mugs (that could be a chai latte we're looking at, after all), I will use this stamp for some designs too.

So if any of you crafter friends are in need of some Christmas stamping supplies, check out this design here (and the last time I looked, it was still on sale for half price!). Shipping is quite reasonable, and my order was shipped within two weeks as promised. I'm very, very happy with this fun purchase, and now I've also got a new stamp designer to keep on my radar!

A bowl full of fun

One day last week, I stopped by a Goodwill store and found some great goodies that were fun for several different reasons.

First, I've been bored with my current selection of tea mugs. I use "mugs" in my office and "teacups" when I'm downstairs, but I've got so many mugs already that I couldn't see buying another one. I even have a gift card from T. J. Maxx that is unused from my birthday back in May, but still, I can't see using it on a tea mug. These blue florals at Goodwill, however, caught my eye, and this Nikko French Country pattern tea mug was just 79 cents. Perfect!

I'll bet some of you are familiar with this Depression glass pattern, Iris and Herringbone. My mother collected this at one point (like me, she collected a lot of stuff "at one point"), and my little sister called it "Irish Hambone." For that reason alone, I thought this saucer, in perfect condition, was worth the 59 cents I paid for it.

Another odd collecting interest: I like *reticulated* things, which is a fancy word for china with piercings in it. These little 4-inch Schumann Bavarian dishes look like future jewelry trinket dishes to me, and at 99 cents each, the price was right.

Finally, I've been drooling over the photos of some vintage Christmas wares online, and I love the old Pyrex dishes I've seen in red and green that are being used as Christmas decor in the kitchen. This Hazel Atlas mixing bowl was just $2.99, and I will save it to use only at Christmas. I look forward to the day I can tell you that I've found something similar in red that was just as good a deal! (I've told myself no going on eBay, either. That would be cheating.)

Tiesta Tea's Fruity Pebbles Tea

I found a great new fruity green tea at Publix this week, and I believe this is the third or fourth blend from Tiesta Tea that I've tried. All of them have been winners, but this one shot to the top because it has pineapple in it!

LOTS of pineapple! Just look at those big, pretty chunks!

It's their Strawberry Pineapple Green Tea called Fruity Pebbles, which I must say is a misleading name for a tea, as it is nothing like the sugary children's cereal of the same name. In fact, I almost passed it by when I saw the name Fruity Pebbles, but then I read the ingredients, shrugged, and threw it in my cart anyway.

And I have to say that I'm a big fan of the package design. This little pull tab makes the package a breeze to open then seals securely once you've scooped out some tea. Brilliant! So there you go. If you, too, are a fan of pineapple teas, ignore the name Fruity Pebbles and give this delicious tea a try.

Enchanted with Holly China

Earlier this year, I ponied up my dues and became a member of the Golden Glow of Christmas Past, a group for those who love vintage Christmas collectibles. While I've started receiving the group's wonderful bimonthly magazine, The Glow, I've also made it a mission to collect back issues, and the one I wanted most was the June 2020 issue with its features on Holly China.

I have several English bone china teacups with holly and berry designs, but I had no idea there were so many beautiful old French versions of holly-patterned china. And this punch bowl, y'all!

And when I saw all of these green patterns, I was completely charmed. I'm pretty sure my eye will go to green wares the next time I'm in a thrift store or antique mall.

But the set I liked best was this 1890 Limoges tea set with holly and berries. That's got to be one of the most gorgeous Christmas sets I've ever seen.

This is the back cover of the magazine, and I love how it features holly-patterned wares as well as holly-patterned silverware. As you all know by now, I'm a thrifty collector, not someone who ever plans to drop hundreds of dollars on random dishes, but boy, will I have my eyes peeled for some of these lovely wares! (And if you're as intrigued by the idea of vintage Christmas collectibles as I am, you can learn more about the Golden Glow here.)

 

Strawbridge and Clothier Chocolate Madeleines

Now that my latest novel is finished and I'm back to working on the next one, another cozy mystery, I'm thinking about my next nonfiction project, the sequel to Dainty Dining. So over the weekend, I tried another recipe associated with a grand old department store, this one the Chocolate Madeleines from the food hall at Strawbridge and Clothier in Philadelphia. These madeleines were easy to make and came out great, so I thought I'd go ahead and share the recipe here. I love to serve madeleines at teatime, but I've always made the traditional lemon-flavored ones. These chocolate ones were perfectly light and cake-like, sweetened with the tiniest sprinkling of powdered sugar, and I'll bet some of you would like them too!

The recipe comes from the book Food Hall Strawbridge and Clothier: Just Desserts, which appears to have been self-published by the store in 1984.

My teacup, by the way, is a Limoges, France teacup and saucer marked Strawbridge and Clothier that I found online when I started researching these old stores more than a decade ago. I don't know whether it was ever used in the store or simply sold in the store, but I thought it was appropriate for using with my tea (Venetian Tiramisu from Harney) and these madeleines!


Chocolate Madeleines

2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 stick + 2 tablespoons melted butter, divided use

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs well, then add sugar and beat again. Add cocoa, baking powder, vanilla, and the 1 stick of melted butter and beat for one minute. Sift flour directly over the egg mixture and beat by hand for one minute, just till combined. Spoon by heaping tablespoons into cavities of madeleine pan greased with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter.* Bake for 10-12 minutes, until madeleines are slightly cracked or dry. Remove from pans and cool on racks. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. Yields 18 madeleines.

Note: I used a Wilton madeleine pan that makes madeleines about 3 inches tall and 2 inches wide.

Teatime with Dolly

Do you ever find something in your house and wonder how on earth it got there? Not long ago, I realized that it would probably be just fine if I tossed my college journalism newsletters and high school report cards and those tiny little square Hallmark pocket calendars (remember those?) from the '70s and '80s. But somewhere in that late-eighties box of memorabilia was this doll-shaped booklet, and I'm guessing it's something I purchased during my Victorian phase in the late '80s, when I decorated my first apartment with lace teddy bears and inexpensive prints of Victorian women and all things pearl. (I'll bet some of you did too.)

I nearly tossed Dolly at Home ABC until I looked inside and realized it's actually a cute little alphabet book, and when I saw a teakettle on the opening spread, I was intrigued. "I'll bet there's a teapot inside," I thought.

And yes, there is, under "V" for Visit! So this booklet quickly became a keeper. Our grandchildren are now too old for such reads, but I'm hoping a niece or two will get married within the next five or ten years, so I'm thinking about the future great-niece or great-nephew that I hope to see, and of course I'll need books to introduce them to teatime!

Sipping tea under a blue moon …

 

I don't believe I've ever before had a tea that you could purchase only on the days of the blue moon (the next one being Sunday, August 22), but that's the case with this delightful Bella Luna Blue loose leaf tea that I recently received as a sample from Adagio Teas.

This tea features dried lemongrass and butterfly pea flowers (which turn the water blue) along with natural blueberry flavor. The tea is naturally caffeine-free, and I was glad since I was enjoying some at bedtime! I've long been a fan of herbal teas, and this one features that lemon-and-blueberry combo that I love but without being tart.

After I steeped it for five minutes, the tea was indeed quite blue!

Here's a close-up view. My husband saw some iced blue tea in the fridge recently and said it just wasn't "natural," but au contraire, my friends, it is quite natural!

And if you decide to up the citrus flavor by adding a few drops of lemon juice, the blue color turns to purple! (I poured mine into a clear tea mug so you can see the difference.) The lemon juice brings out the citrus flavor of the lemongrass even more, but I don't think it's necessary and actually preferred the tea as-is.

Blue tea is a fun and special treat, and if you'd like to get some while you can, you can order it on Sunday right here. Wouldn't this tea be gorgeous served iced alongside some blue tea wares? My mind is full of fun possibilities thanks to this deliciously different new tea.

"Murder in a Teacup" by Vicki Delany

Vicki Delany's second Tea by the Sea mystery is out, and I'm definitely hooked on this fun new series. In Murder in a Teacup, Lily Roberts is busy establishing her new Cape Cod tearoom, Tea by the Sea, while making sure her colorful (in every way) grandmother, Rose, stays out of trouble. Lily also provides the breakfasts for guests staying at her grandmother's nearby B&B. A large family books a stay, and when they arrive with much emotional baggage in tow, it's inevitable that Lily and Rose get caught up in the family squabbles.

For Lily, this would all be mere annoyance except for the fact that the family of malcontents comes to tea one afternoon and one of the male guests—who insisted on drinking his own special blend of tea—ends up dead. Police close the tearoom and cart off the teatime fare so they can investigate the deadly event. Yes, the tea was the culprit, but of course we know that Lily didn't poison the man's tea. So who did? Just when we think we know who the killer might be, Delany delivers a twist that makes us consider someone else.

Returning characters like Lily's aspiring-novelist friend, Bernadette, and single friend and gardener, Simon, are welcome additions and provide a family feel to the cast. Delany also does a great job of making the picturesque Cape Cod setting one we would all like to visit, and her descriptions of the tea menus will make mouths water.

The planting of clues in this book is quite well done, and when I got to the end, I had to smile and say, "Ah! That's why she mentioned x a couple of times!" I love it when the clues are subtle yet significant, and she handles them with a deft touch.

If you haven't yet checked out this series, I strongly suggest that you set aside an afternoon with a pot of tea and give it a try.

P.S. Vicki Delany is also featured in Tea Time magazine's September/October issue, which has a delightful feature on tea-themed cozies!

"Social reunions of a simple kind"

Over the years, I've found quite a few photos of American Red Cross workers at tea, and I recently came across a new-to-me one on the Library of Congress website. This image by photographer Lewis Wickes Hine was created on September 4, 1918, so it was obviously some Red Cross workers who served during World War I.

The description reads, "Saturday afternoon tea party in the new club rooms for A.R.C. Workers (women) at the Hotel Roblin Paris. The Club provides a pleasant place where women workers can rest, read and enjoy social reunions of a simple kind."

And despite what was going on in the world, they sure look like they're having fun, don't they?

Weekend thrifting: the rest of the story

When I told my sister about my adventure in finding the two pieces of that butter dish on Saturday, I showed her the little thank-you card taped to it, which still said …

"Enjoy! Adrienne." Rhonda's response: "I guess she didn't." (Since the recipient never even removed the card, apparently.) Ha!

That particular Goodwill had lots of violet-patterned wares that day, including some tea-and-toast plates minus the teacups (I considered but ultimately rejected their purchase). I couldn't help thinking that perhaps some violet-loving woman had passed away and her kids had donated the whole lot. (Maybe?) But this Royal Patrician plate for 99 cents was too great a deal to leave behind, and I do buy plates purely as "props" for staging photos for this blog, my cooking column in The Coweta Shopper, and future cookbooks.

My most expensive purchase of the day was a $1.99 Christmas plate, and I loved the retro look of it!

You can barely tell in this photo, but the design is very obviously a decal, so I'm going to be careful with this plate and will just use it as decor. Can you believe Christmas is less than five months away? And considering the shipping delays of last year, I think I'll try to be finished shopping by early November this year! Have you bought any Christmas gifts yet?

Weekend thrifting: The Butter Dish

The Butter Dish

Here’s the story

'Bout some Royal Albert.

It was sitting at the Goodwill store in Rome.

But the pretty lid was mournful and so lonely.

Yes, it was all alone.

Here’s the story

'Bout a plate with violets

It was sitting at the Goodwill store in Rome.

It had gotten separated from its cover

And it was all alone.

Till the one day when this lady turned the corner

And she knew that it was much more than a wish

That these pieces, they were meant to be together

And that’s the way that they became a Butter Dish!

A Butter Dish,

a Butter Dish.

That’s the way,

they became a Butter Dish!

Bigelow Botanicals Strawberry Lemon Orange Blossom Cold Water Infusion

After learning that some of you have been enjoying Bigelow Botanicals like I have (see post here), I headed to the grocery store tea aisle in search of more flavors. And yay, I found this Strawberry Lemon Orange Blossom flavor!

Even better, it happened to be on sale for half price! I'm not sure how long they'll stock iced-tea type products, but I'm sure enjoying them this summer.

This herbal infusion was as tasty and refreshing as the first one I tried. I love that it really does taste like real-fruit-infused water, and the orange flavor is what stands out most. The first time I had infused water was years ago when Alex and I took Amtrak to Chicago on the way to visit family in Wisconsin. We stayed at a nice new hotel he found for us, and in the lobby at check-in, they offered us some of their orange-infused water from a pretty dispenser. I hope these herbal infusions are here to stay, because I've certainly become a fan!