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 Looking for a gift for the Tea Lover on your list? This teacup filled with tea, or chocolates would be a perfect answer. Simply fill the teacup with the item of your choice and wrap the teacup in cellophane. Tie with colorful ribbon and include an adorable teapot teaspoon in the bow. If you like, it would be nice to include the following verse compliments from www.Tea At Home With Olivia.com. "Teacups are Special Gifts. I give you this gift just from me, to sip and enjoy a cup of tea. Whenever you use it I hope you'll know, the person who gave it admires you so. " Happy giving...
   Santa's candy sleigh makes a easy, festive Christmas tea party favor. What you will need: 1 chocolate covered peanut or nougat bar approximately 1.5 oz 1 small box of raisins, gum or candy 2 candy canes (6") Foil wrapped candies , chocolate kisses or hard candies Foil wrapped Santa Claus Glue gun Christmas wrapping paper Wrap candy bar and small box of raisins in Christmas paper. Spread glue from glue gun along the candy canes and attach to candy bar to make the sleigh runners. Do not remove cellophane wrap. Glue small box on top of candy bar. Next, glue candies on the small box. Glue Santa to the front of the sleigh. Add gift tag to use sleigh as place card holder. This sleigh will add a cheerful holiday touch to your table. *Another option is to glue a small teacup ornament on the small box of raisins and fill with chocolate kisses.
   Many thanks to all who came to the Tea Tasting. I so enjoyed seeing all of you again . Also, many thanks to all the new tea friends who stopped by. Teas offered for sampling were White Christmas ( Chocolate Coconut Cream) , a seasonal favorite, French Caramel Creme Brulee; a rich, creamy flavor of the traditional dessert and Almond Cookie; a green tea with almond and coconut taste, grated coconut and almond flakes. Please feel free to visit My Tea Spot at 17 On The Square in downtown Gettysburg. There are many antique and vintage treasures there to explore as well. It is a beautifully renovated Civil War building filled with antiques, collectibles, specialty foods, tea, jewelry and art.
    Enjoying a delicious cup of Pumpkin Pie Classic in a favorite tea spot of mine is a wonderful start to any day. Now that fall weather requires us to spend more time indoors, I enjoy my morning tea in my bright and cheerful sun room. This morning I'm enjoying Pumpkin Pie Classic, a black tea with nostalgic spices, cinnamon and what makes this tea especially fun, mini candy pumpkins. The intoxicating aroma almost makes you want to eat it. It is so delightful to watch the birds busy about their early morning feeding frenzy. Bringing the geraniums indoors maintains the hope of the new spring to come. I can't wait to start new cuttings and these will be shared at a later post. A delicious steaming cup of morning tea in my cozy sun room is a great way to chase the blustery cold days of the winter soon to come. Do you have a favorite morning spot for tea?
   With tea becoming the ever popular drink of choice today, many continue to wonder which is the better option loose tea or the tea bag. Many tea-lovers, yours included, will definitely opt for loose tea. Loose tea literally comes in thousands of flavors from many parts of the world. It gives a better flavor because of the larger size leaf. A smaller size leaf, fannings or dust are often used in tea bags. Loose leaf enables you to be creative as you can make your own blend with spices, flavorings, herbs and so on. Brewing loose tea makes you slow down and enjoy the process as you choose your teapot, steep the tea, inhale the delightful aroma and relax. I often hear that using loose tea can be "so messy". There are many types of infusers to choose from. I personally love the t~sac. It's like making your own customized tea bag. They come in several sizes which allows you to brew your tea in a cup or teapot. You simply fill the t~sac with tea, steep, and toss it when your tea is brewed. There is no need to strain your tea or clean tea leaves from the bottom of your teapot. The convenience or portability of the tea bag cannot be denied. Tea bags were invented in 1908 when a tea vendor sent loose tea to his restaurant customers packaged in silk bags. They brewed the tea in the silk bags and tea bags have been with us ever since. Tea bags have improved in their flavor offerings and style. The pyramid shape tea bag gives a greater flavor as the water is allowed to flow over the tea leaves in all directions. They contain a larger, better quality leaf. With the recent improvement of tea bags, we tea-lovers have even more choices. Please share which you prefer, loose tea or tea bags.
   Having recently read about a busy mom who decided to do a tailgate tea at her children's numerous sporting events gave me the great idea of having a tailgate tea at the Penn State football games. My husband and I regularly attend these games and tailgating is a favorite Penn State football tradition. I was delighted to combine tea with football, a winning combination to make both my husband and me very happy. Using a festive Penn State checkered blue and white tablecloth and a white table topper adorned with blue teapots, I set the theme for my tailgate tablescape. I also used a white teapot and blue and white teacups with blue napkins. Freshly baked Blueberry Scones* with white clotted cream were delectable pre-game early morning fare . Yogurt Granola Parfaits and fresh, crisp, juicy apples completed my tailgate menu. Delicious Blueberry Cream Tea was the crowning touch. Think about adding a tailgate tea to your weekend sports ritual for a pleasant addition. Using your team's colors for your theme and menu ties it together nicely. It was easy and fun and a little surprise for all the football fans. WE ARE...PENN STATE *Recipe for Blueberry Scones found in "Teatime in Gettysburg"
 There are 14 essential items that I must have in my tea life to prepare my tea. It makes teatime preparation easy any time of the day for myself or if friends should drop by. My Tea Kit Includes - Choice of Your Tea Life Tea
- My Mickey Mouse Tea Kettle
- Beautiful Teacup & Saucer
- Teaspoon
- Teapot
- Brown Sugar Cubes
- Sugar Tongs
- T~sac
- Timer
- Measuring Cup
- Tea Bag Squeezer
- Perfect Tea Measuring Spoon
- Tea Warmer
- Tea Napkin
Do you have a Tea Kit? What's in yours?
 This is a yummy fall dessert. It takes a little while to make as there are several steps but it is worth it. Serves 2-6. How many servings it makes will depend on what size glass you use. Using small clear glass votives purchased at a craft or dollar store will allow you to make approximately 6 servings. I suggest cutting the apple slices from the pie filling to fit more easily into your small glass container should you decide to use them. What you will need: 1/4 C firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 C plus 2 T whipping cream, divided 1 T butter 2 egg yolks 1 T vanilla 1 T maple flavoring 1 T sugar 4 oz white chocolate, melted & cooled 1 can Lucky Leaf or Musselman apple pie filling Combine brown sugar, 2 T of cream and butter in a small pan. Stir over medium heat for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Cool. In a double boiler or pan over simmering water, combine egg yolks, flavorings & sugar. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens. Cool Beat cream into medium peaks. Fold in white chocolate. The white chocolate may become lumpy but this won't be a problem. Alternate mixtures with pie filling in layers in parfait glasses. Finish with whipped cream mixture. Garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts and sprig of mint. 
   Vancouver, Canada was another spot on our list this summer. It was beautifully cool there and a welcome respite from hot, humid summer days. We visited many points of interest but of course taking tea was at the top of the list. I was hoping to have tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. However, I didn't realize that it was a 4 hour trip by bus and ferry from Vancouver. Not having planned enough time for it , made the trip there impossible. Having learned that Victoria is actually more accessible from Seattle, made us realize that it would be more enjoyable at some other time. On the advice of the hotel desk clerk, we went to tea at the Secret Garden which is in a suburb of Vancouver. The Secret Garden takes pride in the "beautiful eats" they offer. The food and tea were wonderfully delicious. Tea at the Empress will have to wait for another day... Have you taken tea at any vacation spots this summer?
   After a busy end of summer travel time, I am back to blog again. In August we were fortunate to visit Mackinac Island in Michigan and stay at the Grand Hotel. Mackinac Island (MACK-in-awe) became one of the nation's popular summer resorts during the Victorian era. The Victorians arrived in excursion boats from Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit. To accommodate overnight guests, boat and railroad companies financed the building of the Grand Hotel. It is as special now as it was in 1887, a beautiful large wooden structure with a veranda 3 football fields long. Great attention to detail is seen everywhere in the hotel as well as the on the grounds. The flowers are amazing. The horses have a little to do with this I'm told! Restricting travel to horse drawn carriages and bicycles definitely gives a "step back in time" feel to the island. The highlights of our stay were taking afternoon tea in the lobby and going for a ride in the Grand Hotel's VIP carriage. It is a very special place and a tealightful summer memory... Hotel photo courtesy of the Grand Hotel
 Are you looking for a hostess gift? If you froze the second loaf of Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread made from the recipe in the previous post, you're set. Everyone appreciates yummy homemade treats! Take it out of the freezer. Bring it to room temperature. Place the bread in a food safe cellophane bag that can be purchased at a craft store. Tie a beautiful ribbon around it and there is your hostess gift.
 Looking for an idea of what to do with all that zucchini that is in right now? Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a delicious treat and perfect for teatime. Enjoy it with Chocolate Mint tea for a winning combination.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 C cocoa
2 1/2 t baking powder
2 1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
3/4 C butter, softened
2 C sugar
3 eggs
3 t vanilla
2 C grated zucchini
1/2 C milk
1/2 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Combine dry ingredients, set aside. Cream butter & sugar, add eggs vanilla and milk. Stir in dry ingredients. Add zucchini and mini chocolate chips and blend well. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. This freezes well. So you can serve one now and freeze one for later. It also makes a welcome hostess gift.
 Getting ready to start thinking about everyone going back to school? Start planning your Back to School Tea now. After you get the kids off to school you can relax and invite a few friends and neighbors over to enjoy the morning. Back to School Apple Crisp tea would be great to serve. Pairing it with Cinnamon Chip scones is a tasty combination. Try serving the scones with clotted cream and apple butter instead of lemon curd. The cinnamon tart sweetness flavor of the apple butter marries well with the tea and scones. Don’t worry about making the scones at the last minute. You can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them unbaked. Prepare them as usual and freeze them on a cookie sheet. Then place them in a plastic bag and store in your freezer. They will keep well for at least 2 weeks. Pop them in the oven when you are ready to host your tea. You will need to bake them a little longer but they will be just as delicious as if you had prepared them that morning. Enjoy…Cheers to a happy productive school year.
 The Finished Product
   Recently I had the pleasure of attending the Royal Tea Club’s third annual covered dish event. It was such fun to be with 100 ladies who all enjoy tea. Most brought their own teacups. A silent auction, a used book sale, and live entertainment were among the activities. The Royal Tea Club was formed by a group of ladies who enjoy doing tea. The club currently boasts a membership of over 300 from several states. A tea event is planned once a month from March thru December. The group’s purpose is fun and friendship. Sharon Hart who heads the organization does a beautiful job freely giving of her time. Visit www.theroyal-teaclub.org for more information.
  My Teapot Birthday Cake What you will need: 1 package pound cake mix 2 mini bundt pans Frozen purchased cookie dough or your own sugar cookie dough recipe Frosting Pattern for handle and spout Fresh flowers, candy decoration etc. for completed cake Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Fill each pan 2/3 full. Tap pan to settle batter as the batter will be thick. Bake approximately 15-18 minutes or when cake feels firm to the touch, is golden brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow pans to sit for 5 minutes and remove cake from pans. Continue cooling on rack. When cakes are completely cooled slice off tops and reserve. Use top as lid for the teapot. Using 1 ½ “-2” biscuit cutter cut lid from reserved cake slice. With knife trace spout and handle designs on cookie dough which has been rolled in powdered sugar and gently remove to baking sheet and bake according to directions. Also, roll a small ball for the teapot lid knob. Frost the middle portion of the cake and put cakes together to form teapot. Place lid and knob on cake and frost. Carefully make a small slit in the sides of the cake to accommodate spout and handle. Attach handle and spout. Decorate in desired manner. Each cake mix makes 8 mini bundt cakes or 4 teapot cakes. If making one teapot cake, you can use remaining batter for short cake, cupcakes, mini tea bread, etc. Each cake serves approximately 2-3. A teapot cake kit is available.
Please check back for the picture of the grand finale.
  Many thanks to my friend Kathleen of Kathleen Ellis Life Style Designs for awarding me the Brillante Blogger Award. I am passing on the award to the following five bloggers. Please visit them as they do a beautiful job. They are: - My 2Roses for a fresh approach to permanent flowers
- Rosemary's Sampler for an informative and interaction sampling pertaining to herbs and teas
- Hydrangea House for decorating ideas and projects in the Romantic Cottage or Shabby style
- Tea Party Girl for a wonderful resource on ideas for hosting and enjoying afternoon tea parties
- Set To A Tea for tips and ideas on how to set a lovely tea table.
I am also required to tell you 5 things about myself. So here goes... 1. I would love to live in Charleston in the winter-not the summer. I don't have the hair for it. 2. I seldom enjoy a day without tea and chocolate. 3. I plan to travel with my husband to London this year. 4. I love cool summer mornings. 5. I have two red headed children. Thank you so much for reading. 
 Gladstone (1865) Victorian British Prime Minister If you are cold, tea will warm you;
If you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.
Sipping Chocolate Mint...
 Tea Ice Cubes* Make your ice cubes with your favorite tea instead of water. You will have full-flavored iced tea instead of water-downed tea. Take a little extra time to make the ice cubes a little more special. Small slices of orange, lemon, or lime added to your ice cube sections before pouring the tea in will look beautiful when frozen and will add extra flavor to your tea as the ice cube melts. Blueberry Tea Cubes Add 2 blueberries to each section of your ice tray before pouring the tea in. Orange Tea Cubes Zest an orange into long strips. Add a strip of orange zest to each section of your ice tray. Pour the tea in and freeze. Strawberry Tea Cubes Add small pieces of strawberry to the sections of the ice tray before freezing. *Reprinted by permission from The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark "Dr.Tea" Ukra ISBN 978-0-06-144175-2. Visit www.teagarden.com For more fun, dip the rim of your iced tea glass in water then in colored sugar for a festive touch. Visit www.yourtealife.com for Strawberry Cream Green tea.
 I recently attended the World Tea Expo which was held in Las Vegas this year. There was an amazing array of tea products ranging from traditional teas to frozen tea drinks to tea liquors. On display were many delicious new teas and fabulous tea accessories. A selection of these will be featured on my website soon. Educational sessions were held in conjunction with the exhibits. My picture shown here is with Dr. Tea. I attended his session, "Converting the Coffee Culture". Dr. Tea's tea business in located in Las Angeles. He has made numerous television appearances and has written a book titled The Ultimate Tea Diet. This book has many ideas on how to live a healthier life based on common sense and drinking tea! It is filled with valuable tea tidbits, recipes and successful weight loss stories. *The secret of tea's ability to help you lose weight is the synergy of tea's three main ingredients: caffeine, L-theanine, and EGCG. Here is a quick rundown of the ingredients starting with caffeine. Because caffeine is a stimulant, it will help you lose weight. Unfortunately, however, caffeine has unhealthy side effects. Recent studies have shown that caffeine raises both blood sugar and insulin levels. Doesn't Tea have caffeine? Yes, it does, but it has far less than you'll find in a cup of coffee. And here's the "magic" of tea: It also as L-theanine, an amino acid that works to counter caffeine's harmful effects. L-theanine also influences the neurotransmitters in the brain that affect your dopamine and serotonin levels which send the brain signals of satiety. The more tea you drink the stronger the message to your brain that says "I'm not hungry." Therefore, tea not only helps you lose weight, it helps to reduce your appetite and stay on a diet as well. The third secret ingredient is EGCG, the miracle antioxidant that stimulates your body's metabolism; you're actually burning fats as you sit there drinking your tea. EGCG also lowers the levels of tryglycerides in the blood and inhibits the accumulation of fatty acids in the fat cells, thus making it a significant antiobesity agent. Can you eat whatever you want and still lose weight simply by adding tea to your diet? Probably not. But if you start by drinking tea, it will begin its work on your alpha brain waves, your neurotransmitters, and your metabolism to increase your energy and decrease your appetite. When you add in the Ultimate Tea Diet weight-loss food plan and a moderate amount of exercise, the pounds and inches will come off quickly and safely. Dr. Tea's favorite advice, "If you think you can, you will; if you think you can't, you won't." *Reprinted by permission from "The Ultimate Tea Diet" by Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra ISBN 978-0-06-144175-2 Visit www.teagarden.com
 When you're short on time, sharing food preparation is a great way to have a tea party. It can be great fun to see what each person prepares. It is also a good idea for your guests to bring a recipe to share. My good friend and former tearoom chef, Cynthia and I enjoy getting together regularly for tea and periodically we prepare our own tea fare. We share the baking and each makes scones, tea sandwiches, sweets, and or savories. Cynthia is a champion scone maker and we seldom host an at home tea party without her fabulous scones. Thank you to those who still email me about them from our days at Civil-La-Tea. Our pot luck menu for our most recent at home afternoon tea consisted of Triple Cherry Scones, Puff Pastry Napoleons, Ham and Cheese Filled biscuits, (You can find the recipe for these biscuits in the May edition of the newsletter. Just click "News" where you will find all the past editions.) Mini Peach Tarts, Almond Poppy Seed Tea Bread, and Coconut Chewies. Have you had pot luck tea parties? Please leave a comment and share what you like to prepare the most.
 Garnish is Queen! It adds beauty, color, appeal and interest to your tea tray. Edible pansies are a beautiful and colorful edible garnish. At this time of the season when pansies are beginning to fade, you can preserve them by crystallizing them with thinned egg whites and super fine sugar. You will need tweezers, a metal tea infuser with handles or a small sieve, a small paint brush designated for food use, and parchment paper. You will also need powdered egg whites; these are pasteurized and safe to eat, and super fine sugar. Use only pesticide free pansies with stems removed. Gently paint both sides of pansy petals with thinned egg whites made to package directions. Add a little water to thin them. While holding pansy with tweezers over a small bowl, sprinkle both sides with super fine sugar. Shake off excess sugar. Put pansy on parchment paper to dry. You may have to turn pansies occasionally to speed the drying process. When dry, store in container with tight fitting lid away from light. Use as a garnish on cakes, tarts, cookies, lemon curd, etc.
 Since I have received several inquiries about what my mom would serve at teatime, I have decided to share one of her favorite recipes. It is a rather old recipe. She reached for this recipe for almost every occasion. She would whip this up in a snap. Although I love to bake, working with pastry dough is not one of my favorites. If you are a pie baker, this recipe will be easy for you. Cherry Tart 3 C flour 1/2 C sugar 1 t salt 3 t baking powder 3 egg yolks 2/3 C milk 1 t vanilla 2 cans cherry pie filling Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9X13 pan with vegetable spray. Mix egg yolks, milk, & vanilla. Add to dry ingredients. Save 1/4 of dough for lattice top. Pat dough in pan. I thought this was a little sticky. I found that when I dampened my hands slightly, it helped. Pour pie filling over dough. Make lattice work for top. You might need to add a little flour to make the dough more manageable. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy...The middle pieces are the favorite in my family! My choice of tea to drink with this would be Apricot Peach. The fruitiness of both seem to compliment each other.
    When giving a tea party the beauty and enjoyment is in the details. Herbs not only add wonderful flavor to tea party fare but they also add beauty. It's important to remember that you eat with your eyes first and herbs can greatly enhance your visual enjoyment. The 4 herbs which I love to use are chives, parsley, dill and mint. The chives pictured in the white pot do very well as a patio plant or planted in your garden. I've had this pot for several years. They come up year every year early in the spring and are a welcome splash of green after a long, drab winter. Their purple blooms are edible and also are great as a garnish. The entire flower can be used or you can separate it . Parsley, top left, is also great growing in your pot or garden. It generally is good for only one season. Once it goes to seed, it's finished. Dill, top right, doesn't do well in a pot. It likes growing best in the garden. You can use the blossoms for garnish also. Dill is great at reseeding itself. Mint is best grown in a pot. It also comes back year after year. Mine is seen here growing in a strawberry jar. Beware if you plant mint is your garden, it will tend to spread everywhere. It's best to keep mint pruned as it doesn't do well if you allow it to bloom. Mint, of course, also makes a great tea. Herbs liked to be cut often. They are wonderful to use in fresh flower arrangements. As you do your plant shopping this season, consider herbs as a great addition helping you to make your tea party special in many ways.
 Who introduced you to the "world of tea"? My tea story all began with a burgundy Hall's teapot. As a little girl I loved tea parties especially the sweets which is still true today. My mom bought the teapot and there always seemed to be an air of hushed reverence when she brought it out for tea. I hoped I wouldn't be the one to break it. My mom is first generation American and came from a family of wonderful cooks. We would go from house to house enjoying eastern European hospitality and wonderful food. The Daffodil Cake recipe in my March newsletter is an adaptation from my Aunt Jane's recipe.  Tea in those days was from tea bags. Today I thoroughly enjoy loose tea. t~sacs make the preparation of loose tea ever so easy.  It's like making your own tea bag. When you are finished, you just toss it. My mom is 86 today and suffers from dementia. Caring for elderly parents is for another post. She still knows me and is happy to join me for a good "cuppa". I feel blessed for the opportunity to make tea for her. Please share your tea story...
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