 |
|
Have your tried these fun Hershey's Kisses Candy Corn this Halloween season? This tasty recipe is a winning combination of cookie and candy. Happy Halloween, everyone!
Orange Cream Candy Corn Kisses Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 C butter
1 egg
1 C light brown sugar
1/2 t grated orange peel
1/4 C orange juice (The peel & juice are the approximate yield from 1 large orange
1 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 C Quick 1- minute oats
Cream butter & sugar with electric mixer. Beat in egg, juice, & peel. Mix together dry ingredients and slowly add to mixture. Drop by teaspoon on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Melt 18 kisses in microwave and drizzle or lightly ice cookies. Before candy sets, place 1 kiss in center of cookie.
Enjoy a touch of whimsy to your teatime with this whimsical bright pink and white flower Audrey tea infuser. This eye catching plastic flower infuser is made in Germany by koziol. It is a feast for all the senses.
Audrey fits in almost every cup and is the right size for a single serving. Simply add your favorite tea leaves and hot water and steep.
After a long hot aromatic soak with its tea leaves, the bloom takes a tidy time-out on its own drip-catching foliage. Ready and waiting to serve you again for another steep.
Difficult summer gardening and life have taken me away from blogging on a regular basis. With the end of a long, hot and dry summer, I've put my garden to bed and plan to blog more often. This Pumpkin Bread recipe is delicious seasonal fall treat. You can make 5 small loaves with it (loaf pan measuring 6" X 3") or 2 large loaves. It freezes well and is wonderful to have on hand for the unexpected guest and gift giving. The recipe below calls for 2 teaspoons of cinnamon but you can use the spice that best suits your taste. The original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg. You can also use Allspice and or Pumpkin Pie Spice. The addition of nuts and raisins are optional. I personally think they are a tasty addition but again do what suits your own taste. Especially satisfying with your afternoon cup of tea.
Pumpkin Bread 3 C sugar 1C vegetable oil 4 eggs 2C canned pumpkin (16 oz) 2/3 C water 3 1/3 C all purpose flour 2 t baking soda 1 1/2 t salt 2 t cinnamon 1/2 to 3/4 chopped walnuts (optional) 1/2 to 3/4 raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pans. Mix together sugar & water with electric mixer. Add eggs, pumpkin, water & blend. Combine remaining dry ingredients and blend slowly.Blend in nuts & raisins. Fill pans equally & bake 1 hour if using 2 large pans or 45-50 minutes if using 5 small pans. Loaves are baked when inserted toothpick comes out clean.
These buttery rich lemon glazed bars are delicious with hot or iced tea. You'll want to grate the peel of your lemon before you squeeze the juice from it.
What you will need:
1 1/2 C butter
2/3 C powdered sugar
2 T grated lemon peel
1 T lemon juice
2 2/3 C flour
Lemon Glaze
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
2 T lemon peel
1/3-1/2 C lemon juice
1 drop red food coloring.
Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease jelly roll pan with vegetable spray. Beat butter, sugar, lemon peel, & lemon juice until creamy. Add flour. Combine until well mixed. Press batter into prepared pan. You will have to flour your hands several times to prevent sticking.
Bake 20-20 min.. or until light golden brown.
While bars are baking, prepare the lemon glaze. Mix all the ingredients until spreadable. Add the lemon juice a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Pour over bars while they are still warm. When completely cooled cut bars into small squares or diamond shapes. Be gentle as bars are fragile. Store in a covered container. Enjoy with a delicious cup of tea or a wonderfully cold glass of frosty iced tea.
This refreshing tea cocktail has been a family favorite for many years. It was my mom's recipe and she kept a frozen container in the freezer to be served at a moment's notice when company dropped by. We fondly call it "Slush".
Slush 2 C boiling water 4 teaspoons loose tea or 4 teabags 1 C sugar 1 large can frozen orange juice concentrate 1 large can frozen lemonade concentrate 7 C water 2 C vodka
Brew tea in 2 cups of boiling water. Add cup of sugar to brewed tea and stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients and freeze in covered container. Due to the alcohol content, it will not freeze solid but will be of a a "slushy" consistency. Use ice cream scoop to fill glasses and garnish. You can also serve with a spoon. Can be enjoyed any time of the year but is especially refreshing on a hot summer evening!
Recently, my husband and I were fortunate to celebrate our anniversary by taking a week long river cruise from Normandy to Paris. It was a fabulous trip and I absolutely adored Paris! We will have to return some day as we simply didn't have enough time for everything we wanted to see and do.
Even though our time was limited, I did my best to visit several tea spots. On our way to Paris, we stopped at Rouen. Rouen is a charming town with plenty of shopping and historical points of interest. Most notably where Joan of Arc met her demise. Cakes was our first tea stop. The tea maids at Cakes wore beautiful red toile aprons which I wanted to purchase. But a $100 for an apron couldn't be justified so a picture would have to do. No one there spoke English but using the universal language of money I was able to purchase some French Breakfast tea. It was quite robust and satisfying.
  Next, was the famous Hediard in Paris. The walls were a dizzying array of red tea tins. Hediard, purveyor of fine teas since 1854, offers more than 200 varieties of tea from many different origins to be enjoyed at any time of day. They strive to impart the spirit of tea, to encourage the awakening of tastes, to stimulate the desire and satisfy the curiosity for the unknown. We were able to be seated here for a delicious pot of tea and a to die for French apple tart.
At Hediard, I chose the famous Hediard blend, one of their most popular black tea blends from China with a delicious subtle bergamot, lemon and sweet orange flavor.
Mariage Freres was the last stop for tea. It was also established in 1864. Here there was an overwhelming inventory of 600 choices of tea. With the help of a young French salesman, I chose Marco Polo. Another wonderful black tea blend of several varieties of Chinese and Tibetan fruit and flowers creating a highly sophisticated bouquet.
And so our trip to France came to an end all too quickly. I am still enjoying my French tea and dreaming of returning some day. Have you ever been to France?
Show your "Mum" some love and bake her a batch of these sweet tea cookies for Mother's Day. These cookies are scrumptious to nibble with your tea and in between teatimes. Given to me by a dear grad school friend many years ago, this recipe has always been my "go to" sugar cut out cookie recipe. You can decorate the cookies as you wish as shown in the picture above or serve them as is as shown in the picture below. They are equally delicious either way. Will you be sharing tea with someone on Mother's Day?
Sugar Cookies Mix together and reserve: 2 C flour 1/2 t baking soda 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt
Cream together: 2/3 C butter 1 C sugar
Blend in: 1 egg. beaten 2 T milk 1/2 t vanilla 1/2 t lemon extract
Blend in dry ingredients. Chill in fridge 2 hours or until dough can be easily handled. Roll 1/8" thickness on lightly floured cloth. Cut into teapot shapes with floured teapot cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
It's so wonderful that spring is here and with it the arrival of many beautiful spring flowers. Though there are many lovely artificial flowers there is nothing like fresh flowers for your tea table. It can be a simple bloom in a decorative vase or a more elaborate bouquet. It is a good idea to keep the flowers low and unobtrusive. They should complement the table. If a tall centerpiece is used, place it to the side of your table so that your guests will be able to see each other. I adore Lilacs which are so prevalent right now. They are an extremely fragrant flower so if you decide to use them, you should know that your guests enjoy them too.
What flowers do you like to use for your teatime celebrations? Sipping Union Blue Lady...
"Hello Dolly!" Bars are an easy and delicious teatime treat. You may want to line your baking dish with parchment paper as they can be a little tricky to remove from the pan.
Ingredients:
1/4 C melted butter
1 C graham cracker crumbs
1 C coconut
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C chopped walnuts
1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
Place melted butter in 9" X 9" baking pan. Sprinkle graham crumbs over the butter, add coconut, then chocolate chips, and walnuts. Pour milk over the layers. Do not mix. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes.Cool and put in fridge to chill completely. Cut into small squares. These are very fudge-like. Have napkins handy. Enjoy!
What you will need.: Your favorite scratch cake recipe or favorite cake mix Frosting, prepared or purchased Small flower shaped sugar cookies Small jelly beans Green chewy fruit snack Paper doily Wax paper
Prepare cupcakes and place on doily covered dessert plate to frost. To keep doily frosting free, cut 2 pieces of wax paper to be placed between cupcake and doily. Frost cupcake. Make flower and leaf design with jelly beans and green fruit snack leaves on both sides of cupcake. Insert flower shaped cookie on side of cupcake for teacup handle. Very gently remove wax paper, one piece at at time. Serve and enjoy!
!
There are no lilies in this delicious soup. However, the sweet onion, red onion, shallots, garlic, and the Easter Lily all belong to the same lily family.
What you will need:
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
10 oz. shallots, sliced
1 small bulb of garlic, peeled
1/4 C olive oil
2 1/2 C chicken broth
1 1/2 t chopped fresh thyme
1 C heavy crem
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
Toss onions, garlic, and shallots with olive oil. Roast at 325 in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Mix in blender with broth until smooth. Heat until simmer. Blend in cream and seasonings. Simmer until soup is thoroughly heated. Garnish with croutons, fresh parsley, and grated Swiss cheese.
Making scones is easy with this great pastry blender. This was one of our favorite tools in the tearoom kitchen. It makes short work of blending the butter into your dry ingredients to the consistency of coarse oatmeal. For us it worked much for efficiently than the pastry blenders with thin wires. Be sure to use cold butter that has been cut into small pieces. And remember the secret to delicious scones is not to overwork the dough! Please view the video below to see how it is done.
Enjoy these delicious Irish Soda Bread Scones with clotted cream and your favorite cup of Irish tea. Scones are baked at 375 for 15-20 minutes. They are ready when tops are browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. See previous post for video on how to make these. Recipe found in "Teatime in Gettysburg".
An Irish Blessing: May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Chunky Chicken Salad with A Little Touch of Green
The peas, parsley and dill give the chicken salad "a little touch of green".
You will need:
1 C cooked, diced chicken breast 1/2 C diced, peeled apples or 1/2 C dried cherries 2 T minced onion 1/4 C celery 1/4 C pecans or walnuts 1 t dill 1/2 T parsley 1/2 C frozen peas 1/4 C low fat mayonnaise
1 package puff pastry sheets
Mix all ingredients. Chill. Cut circles from puff pastry sheets with biscuit cutter. Bake according to package directions. Slice puff pastry sheet rounds in half. Serve chicken salad on pastry sheet rounds.
Over The Top Tea Cozy
Are you looking for a solution to keeping your tea hot while you enjoy your "tea time"? First, be sure to warm your teapot before brewing. Fill your teapot with boiling water for a few minutes before use. Discard this water before brewing your tea.
After you finish brewing your tea, top with a tea cozy. The tea cozy provides one solution that at the same time enhances the beauty and interest of "tea time".
Hug-A-Pot Tea Cozy
There are several types of tea cozies. Two of the most popular are over the top and hug-a-pot cozies. The first is placed over the teapot after brewing. Brewing your tea with the tea cozy on is not recommended. It causes the tea to become over brewed and become bitter. The tea cozy is removed when the tea is poured. Hug-a-pot cozies are tied onto the teapot after the tea is brewed. There is no need for removal when the tea is poured.
Gold Colored Metal Tea Warmer
Tea warmers are another solution. A tea light candle is placed in the tea warmer and the teapot sits on top. Tea warmers are available in many shapes, sizes and materials.
Using a tea cozy or tea warmer can enhance your "tea time" and enables you to savor the warmth, beauty, and serenity that happens during those moments we linger over a pot of tea...a refreshing, replenishing, respite beneficial to our well-being.
Do you use a tea cozy or a tea warmer to keep your pot of tea hot?
These bars can be cut into small pieces as they are rich and buttery.
Butter Pecan Bars Crust 2 C flour 2/3 C firmly packed brown sugar 3/4 C softened butter 1 C chopped pecans Filling 8 oz pkg Cream cheese, softened 1/3 C firmly packed brown sugar 1 t vanilla 2 T flour 2 eggs 1 C butterscotch chips
Glaze 1 oz square semi-sweet chocolate, melted
Heat over to 350. Combine flour, sugar & butter & mix until crumbly. Add chopped pecans. Pat into 13" x 9" pan that has been lightly sprayed with vegetable oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
For filling, beat cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add flour & eggs. Pour over baked crust & top with butterscotch chips. Bake 15-20 minutes or until firm to the touch.
Melt chocolate in microwave and drizzle over cooled bars.
While there is snow. snow, and more snow everywhere, I'm thinking spring. My gorgeous yellow dendrobium orchid is blooming beautifully keeping the memory of spring very much alive. This afternoon, while enjoying the warm, winter sunshine bouncing off the lovely yellow petals, I'm sipping a cheerful, delicious cup of Chocolate Strawberry tea , a black tea with strawberry taste, strawberry pieces with leaves and chocolate bits. It's just a little Valentine tea party treat to myself. What tea are you sipping today?
 Chocolate dipped strawberries are a real treat anytime but especially on Valentine's Day! What you will need: 12 medium strawberries 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips Chocolate sprinkles Wash strawberries and let dry on paper towel. Melt chocolate in microwave on high for 60 seconds, stir. You may have to increase the time depending on your microwave. But increase time only for a few seconds at a time. Hold strawberries by the leaves and dip in chocolate. Place berries on wax paper. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. Chill in fridge at least 10-15 minutes to set.
 Type the recipe for the Tomato Dill Bisque on your computer and print on a card. Bisque recipe is in previous post. Combine the spices for the bisque in a cellophane bag purchased from a craft store. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in your recipe card. Attach bag with soup spices to your card with decorative ribbon. Place at each setting.
 This delicious soup says "Happy Valentine's Day! Tomato Dill Bisque 3/4 C onion,chopped 3 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes 1-1 1/2 t salt 2 T dried parsley 1/4 C butter 3 C chicken stock 1/2 C half & half 3/4 t dill seed 1 t dill weed 1/2 t white pepper 1 t oregano 1/4 C honey 1/4 C flour Saute onion in butter. Add flour and spices. Stir in tomatoes, parsley and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add honey, and cream, and blend in blender until smooth. Return to pan to warm or place in crock pot on low. Do not boil. Serve Make heart crouton by using heart shape cookie cutter. Cut heart from your choice of bread. Toast both sides under broiler. You can make these ahead and keep in sealed container. This easy, delicious recipe and others found in "Teatime in Gettysburg" and "Lunchtime in Gettysburg".
 These Chocolate Truffle Cookies are a yummy treat for teatime and would also be a delicious treat for Valentine's Day. They are similar to the Mexican Wedding Teacakes only the chocolate version. Chocolate Truffle Tea Cookies 1 C butter, softened 1/2 C powdered sugar 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled 1 1/2 t vanilla 2 1/4 C flour 1/4 t salt 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips Cream butter & sugar. Mix in cooled chocolate and vanilla. Slowly blend in flour. Add chocolate chips. Roll into 1" balls and bake on parchment paper covered cookie sheet at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until set. When cookies are cooled completely, mix 2T baking cocoa & 1/4 C powdered sugar & roll cookies in mixture. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies. 2 1/2 Delicious served with Chocolate Mint tea.
 Please choose your cup and join me for a comfy cup of hot tea on this frigid cold winter day. We will raise our cups to toast National Hot Tea Month and the healthy boost tea gives us. What kind of tea do you prefer, black, oolong, green, white, pu-erh, rooibos or herbal? I enjoy black flavored and non flavored, although I do drink other teas as well. I'm always ready to try a new tea. This afternoon I'm sipping Sabers & Roses, a black flavored tea flavored with lemon and scented with roses. It is a perfect afternoon tea. Please share which cup you would like and what kind of tea I may pour for your. Happy sipping... (You can enlarge the picture by clicking on the photo.)
 Many people eat certain foods New Year's Day for good luck. What you eat generally depends on what part on the country you live in. Here in south central Pennsylvania eating sauerkraut and pork on New Year's Day for good luck throughout the coming year is very popular. My family didn't enjoy sauerkraut until I introduced them to this recipe for Christmas Kraut. It is now traditional holiday fare at our home. Christmas Kraut2 16 oz cans of sauerkraut, rinsed & drained
1 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes with juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
6 slices well cooked bacon, crumbled (you can add a little of the bacon grease, if you like) Mix together well and bake at 350 for about an hour. Serves 6-8. Enjoy... Wishing you all a very healthy, lucky and tea filled Happy New Year!
 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"
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
Posts
