Tea, Cookies and a Give-a-way

A dear friend gave me a Marshall's Gift Card for Christmas.

It has been burning a hole in my wallet for months.

I finally made my way to Marshall's to see what goodies I could find.

What do you think? 

Fun!

And, I had $$ left on the gift card!

The only marks on the bottom of the mugs and plates are:
Food and Microwave Safe.

I'm very pleased with my Marshall's find.

The mugs are very large -- perfect for the first tea of the day.

The cookies are Carr's Ginger Lemon English Tea Cookies.

Delicious with Honey Lemon Ginseng Green Tea!

***

It's nearing that time of year again.

My birthday is at the end of the month and my blog-birthday is in early June.

So, it's time for a give-a-way and I'm calling this one my Summer Curiosities Give-a-way.

I'm going to pick one name on May 29 during my birthday week

and another name on June 5 the week of Twisty's birthday.

The winners will split the curiosities you see in the photo.

As you can see, Cassie has given her seal of approval to all the items.

I'm sure there will be a few extra goodies thrown in.

The rules:

Leave a comment on this post.

That's all you need to do.

If you are a winner, it would be nice if you were a follower, too! 

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a wonderful cup of tea!

Dawn Chorus

Isn't this a sweet teacup?

I found it at Ross.

 The delicate birds, butterflies and flowers in vivid pink and blue on the cup and saucer.

Then I turned the cup over and discovered this on the bottom:

Dawn Chorus

Portmeirion

Perfect name for this teacup from one of my favorite companies.

Cassie really does like tea day.

She's such a big help,

 supervising every move I make!

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing YOU WELL and much JOY!

More Tea and Roses

I have paired another rose from my garden with a new teacup again this week.
I found this lovely Paragon teacup at The Guild Shop
(a cross between Antiques Roadshow and Grandma's attic). 

I love the red and yellow roses on this teacup on the inside and outside.

Unfortunately, none of my yellow roses were blooming.

The red rose had to save the day!

There is a gold edge around the saucer and the pedestal of the cup,

 gold around the rim of the cup and a little gold splash on the handle.

The saucer is lightly fluted as is the hourglass cup.

This teacup is a joy to hold in the hands ... with tea or without! 

***

I am preparing to lead a Food and Feasting tour at the museum for a university class.

I love doing these tours. 

 I've done so many of them that I try to come up with something a little different so that I am not bored.

This year I'm going to visit the India galleries.

The spices used in food and the three major tea growing areas --

Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri

and tie it all to objects in the collection.

Should keep me on my toes! 

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing you WELL and a wonderful cup of tea!

Tea and Roses

Tea and Roses.
Who can resist?
I couldn't when I found this lovely tea cup at The Guild Shop
(a cross between Antiques Roadshow and Grandma's attic). 

It is a pale bluish grey with a gold edge on the saucer, gold rim on the cup,
and a splash of gold on the handle.

The saucer is lightly fluted as is the hour-glass shaped cup.
The cup has a small pedestal base.
Look at the little rose on the inside of the cup.
Perfect (or purrrfect as Teddy and Cassie would say)!
The bottom of both the cup and saucer are marked:
Elizabethan Fine Bone China England.

The rose is from my balcony garden.

I'm having Rose Petal Tea by The Republic of Tea.

It is a limited edition tea that was available during February for Valentine's Day.

Rose Petal Tea is tea for the Queen of Hearts! 

Black tea leaves blended with rose buds and petals ... a very pretty tea.

***"All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong,

but like it a little stronger with each year that passes."

~ George Orwell, "A Nice Cup of Tea"

Tea inspires celebration.

"One sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight,

beyond the bliss of dreams."

~ Milton

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing you WELL and a wonderful cup of tea!

*** Quotes from 365 Things Every Tea Lover Should Know"

The Perfect Day

It's cloudy and rainy today.

A very light rain.

The perfect day for a cup of tea and reading!

I have green tea in my Blue Willow teacup by Churchill.

I think my mother started this Blue Willow set when it was sold in the grocery store.

Remember those days?

Remember the days when you bought laundry detergent to get the glass bowl inside?

Or the tea towel?

Aging myself!!!

I have lots of books to pick from, 

but I decided to start my reading with the March 2012 Southern Living Magazine,

especially when I saw this article:

"The New Ladies Lunch":

with the pretty rose teacup.

"Inspired by the South's most beloved department store restaurants, we developed a classic lunch-with-the-girls menu, complete with tea sandwiches, chicken salad, and hold on to your napkin, honey -- 

the dessert cart."

What memories this article brought to mind!

It mentions the dining room of Dallas' flagship Neiman Marcus, 

that was built in the 1940's. I remember my grandmother and my aunt

taking me to lunch there. We had to dress to go downtown ... hat, gloves, the whole works.

I had the pimento cheese sandwich.

I can almost taste it! 

The article includes the recipe for Neiman Marcus Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

and I'm sharing it with you today.

Makes: about 2 1/2 dozen

Hands-on Time: 20 min

Total Time: 1 hr, 40 min.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup (4 oz) freshly shredded sharp Cheddar-cheese

1 cup buttermilk

Parchment paper

1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas and dough is crumbly: stir in cheese. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 to 4 times. Place dough in a bowl; cover and chill 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll dough to i-inch thickness, cut with a 1 1/2 inch round cutter and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

4. Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Unbaked biscuits may be frozen up to 1 month. Bake frozen biscuits as directed for 26 to 28 minutes or until golden brown.

This article also includes recipes for Tomato-Basil Bisque, Tarragon Chicken Salad, Cranberry-Strawberry Salad; Tea Sandwiches like Ham Salad, Curried Shrimp, Cucumber and Strawberry,

Goat Cheese and Pecan, Orange and Cranberry, Egg Salad.

There's a recipe for Caramelized Onion Quiche and last,

the dessert cart that includes:

Banana Pudding Cheesecake, Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake, Lemon-Orange Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla-Buttermilk Tarts, Chocolate-Espresso Pots De Creme.

And, did I mention the photos are lovely?!!!

Well done Southern Living!

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing YOU well, a JOY filled week and a Wonderful cup of tea!

Valentine's Gift

Aren't these teacups wonderful?

They were a Valentine's Day gift from a dear friend.

We were shopping at Tuesday Morning when we found them.
I "clasped my hands with delight"!

They came in a wonderful storage box decorated with the heart and crown...

a cappuccino cup set called Royal Heart ...

large cups that will be perfect for tea.

**"Descending from his perch, he fell to unpacking it with great neatness and dispatch, while Rose watched him, wondering what was going to happen. Presently, out from the wrappings came a teapot, which caused her to clasp her hands with delight, for it was made in the likeness of a plump little Chinaman ... Two pretty cups with covers, and a scarlet tray, completed the set, and made one long to have a "dish of tea" even in Chinese style, without cream or sugar."

~Louisa M. Alcott, Eight Cousins

"Let us gather for a greeting

With our teacups filled with tea

And I'll tell you how important

Your friendship is to me."

~ Alda Ellis, Hats Off To Tea

"If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty."

~ Japanese Proverb

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing YOU well, a JOY filled week and a Wonderful cup of tea!

** Quotes from 365 things Every Tea Lover Should Know

Valentine's Day Tea

Welcome to Valentine's Tea!

I love Emma Bridgewater and this year I added the heart mug

and the heart teapot ... perfect for a little tea love on Valentine's Day!

You might recognize the pretty little heart vase from last year.

My DSD (dear step-daughter) makes sure that I have roses each year

and each year, when I get the call from the florist, 

I walk into my Village and get the vase refilled. 

Believe it or not, I'm not fond of boxed chocolates

but I love the boxes! 

This heart box I filled with Dove hearts (cherry and dark chocolate).

A book, a cup of tea, a piece of chocolate, a few roses ...

priceless!

Wishing you WELL, 

a JOY filled week,

 a wonderful cup of TEA

 and a Happy Valentine's Day! 

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Cassie and Tea

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I wanted to share this beautiful pink teacup with you.

I love the big white and pink flowers.

You can see the ripples on the cup and saucer.

On my last visit to World Market, I bought the heart shaped ginger snaps.

I LOVE ginger snaps.

Apparently, Cassie likes ginger snaps, too.

With green tea!!!

Cassie has never shown any interest in my tea time photography set ups.

There is a first time for everything and it was fun to include the little lady

and NO, she didn't get my ginger snaps!

See the little pink rose (peony?) in the cup?

Lovely!

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea!

Lunar New Year

A big welcome to the Year of the Dragon and the Lunar New Year!

In the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is the only animal that is not real.

(Unless you are a dragon lady and believe in dragons!)

The dragon is a highly auspicious symbol and represents the unification of the ancient tribes in China.

The dragon is a symbol of power, superiority and wisdom.

Unlike the wicked, fire breathing dragons of Western mythology,

China's celestial dragon symbolizes power and can have a soft spot! 

Dragons are ancient, majestic, wise and intelligent and

dragon years are considered auspicious for new business, marriage and children.

Dragon years also tend to boost individual fortunes and the world economy.

Happy New Year to You!

Celebrate!

Thank you to our hosts: 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and the lovely ladies who host tea blogs:

Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled New Year!

Sereni-Tea

I have a new calendar for 2012 called

Sereni-Tea.

This is the cover of the calendar.

Published by Brush Dance, each month has a beautiful tea related photograph and quote.

"Tea is a treasure enjoyed by millions throughout the centuries.

Discover serenity, relaxation, and friendship day-by-day, cup-by-cup."

All of the Christmas trees and decorations are down and put away,

but I left out some of the Snow People. 

It is winter!

Here's Mr. and Mrs. SnowMan with a tea-for-one by Tracy Porter.

I've talked about Tracy Porter before.

I love her designs and color.

Everything is so bright and fresh.

I was saddened to learn that she has gone out of business.

This tea for one was my last Tracy Porter purchase.

Great color.

Fun design.

A rose on the top of the teapot lid.

A surprise in the bottom of the cup.

I love the shape of the cup and believe me, it holds a lot of tea!

I've been reading Tea Bliss by Theresa Cheung and
thought I'd leave you with a few thoughts from her book.
"Savor the moment, says tea; appreciate me for what I am. Calm down and drink me; life is too precious to waste. Wait for me to steep, delight in my fragrance, and watch the steam rise from my cup. Appreciate your friends, or the silence reflecting your thoughts. When you are ready, take a sip, feel the glow of my sweet warmth, and make a wish."

Don't forget that January is Hot Tea Month!

Thank you to our hostesses.
These are just a few of the Tea Parties in Blogland.
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tetsubin

Tetsubin cast iron teapots were first crafted in the mid 17th century in Japan to brew the whole leaf Sencha green tea that was becoming popular at the time. They became status symbols featuring intricate and symbolic designs, The Japanese believed this imparted a zen-like quality of peace and inspiration for the tea drinking ritual. *

Today, with their fine raised relief designs, they are admired and collected not only for their quiet beauty but also for their ability to brew the perfect pot of tea. Forged by the most renowned iron producers in Japan, a fine Tetsubin can be distinguished by hand-crafted, high grade iron exterior and the smooth enamel interior.*

I'm sharing with you my Tetsubin teapot with its bamboo design (good fortune, fortitude, and resilience) and a hand thrown porcelain teacup that I found at the December student art sale at the Glassell School.

I don't make New Year resolutions, but I read one on a blog that I follow that I think I'll try to keep. I'm going to try to drink the good tea first! I'm not going to save the good stuff for a special occasion. I'm all the special occasion that is needed!

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Friends Sharing Tea

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea!

*Information from Teavana

A Christmas Tea This and That

Every morning this month I've been getting up and making 

tea in my Christmas Cardinal/Poinsettia Mug.

I found the mug and teapot at Homegoods last year.

It's a BIG mug (Gibson Elite China) and filled with

Twinings Christmas Tea, gets the day off to a wonderful, warm start.

Twinings Christmas Tea is a black tea with a little cinnamon and cloves.

In the evening I have Twinings Winter Spice.

It is camomile tea spiced with cinnamon, cardamon and cloves.

Just in case you haven't noticed,

I love cardinals!

***

I missed getting to the gym this morning.

On days when I miss walking on the treadmill,

I try to walk into my village (weather permitting). 

Off I went with a list of books to look for at Half-Price books.

This book wasn't on my list!

 

But Mary at Home Is Where The Boat Is was very impressed

with Nigella Christmas. In fact, she even gave a copy away!

I didn't win (!!) and when I saw this at the book store I just had to give it a good look and I ended up bringing it home.

I'm glad I did. 

My mouth has been watering and tummy growling all afternoon!

It's worth the price for the recipe for the poinsettia cocktail!

I love butternut squash and look forward to trying butternut orzotto.

It's a beautiful book and I probably should have picked up a few extras for gifts -- great price at Half-Price Books!

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Friends Sharing Tea

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea!

Christmas Tea For One

Christmas Tea For One and a Snowman!

This is another Bella Lux teacup.

This cup has more berries. 
I think the white berries represent mistletoe.

Another wonderful handle.

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Friends Sharing Tea

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea! 

Christmas Tea

I've been out shopping again!

My latest adventure took me to Cornelius Nursery.

I wanted a poinsettia and a Christmas cactus

and while I was there I enjoyed all the decorations ...

especially this table filled with sugarplums of all kinds and a tea canister!

I love the handle on this tea cup
and the wonderful red and green of the holly and the ivy pattern.

 There is no decoration on the interior of the cup.

The bottom of the cup and saucer read:

Bella Lux

Gracie Bone China

by Coastline Imports.

This tea cup reminded me of the book:

A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg and illustrated by Warren Hanson.

It is the story of a young man's reluctant visit to an elderly aunt at Christmastime 

and the unexpected joy it brings.

One year the book came as a set with a teacup.

I remember gifting the set to a friend who often talked about her Aunt

and the joy they shared over a cup of tea. 

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea! 

Wish List

Have you made your wish list?
I think it's past time to make my Christmas Wish List.
 I thought I'd take you along with me!

We are walking into my village and visiting the British Isles shop.

Walking in the door and looking to the left we find Holly and Ivy by Portmeirion.

It is on sale. 

Oh, my! 

Off to my right is what I came to see...

Bridgewater!

I have the kitty mug on my wish list!

More Bridgewater.

The JOY mugs and platter are really fun.

Decisions, decisions!

More decisions!

I really like the kitty tea for one.
(Yep, that's me in the mirror.)

If I can't find tea things for my list there's always owls and reindeer!

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea! 

Chinoiserie

Many of you know that I LOVE Fitz and Floyd.

Today I want to share one of my favorite Fitz and Floyd tea cups.

The pattern is called Chinoiserie.

The flowers are from my Beautiful God-Daughter's wedding.

I carried a bouquet of white hydrangea and gardenia. 

The tea is straight from China. A gift from a dear friend.

They are the four favorite teas in China:

Kuan Yin

Puerh

Dragonwell

Chrysanthemum

The decoration on the cup changes depending on what side you see.

The designs are truly beautiful on the black background.

Kuan Yin tea is also known as TieGuanYin.

It is an oolong tea.

Oolong tea offers tea enthusiasts a wide-ranging choice of styles, aromas and flavors.

Oolong tea is the most intricate and complex tea to manufacture.

In some ways oolong tea is a composite of all tea.

There are several legends about TieGuanYin and I'd like to share my favorite.

WIE Legend

Deep in the heart of Fukian's Anxi County, there was a rundown temple which held an iron statue of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Every day on the walk to his tea fields, a poor farmer named Mr. Wei would pass by and reflect on the temple's worsening condition. "Something has to be done," thought Mr. Wei.

Being poor, he did not have the means to repair the temple. Instead, the farmer brought a broom and some incense from his home. He swept the temple clean and lit the incense as an offering to Guanyin. "It's the least I can do," he thought to himself. Twice a month for many months, he repeated the same tasks.

One night, Guanyin appeared to him in a dream. She told him of a cave behind the temple where treasure awaited. He was to take the treasure and share it with others. In the cave, the farmer found a single tea shoot,. He planted it in his field and nurtured it into a large bush, from which the finest tea was produced. He gave cuttings of this rare plant to all his neighbors and began selling the tea under the name Tiequanyin, Iron Bodhisattva of Compassion. 

Over time, Mr. Wei and all his neighbors prospered; the rundown temple of Guanyin was repaired and became a beacon for the region. Mr. Wei took joy in the daily trip to his tea fields, never failing to stop in appreciation of the beautiful temple.

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea!