The Tea Trolley

Afternoon Tea And My Mom's Sugar Cookie Recipe:

2011-11-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

Afternoon Tea And My Mom's Sugar Cookie Recipe

I collect Old Country Roses China and tea ware..,

I am joining Wanda Lee and Pam this week for, Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

and also @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com

Mom made these cookies every Christmas for as long as I can remember. To be honest, they weren't my favorite, because they were very hard. However, since they were the only sugar cookies I had ever eaten, I asked Mom for the recipe.

The first year of my marriage, I made the cookies, but instead of using margarine, as Mom always did, I used butter. The difference it made in the recipe was phenomenal! In fact they were so good, I was grateful that I lived 4000 miles away from Mom. I didn't want her to taste my version, because she took such pride in her own recipe, and frankly, mine were SO much better, that I didn't want hers to be overshadowed.

Every year I would make them I would say to her, "Well, Mom, I made the sugar cookies, but they just don't taste like yours." I never told her that I used butter, and she would quiz me as to what I might have done wrong. I'd tell her that there was no way that I would be able to bake them like she did. I think she took some pride in being the "Sugar Cookie Queen".

Having said that, I have to admit that my Mom's potato salad was absolutely THE BEST! I couldn't come close to reproducing or improving it. She just had the touch, and she certainly didn't pass that one on to me, or any of my sisters. Mom passed away 7 and 1/2 years ago. I really miss her, and would give anything to sink my teeth into her sugar cookies one more time., even if they were a little firm.

These cookies are absolutely delicious, very moist and flavorful, and they are especially good after a week or two, once the flavor of the nutmeg really becomes pronounced. This makes about 5 dozen cookies, or about 2 1/2 dozen double cookies. I make double cookies which are a round cookie on the bottom, and a cookie of the same circumference but with a small hole in the centre, into which I put a dab of raspberry jam. To give you a word to the wise, these bake up quite large, and need to be watched so that they are baked sufficiently , but are not over-done.

Anyway, here is the recipe so that you can also make them in all their glory; ( below the picture of freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam; another of my specialties, hence the moniker ~ Scone Queen), but take my advice and use butter!

Please enjoy our little Tuesday, Afternoon Tea respite my friends. ~ Do make this special Sugar cookie recipe soon and curl up with a freshly brewed cup of tea and a good book, enjoying the sweet, slightly crunchy, somewhat soft, buttery delights with just hint of Nutmeg flavor.., Yum!

Compliments of moi, A.K.A./The Scone Queen

Mom's Sugar Cookies

Cream together: 2 cups sugar
1 pound of butter
4 eggs (room temperature)

Combine and then add to the above mixture: 5 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Roll into a large ball. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until firm to make rolling easier. Roll out 1/4 inch and cut into designs. Bake 350 degrees F. six to seven minutes.

~ Please let me know you came by to visit by kindly leaving a comment. ~ I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU.

Warmest regards, Rose, A.K.A./The Scone Queen

Cake decorating course on making roses:

2011-11-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

Hello there,

I'm going to happily join you for tea today, with just a little post.

Still struggling with leg and foot problems, but I did want to share some more pictures of my cake decorating journey. This is the picture of cupcakes that I decorated one day after learning to do the icing roses, and you can see that with just a little extra practice, technique gets better. Practice makes 'perfect-er', if not yet perfect!

Happy Tuesday tea day my friends!

Getting to know each other. A list of ten fun facts concerning myself: MMMMMmmmmm..... let me see..... what can I say?

1. I am an avid collector of many beautiful things like teacups, bears of every persuasion, (except live ones!) blue and white china, teapots, children's books, and anything else that takes my fancy.
2. I met the man of my dreams when I was a mere 17 years old and married him 29 years later, a first marriage for both of us.
3. I am allergic to lobster.
4. I am the middle child of seven.
5. It is a desire of mine to own 25 pairs of lovely, wearable shoes, no small feat (feet!?!) considering I have a size 11 quadruple E foot and have to have my shoes custom made.
6. I will eat almost any food at least once to see if I like it, except for bugs or tripe, the sight of which makes my skin crawl, and I can't imagine putting it in my mouth.
7. Amethyst is both my birthstone and my favorite gem. followed closely by diamonds, and pearls.
8. I enjoy quilling, which is a craft comprised of hand-curled strips of paper glued together to form a design that looks very much like wrought-iron work.
9. I am a strawberry blonde who, at 53, does not have to dye her hair.
10 I adore bright red lipstick, even though I can't wear it myself.

THAT WAS ARDUOUSLY DIFFICULT. If there was a number 11, it would be that I love using big, bold and unusual words. Phew, that is all I have in me today! Until next time, dear bloggerites!

What about you?

Perhaps some tea trivia;

What teas and foods do you like?

P. S. ~ I'm so sorry my dear blog friends, yet due to my health issues at times, and also my work schedule, I'm not always able to visit you , yet I thank you very much for visiting me!

Warmest regards,
Rose, a.k.a./ Scone Queen

Pumpkin Scones & Afternoon Tea:

2011-11-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another delightful, 'Tuesday Teatime In blogland'!

This week I am joining in with these tea parties;

'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday' @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com and also @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

.., And also @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ for 'Tuesday Tea For Two'.

And also for Teatime Tuesday , at dear Lady Katherine's which is held weekly @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

If the fact that I adore Tea time is not evident by the existence of

this blog, one need look no further than my repeated afternoon tea parties!
In my life there is always room for tea!

I also very much enjoy collecting lovely antique teacups and teapots!

Isn't this the lovliest cozy Inn? ~ What a lovely place to enjoy afternoon tea!..,

Here is the link @ : http://www.birchwood-inn.com/breakfast.html

Another delightful recipe for you to enjoy my friends:

Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin gives a truly delightful taste to Scones. The Pumpkin adds a richness and moistness which is just delicious. Of course they are also that very pretty pale orange Pumpkin colour.

ingredients

Two cups self raising flour

1/2 cup cooked, mashed Pumpkin

1/3 cup Sugar

2 Tblspns Butter

I Egg

1/4 tspn Salt

1/3 Cup Milk

method

Preheat your oven to a hot 200 degrees c

Cream the Butter and Sugar. Add the Egg, beating well. Add the mashed Pumpkin.

Sift the Flour and Salt twice and then add alternatively to the Scone mix with the Milk. You may or may not use all of the Milk. It will depend on the moistness of the Pumpkin. You should end up with a moist dough.

Knead slightly on a floured surface and then roll out to a one inch thickness. Cut out and place on your greased and floured baking tray. Brush the tops with a little Milk. Bake in the hot oven until just browned. Wrap in a tea towel after removing the Scones from the oven.

You may serve warm with *Maple and Cinnamon Butter or *Orange Marmalade Butter.

*(To make flavoured butters simply add the above ingredients according to taste to softened Butter)..,

Enjoy!

Warmest regards from Rose ~ a.k.a./Scone Queen

~ I always so enjoy your comments , so please kindly leave me a comment and I shall visit you in return just as soon as I'm able.., ~ Thanks so much for all of your lovely comments the week before last week!

Finally Back In Blogland:

2011-10-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Readers,

I have been so long away! Excuse my looooong absence. It could hardly be called a blog nap, it was so interminable! But I am back for a little while at least. Have you checked out the beautiful wedding pictures on the paper princess's blog lately. They are truly lovely. Do go and take a look at the lovely photos of her nephew's recent wedding Lovely, just lovely!

Now to offer my meager contribution to Tuesday Tea for Two!

My humble attempt at sugar cube decorating, given with love to my dear freind Paper Princess and used to adorn the teacups at a recent tea in my honor. How wonderful!

Why couldn't mine look like this? Perhaps with practice!

Finally, dear Readers a recipe for a gluten-free chocolate cake that is to die for. Try it, and I can almost guarantee that you will love it, despite the unusual ingredient!

Garbanzo Bean Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

1- 19 oz. can of garbonzo beans ( chick peas) drained and rinsed

4 eggs

3/4 c. white sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 and 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips melted in the microwave

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan with gluten free flour. In food processor or blender combine the garbonzo beans and eggs and puree until smooth. Add white sugar and baking powder. Pulse and scrap down the sides of the food processor until the ingredients are well combined. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave using a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every twenty seconds until completely melted. Add to the bean mixture and combine until well blended. Pour into prepared pan and place in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes. Check the cake at 35 minutes by inserting a tester into the center. When it comes out clean, remove from the oven and let rest on a cake rack for 15 minutes before turning out to cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve warm or cold. Yummy!

Becoming a home for lonely china;

2011-03-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hello there and welcome to another delightful,

Tuesday Tea Time In Blogland!

This week I am joining in with the following delightful blog tea parties:

The 72nd, Tuesday Tea For Two @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com

The 44th, Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

and also @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com

Also..,

Teacup Tuesday @ http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com and also @

http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

Lady Katherines, Tuesday Tea Time @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

Sandi's, Tuesday Teatime @ http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

Comin Home Tuesday Tea Party @ http://thehomemakingarts.blogspot.com/2011/03/tea-timethe-perfect-time-for-fellowship.html

I will be adding more of my pictures soon.., Please do check back a little later.

Very Similar to the pattern I recently inherited!

China cups and saucers, and china paraphernalia are becoming less and less valued by the "younger generation". These lovely items are so whimsically beautiful, using them makes us feel so special and pampered, and the tea time serves to balance our hectic and fractured lifestyles, so I wonder why they (the china ) and it (serving tea) have fallen out of fashion? As with all things, there are times and seasons, and it is my hope that someday serving tea in one's home will come back into favor by those under the age of 30.

Until that time, it would seem that I have become the guardian for scads of cups and saucers, and recently two sets of incomplete China. Recently I was offered a set of Royal Albert "White Dogwood dishes : 5 cups and saucers, several single saucers, 6 bread and butter plates and 6 dinner plates and a lonely sugar bowl. Somewhat understated, the Dogwood pattern is adorned with white flowers with yellow centers and green foliage. Although not particularly " my" taste, I will use them because they are lovely.

I think part of the reason why cups, saucers and the like are not fashionable is because many of our dear moms had sets they never used. They were expensive dust gatherers and the idea evolved, however erroneously that they were too precious to use, therefore, in essence, USELESS! I think in particular of a tea set owned by my mother. It was the most gorgeous royal blue coffee pot, creamer and sugar and pitcher. They were a gift from my father's mother to my parents at their wedding and they were NEVER used. Strangely enough, when Mom passed away, the tea set went to my elder sister who loves it, but who, alas, will never use it. You have no idea how much I wished I had been given this lovely set, as it would have been the center-piece of many a tea in my home. Oh, yes, it would have been cherished AND used, and perhaps even broken at some point, although the not using of it, does not guarantee that it will not be broken. In fact, a dear friend of mine who owns a lot of china tells me that if it is not used it is far more likely to break, because it does eventually dry out with non-use and needs to be submerged in water several times a year to remain supple. How ironic! Well, there is no fear of that in my house, as my china does Yeoman's duty quite often. I have chosen a pattern (Old Country Roses) which is easily replaced if something is broken, and it is pressed into service at every possible opportunity. When not on my tea table, it sits in honor in my book display case cum china cabinet, and is central to the decor of my living/dining room. So it does double duty and is very handy indeed! And dear readers, as often as I can , I serve tea to people 30 and under, and I talk about how these China jewels are not only beautiful to behold, but very usable and useful. It is one of my aims in life to aid in any way I can the reemergence of the lowly and lovely tea service..,

Won't you join me in my worthy cause? Serve tea today, for if you don't, it will not be long before it will be a thing of the past.

Warmest regards from Rose, a.k.a./ Scone Queen

Valentines Tea Party: Teatime In Blogland:

2011-02-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines dear fellow blogging friends!

Well, after many false starts, the Valentine Tree is up and sparkling. To be honest, this year it was almost a no-show. Struggling as I have recently with ill health, I attempted to put the lights on the tree to no avail..,

Nothing seemed to look quite right..,

My dear husband is a consummate tree-decorator who can string a full-sized tree in less than an hour, and my tiny Valentine version would take him less than 20 minutes, but his discretionary time is at a premium, so the tree stood desolate for well over a week. Finally, this last Saturday, we tackled it together; Eric strung the lights and I arranged the antique Valentines, blown glass hearts, and jewel-toned feather-festooned birds.

Much as I was tempted to pack the entire idea in for the season, I am so glad I didn't! Along with the fireplace mantle which now displays antique Valentines, burgundy glittered hearts, frosted fruit and white lights, "the little tree that almost wasn't" lights up its tiny corner of my world with warmth and welcome.

Canadian winters , and dull, rainy, long British Columbian's ones in-particular can dampen and depress even the bravest heart. The bustle and stress of Christmas preparations and entertaining is such that a person barely has the time or energy to really enjoy and embrace the beautiful holiday decorations that traditionally bedeck our homes.

In a thrice, all is packed away, and the house seems bereft. While December seems to fly by, with all its retail, social and religious busy-ness, January and February are the longest months, and are therefore, (in my humble opinion) much in need of a special touch. ~ I can think of nothing better than the anticipation of celebrating the relationships that make our lives worth living....relationships of love.

To that end, it has become a tradition with me and my dear friend, Wanda Lee to celebrate the patron saint of love, by decorating a tree in his esteemed honor, and entertaining the people we love at a Valentine Tea.

Initially for me, decorating the tree was simply a matter of taking all the overtly-Christmas type ornaments from the traditional taunembaum, and replacing them with hearts and Victorian-inspired paper ephemera. ~ However, when Wanda Lee, (a.k.a./Paper Princess), started to decorate her own Valentines tree; she began by creating her own, Valentines paper ephemera collection of pretty Valentines Tree ornaments and invited me to do so as well; a new idea and tradition was born !..,

As the years went on though, we felt that we both needed to take down the larger one in favour of something a bit smaller that would allow me to restore our living rooms somewhat, to it's pre-holiday order.

The Valentine Tree in its present form took shape on my beloved Grandmother's oak occasional table. Without exception, my guests remark on its inviting beauty.

They are all so delighted to be invited to a lovingly-prepared afternoon tea resplendent with savory sandwiches, and decadent sweets, accompanied by chocolate-dipped strawberries, clotted cream, lemon curd and raspberry preserves. Pleasant conversations over steaming bowls of aromatic tea and coffee become the stuff from which fond memories are created and treasured. Now, dear reader, perhaps you are thinking that all this sounds just a bit far-fetched and (heaven forbid!) time consuming, but as the old saying goes, "what is worth doing, is worth doing well." The meagre time spent in preparation yields a multitude of fortuitous dividends.

While Valentine's Day is often accused of being a holiday invented by Hallmark, I believe that , like everything else, it is what you choose to make it. I have decided to bask in the warmth of love and friendship through offering my home as a place to serve those who are dearest to me, and those whom I hope will become dear to me in time. Valentine's Day gives me this opportunity and I gladly embrace it.

~Below, are some pictures of us as we played games and enjoyed our Valentines afternoon tea..,

This week I am joining in with these tea parties; the 41st , 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday' @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com and also @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

.., And also @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ for the 69th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two',

I am also linking in with Martha and Terri's, Teacup Tuesday this week @
http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com

And the lovely, Teatime Tuesday , at dear Lady Katherine's which is held weekly @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

And also with dear Sandi for TeaTime Tuesday @ http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

I am also joining in for the first time with : http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com for her delightful

new blogparty /meme: 'Wow Us Wednesdays'

Tea guests Dorothy (chintz polo shirt) and Kathleen (black cardigan and chintz blouse) survey the desert table...,

Directly in front of the ladies on the tea table are chocolate-dipped shortbread heart cookies alternated with decadent chocolate-dipped strawberries. Toward the front is clotted cream encircled by freshly baked English Scones accompanied by Raspberry Jam. At table center is a heavenly Chocolate Pound Cake and Skor-Bar Trifle.

At the back of the table sits the meticulously-polished Silver Service ready to dispense two types of delicious tea, the ubiquitous Orange Pekoe, and a new favorite, Chocolate Dessert Tea ( a perfect accompaniment to all things Chocolate!)as well as a rich, dark brewed coffee. (Lower-Upper Left)..,

The first course in an afternoon tea is a variety of savouries, consisting of sandwiches (egg salad, curried chicken, cucumber with cream cheese and dill, and for those with a sweet tooth, the ever-popular cherry-cheese sandwich.) Also served was a spinach dip accompanied with rice crackers and miniature toast-point ramekins., as well as tuna mushroom toastades. Each dish was garnished with a variety of crudites and/or grapes).

(Lower left), More desserts are featured on a lovely silver tray. Starting from the left are butterscotch squares, followed by chocolate, oatmeal and coconut macaroons, lemon-curd shortbread tartlets and Nova Scotia's famous Cape Breton Pork Pies (not REALLY made of pork but a to-die-for puree of cooked dates, demerara sugar and lemon ensconced in a shortbread tartlet, and topped with a diminutive dollop of maple syrup butter cream. My husband's hands-down favorite!)

(Below) Elisia can always be depended upon to help out in the kitchen. What a gem of a friend!

(Immediately above): Rose, a.k.a./ Scone Queen, ( me), putting the final touches on the tuna-mushroom tostades.

Rose's Tea Scones

Set oven to 375 or 400 degrees F. (depending on how hot your oven bakes)

Please read through the Complete Listing of Ingredients before you start!

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking POWDER

1 teaspoon salt

Optional Ingredients

Add One of the following four options

1/2 c. currants soaked in hot water and drained once they are plumped

1/2 cup raisins ( if they are really dry you can soak and drain these as well)

1/2 cup dried apricots cut into the size of raisins, along with 1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup (one stick) extremely cold butter cut into eight pieces

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg (room temperature)

1 teaspoon real vanilla

enough homogenized milk or cereal cream to make 1 cup of liquid when combined with the egg and vanilla

Method

Combine the following ingredients using a wire whisk.

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Reserve 2 tblsps of the flour mixture.

Then, using a pastry cutter, cut into the remaining flour mixture 1/2 c ( 1 stick) very cold butter (which has been cut into eight large pieces) until it looks like coarse oatmeal.

In a small bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of reserved flour mixture to one of the OPTIONAL ingredients, making sure to coat them thoroughly.

Add the optional ingredients gently to the rest of the flour and butter mixture.

Gently add 1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a 2 cup measuring cup, lightly beat one room temperature egg. Add to that 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and enough homogenized milk (or cereal cream) to make one cup of liquid.

Using a fork, add 1/3 of the wet ingredients to the flour,butter, optional ingredient, sugar mixture, blending gently, but thoroughly. Add the next 1/3, blending gently, but thoroughly.and the final 1/3 blending gently until it incorporated. You should still be able to see small bits of butter in the dough. Do not over mix!

Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 4 or five times until it just holds together. Use a VERY GENTLE HAND when kneading the scones. Pat gently into a 1 1/2 high rectangle and cut into 8 large rounds or 12 smaller rounds. Place scones in a 9x9 ungreased square cake pan. Bake until the scones are a medium golden brown. (Larger scones take longer to bake than smaller ones!) Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, before turning them out and separating them Serve warm with clotted cream and jam., or at room temperature later in the day. These are best when they are eaten on the day they are made. ~ Bon Apetit!

Are you hungry yet?.., Yum!

Warmest regards, Rose, (a.k.a./ Scone Queen)

Thanks for visiting! ~ Kindly leave a comment because I so very much enjoy hearing from you dear blog friends! ~ ( I have been unwell and also as I have been recovering, exceedingly busy, so I apopolgize for not having been able to blog and /or visit as of the last while).

Another cake Decoerating Course; Tuesday Tea Time:

2011-01-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome!.., I'm so delighted that you came by to share a cup of Rosey Lee and some cake my friends!

Tea and 'cake' anyone?

Some fresh cherries as well, perhaps?.., Yum!

Last Monday Night I completed my second Wilton Cake Decorating Course. It was Fondant and Gum Paste Decorating. My! What fun and excitement! I just wanted to share with you my final cake, which I must confess was a fake cake made of Styrofoam! I couldn't countenance putting a real cake under fondant and gum paste I had been working on for an entire month. It hardly seemed right since I am sure it wouldn't have been too sanitary! But I am pleased with the final outcome, especially the roses. I am, dear readers, a wee bit dyslexic, and it takes a lot of effort for me to learn from written instructions. Thus, the roses, which we had to learn from copiously reading our text books, were quite a challenge.

The good news is, that in my fumbling about, I actually created a rose quite different from the one being taught in the book. It is a tighter rose and more streamlined than the lovelyfrilly one in the Wilton Book. Truth is I like them both, and am so glad that my struggle created something quite lovely. Of course it was also quite exciting for me to finally "get" what the book was illustrating, after much effort.

I do hope you enjoy the pictures. I value your comments as well. ~ May I encourage you to take the Wilton courses. They are accessible to just about anyone. One thing that kept me from taking the plunge was the fact the that cost of the course is not advertised. I took this to mean that it would be prohibitive, but in fact the cost of the actual course is quite minimal, and I even got 50% off of the original cost of it. What adds up is the cost of materials, but if you are truly interested in cake decorating, it is an investment that bring forth many positive dividends and will last you for years and years. As for the courses' difficulty, If I can do them, anyone can. The fondant and gum paste course is just wonderful and working with those materials is magical. ~ Try it! ~ I know you will be delighted with the skills you will easily acquire.

I love hearing from you dear blog friends, so kindly leave a comment..,

Hugs from Scone Queen

Returning to Blogland yet again! Thank You for your Kind thoughts and Patience!

2010-09-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Friends,

Project Cake With Buttercream Roses and Roayl Icing Drop Flowers

Here I am again, finally! There have been so many impediments to my being ab le to blog lately, but I am hoping that things will settle down soon and I can get back to it with some regularity. My health, and the health of one dear to me have been sorely challenged lately, but I see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, and I am hoping against hope it is not an on-coming train! Al joikng aside, precious friends, may I say that I have so appreciated your kind comments on my blog lately. I have been instructed and truth be known, ORDERED by my doctor to do one of two things only in the past several weeks. Due to a very nasty break-down of the skin tissue on my leg and foot, I have been told to either walk, or elevate my legs above my heart. Of course, I had already started taking a course in cake decorating that required that I sit with my legs down for two hours plus and my legs continued, because of this to get worse and worse. So my time at the computer had tobe curtailed and thus, I have not been able to blog! My I have missed it and have longed to be back at it! It has been a very boring and long several weeks . Coincidental to that, my dear dog Charlie had to undergo extensive surgery on both of his back legs, as he managed, poor pup, to completely desimate the cruciate ligaments in both legs; first the right leg, followed by 8 weeks of intensive rehabilitation, and then almost immediately after that damage to the left leg, requiring surgery and a FURTHER eight weeks of recuperation. Poor, poor boy! But last Tuesday he finally received a conditional good bill of health. There was significant fear that the right leg had not been corrected properly, and might require another operation, but it looks as if, for now at least, the leg has strengthened and may not require additional and expensive surgery. Thank goodness for Vet insurance! Meanwhile, in the middle of all that muddle, my legs decided to misbehave, and the sdubsequent decision to bombard me with both topical and oral anti-biotics has left me a bit worse for wear! But, all seems to be resolving nicely, fianlly and I want to share with you the pictures of my final cake project. The roses are far from perfect, but considering that I had just learned to make them, 15 minutes prior to putting them on the cake, I was quite pleased with them! I know where I went wrong with them, and more practice will result in better technique, and hopefully better roses! So here is the picture of my final project cake. It tasted DELICIOUS! And really, isn't that what its all about in the long-run anyway!

Drop Flowers made from Royal Icing

Scone Queen's Tea Party Fun:

2010-09-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another tea-lightful, 'Tuesday And Wednesday Teatime In blogland'!

This week I am joining in with these tea parties; the 20th , 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday' @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com and also @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

.., And also @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ for the 48th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two', and also the 39th, 'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee'.

I am also linking in with Martha and Terri's, Teacup Tuesday this week @
http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com

And the lovely, Teatime Tuesday , at dear Lady Katherine's which is held weekly @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

And also with dear Sandi for, TeaTime Tuesday @ http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

If the fact that I adore Tea time is not evident by the existence of

this blog, one need look no further than my repeated afternoon tea parties!
In my life there is always room for tea!

I also very much enjoy collecting lovely antique teacups and teapots!

Please help yourself to my new, 'The Tea Trolley', blog button that you are free to use on your own blog's sidebar..,

Hello out there in Blogerland..,
I HAVE co-hosted two teas this past Summer with my dear friend, from the Silken Purse in her lovely home on the east coast of Canada. Just as soon as I can manage it, I will get the Paper Princess to share pictures from our first intimate tea, and I will share with you some of the digital images from the later soiree held in honor of my 16th Wedding Anniversary, attended by friends and family. It was so lovely to be in my native province once again, surrounded by dear, if-not-often-near ones. Just back a week from my wanderings in the east, I am still a bit exhausted, but I will try ever-so-hard to get some images up soon.

Meanwhile.......! I have just joined a new website called http://www.yummyarts.com/ on a trial basis. The deal was that if you agreed to order a free DVD for which you must pay only the shipping and handling fee, you get to preview the website for free for one month. As one of my passions is cake decorating, the subject of this particular website, I thought I would give it a try to see what they have to offer. As it turns out, there is a lot on this little site that is quite exciting and informative. I am not yet convinced that I will join on a full-time basis, but for now, I am pursuing it quite mercilessly, gaining every bit of knowledge I can. Give it a preview if you like and share with me your opinions and insights.

May He who loves you best be with you all until next time!..,

Please enjoy some pictures of afternoon tea treats and our little tea..,

For many more "tea-lightful" pictures look below..,

We enjoyed a lovely cream tea with a few sweets and sandwiches.., Enjoy!

~There were many glistening, berry reds in today's post with all of the luscious jams and jellies featured in these photos for our cream tea with scones , jam and clotted cream.

An elegant serving of scones and afternoon tea..,

Scones fresh and warm and fragrant from the oven; light, flaky, buttery, 'melt-in-your-mouth' goodness!..,

Uum!.., Scones and clotted cream with jam!..,

Yum!.., Cream tea..,

Sprinkled with a touch of confectioners sugar..,

Dear little butter pats with decorated sugar cubes..,

Pretty chintz serve ware platter and teapot with a delightful cream tea..,

A few little sandwiches for good measure..,

Here are some pictures from a tea party that Wanda Lee held in my; ( Scone Queen's), honour so that a few of her close friends could meet me on occasion of my visit from the west coast; ( after the passing of my elderly father-in-law, in the past months).., I came a week earlier than my husband, so as to visit my family and friends as well..,

Warmest regards from Scone Queen

Delightful Redundancy! Another Afternoon of Tea at London Farms

2010-08-30T12:56:00.001-07:00

Welcome to another delightful, 'Tuesday And Wednesday Teatime In blogland' and also to Friday's lovely blog parties as well!.., Enjoy my friends!

This week I am joining in with these tea parties; the 18th , 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday' @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com and also @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

.., And also @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ for the 46th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two', and also the 37th, 'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee'.

I am also linking in with Martha and Terri's, Teacup Tuesday this week @
http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com

And the lovely, Teatime Tuesday , at dear Lady Katherine's which is held weekly @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

And also with dear Sandi for, TeaTime Tuesday @ http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

I am also linking in with the fabulous, Foodie Friday @ http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com

As well with the wonderful, Show And Tell Friday @ http://romantichome.blogspot.com ( I am featuring my red and white, gingham slip covers for Show And Tell Friday, that my dear little pup is sitting beside at the bottom of this post)..,

If the fact that I adore Tea time is not evident by the existence of this blog, one need look no further than my repeated visits to the London Farms Tea Room to conclude that I am a bit of a fanatic. Truth be known, I would probably go there on a weekly basis, if I had the discretionary time and funds. My only criticism is that they don't "do" a bonifide "cream tea" as they chose not to serve clotted cream with their delicious scones. However, they offer a lovely homemade raspberry jam, creamery butter, and three scrumptious sweets which vary from time to time, along with a smashing spot of splosh known as London Lady Tea which they also sell in their darling little gift shop! It is seldom that I possess the needed self control to leave there without buying a little something for my collection, whether it is silver-plated spoon, a fragrant lavender sachet, or a lovely tea-cup! I say, blushing all the while, that I have been to London Farms no less than three times this season.

In my own defense however, I must admit that I do have a "partner-in-crime" on my frequent forays to the farm in the person of my dear friend Ruth, who knows that she need only mention the possibility of a visit to the tea room to obtain my hearty agreement. This time we took delight in viewing a bevvy of free range chickens clucking contentedly in the front garden. amid the brown-eyed-susans. As we sipped on our delicious brew and lingered over our scones and sweets, we discussed plans for our church's up-coming Christmas Tea and bandied about ideas for everything from decor to door
prizes, and keynote speakers to scones! It was a lovely break from the everyday. I do hope that perhaps, we might go there just one more time before the season ends. In my life there is always room for tea!

The folks at London Farms Tea Room have many such collectable teacups and teapots .., I do not know who these little teacups are made by, but aren't they pretty!?.., I love antique, teacups and saucers!

Another delightful recipe for you to enjoy my friends..,

Nova Scotian Gingerbread

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup lightly packed demerara brown sugar

1/3 cup Molasses

*1 egg

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup boiling water

Method:

In a medium-sized bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and spices) Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Into these wet ingredients beat in molasses and egg.Stir the dry ingredients gently into the creamed mixture, alternating with with boiled water, and ending with dry ingredients, combining until just mixed. Spoon batter into a lightly greased 8 X 4 or 9 X 5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F oven for 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for ten minutes. on a baking rack. Remove from pan and allow to sit of baking rack until completely cool. (If you can STAND it, but I like to serve mine warm from the oven!) To store, wrap tightly or put in an air-tight container. Each 1/12 of a loaf is 133 calories! Pretty good for a delicious dessert, but that of course does not include the lemon sauce or whipped cream. (Lemon Sauce Recipe to follow! Yum, yum, oh yum!)

* your egg should be room temperature, but I NEVER remember to take it out of the fridge in time for that, so soaking the egg in warm water for 15 minutes before hand will bring it closer to room temperature.

Lemon Sauce

1/2 cup white sugar ( if you are concerned about calories you could use a 1/2 and 1/2 split if sugar and Splenda)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon butter ( Go ahead and indulge, it won't kill you!)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

*the juice of one lemon

In saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg/ Gradually whisk in boiling water, stirring to remove any lumps. Simmer over low hear, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve over warmed gingerbread and enjoy AS, NO DOUBT, YOU WILL!

* To get the most juice out of your lemon, heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds on high. You will double or even triple the amount of juice you will get from the lemon. I like to zest my lemon after if has been juiced, because if you do it before, the lemon falls apart as it is juiced.

Please also enjoy my little, "puppy-scape", tablescape for Marti's , Tabletop Tuesday @ http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com

~This is my dear little doggie, Charlie D. Dog. ~ Woof!

Warmest regards from Scone Queen

~ I always so enjoy your comments , so please kindly leave me a comment and I shall visit you in return.., (I am still making the rounds from last week, so please be patient; I adore visitng you as well my dear blog friends)! ~ Thanks so much for all of your lovely comments last week!

Queen of sweets; Cape Breton Pork Pies:

2010-08-17T16:06:00.001-07:00

This week I am joining in with these tea parties; the 16th , 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday' @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com and also @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

.., And also @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ for the 44th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two', and also the 35th, 'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee'.

I am also linking in with Martha and Terri's, Teacup Tuesday this week @
http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com

And the lovely, Teatime Tuesday , at dear Lady Katherine's which is held weekly @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

I collect the Old Country Roses Pattern by Royal Albert and have many pieces; I so enjoy using the teacups especially!..,

A picture of a tart tamper.., very handy for making tarts of any kind!

If the scone is the "queen of sweets" for the tea table, then surely the delectable tart must be her "lady in waiting". Easy to make, and ever-so-dainty, a variety of tempting tarts offers the tea-taker a symphony of tastes wrapped in a sweet, melt-in-your mouth shortbread crust. For an afternoon tea, I delight to offer at least two (and sometimes three!) types of tarts,. My favorites are the ever popular lemon curd, tart served plain, or presented with a diminutive dollop of clotted cream, the Maid of honor, a delightful jam filled tart with a delicate cake hat punctuated with a Florette of pink butter cream, and finally, in deference to my east coast ties, the toothsome Cape Breton Pork Pie. This little gem, one of my husband's all-time favorites, contains NOT ONE OUNCE OF PORK!

It's name is the subject of some conjecture. My favorite explanation is that they are so good, when you have one, you can't resist having another, and another and another! Thus, you "pork" out on them, making a little piggy of yourself in the process! So dear bloggerites, here is my recipe for Cape Breton Pork Pies. I found it in a venerated cookbook, which was given to me by my dear friend , June one year for Christmas. Imagine my delight, precious bloggerites, when I received this, to discover that it was the cookbook most used by my own sweet Mom. In fact, she used it so much it was in tatters by the time she passed away, and was mistakenly discarded when my sisters were packing up her kitchen.. The title page had gone missing when I was just a little girl, so the name on it's front meant little to me, but the pages looked familiar somehow, so I quickly turned to the cake section to discover the recipe for the birthday cake mom had always made for me.

I felt as though I had recovered a bit of my own heritage from the ashes of time. What a blessing! Upon further investigation of it, I found the recipe for the Pork Pies, something my husband had intimated was an integral part of his own Christmas tradition from Sydney, Cape Breton. I made them as a surprise for him, and to his delight, he pronounced them "better" than his auntie's. So now they are a staple in our house for Christmas, but also for tea. ~ Enjoy and please let me know how yours turn out!..,

CAPE BRETON PORK PIES

Tart Shells:

1 cup of cold, creamery butter ( this is what made them better than Auntie's. She probably used margarine, which was a common practice in Cape Breton. The difference it makes to the recipe is unmistakable!)

4 tablespoons icing sugar

2 cups flour

Cut the butter into the flour suing a pastry cutter. Add sugar and knead until well-blended. Press small amounts into small muffin tins. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they brown very quickly, and you DO NOT want to make them too dark. ( In my opinion, the lighter they can be, the better, but that is just MY preference!) Remove and allow to come to room temperature. Carefully remove from tins, as they are VERY delicate!

Filling;

2 cups finely chopped dates

1 1/2 cups brown sugar ( I use demerara)

1 cup water

Lemon Juice (the juice of one lemon, whatever that may be. I usually heat my lemon in the microwave for a quick 10 seconds. It DOUBLES the amount of juice you will get from it. How much of that juice you put in is really up to your taste, but I like the whole amount.)

Simmer the above ingredients until the dates are of a soft consistency. Cool, then fill the tart shells. Top with a piped swirl of butter cream icing which has been flavoured with maple syrup or flavouring. YUM! YUM! YUM! These freeze well, and can be made weeks ahead if covered well in the freezer.

* anecdotal additions are my own, but this wonderful recipe is from "Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens" by Marie Nightingale (Nimbus Publishing Limited)

A lovely, Old Country Roses, teapot, creamer and teacup.., So pretty!

Happy 16th, 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday', 44th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two' and 35th,
'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee'!.., And also please enjoy your other lovely, 'Tuesday And Wednesday Teatime In Blogland', tea parties at other blogs ladies!

Cheers from Scone Queen

I love hearing from you so please kindly leave a comment.., Thanks

A Delicious Spot of Splosh in Big Pond, Cape Breton: Tea with Rita

2010-08-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Heading back to the mainland of Nova Scotia after sojourning on Cape Breton Island for two weeks with my husband's recently widowed mom, Eric and I decided to take the old highway, instead of the new one which is quicker but terribly boring. The biggest delight by far was visiting Rita McNeil's famed tea room in Big Pond. What a delightful place indeed. We had heard rumours that the prices were high, but dear friends, I do not know the last time I had a large, sumptuous bowl of fragrant seafood chowder, a mile-high cloud-light scone, with homemade strawberry preserves, and a robust and flavourful cup of tea for under $15.00! The service was swift and friendly, and the surroundings were picturesque to say the least, and there was no sense that you were being rushed through your meal to accommodate the incoming crowds. The icing on the cake, ( or perhaps one might say the clotted cream on the scone!) was the presence of the grand dame herself. Yes, indeed Rita McNeil was there in the flesh talking congenially and having her picture taken with all manner of folk, treating everyone like a long-lost friend visiting "from away". I chose not have my picture taken with her. Believe it or not, I am a wee bit on the shy side myself, when it comes to celebrity, and I did not want to impose, but I must say it was ever-so heart-warming to see her and to experience the genuine warmth of her personality as she greeted her tea room patrons. It made me proud to be a Nova Scotian, even though I have been in exile these 14 years on the absolute opposite of the country!

I must say I was suitably impressed by the scones. They were positively massive, at least 5 inches high, and light as light could be! HOWEVER, to be totally honest, they were a wee bit lacking in terms of taste. If I could combine the height of hers with the taste of mine, I would be a rich, rich, woman! That having been said, I have to say that the chowder was absolutely lovely, with five or six HUGE scallops in it, and a clam or two for good measure. The only thing it lacked was lobster.......PRAISES BE!!!! As I am allergic to the little red-shelled devils and would have been heartily disappointed had they ruined my chance to enjoy this steaming dish of delight. So, Rita dear, congratulations on your great success as a singer, entertainer, entrepreneur and tea-room maven. I doubt that anyone deserves or appreciates it more than you do, dear soul.

I love hearing from you so please kindly leave a comment..,Thanks!

Regards, Scone Queen

http://www.ritamacneil.com/tearoom.html

Easter Time: Decorating Easter Bunny Cupcakes!

2010-03-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

I am having a hard time believeing that Easter will be with us in slightly over a week! Wasn't it Christmas just last month? Where does all the time go, dear bloggerites? I just finished co-hosting a very informal Easter Tea at my church along with my friends, Ruth and Janet. It was a lovely time of whimsy, with a few delightful women. We reminisced about Easters of yesterr-year, spent some time thinking about what the first Easter must have been like for Mary, the mother of Jesus and closed the afternoon off by decorating Easter bunny cuppcakes. How cute they were, and how delicious, accompanied by fresh fruit and steaming cups of coffee and tea! There isn't anything I enjoy more than the company of women, and an afternoon of conversation and tea.
Today I made my final decision about Easter Dinner.What should I serve and who should we invite? The guest list was the easiest of tasks, as we have those who it has become a tradition to entertain on holidays. The menu was not so easily decided upon. As I attempt to graciously accept that I am not getting any younger, I am trying to make preparations as easy as possible. I think this year, I have managed to keep the prep time to an all-time minimum. The ham is a pre-bakedand spiral cut, and needs only to be heated to a specific temperature. I am making a scalloped potatoe casserole, one or two vegetables, and a wild rice and barley recipe that is made in a rice cooker and is dead easy to throw together. As an appetizer I am going to do devilled eggs, keeping the eggs in the shell, and serving them in lovely egg cups. That should be fun and different. For dessert, dear readers, I have done the unthinkable. I have purchased a FROZEN CHEESECAKE selection from Costco: six different varieties of cheesecake. It was on sale, and frankly, I couldn't make it for the price they were charging. I have had the Costco cheesecake before and it is quite delicious, so I am throwing caution entirely to the wind, and vowing to take it tres easy this year. For once, I will not be totally exhausted by the time we sit down to eat. One of my guests has offered to bring the salad, and should another guest offer to bring something else, well then, that will be even less work for me. I do feel almost guilty about the whole thing, but I am trying hard not to let it bother me too much. For the past 16 years, I have done the lion's share of the cooking and baking in my home, but, as the British put it, that has become "a bit beyond the rabbit-proof fence" for me at this point. and it has just gotten to be too much. Perhaps this time next year I will feel different, and go back to the way things used to be, but then again, maybe I won't! What are your Easter traditions, dear readers? Do you do any table-scaping? I am looking for something simple but elegant. Any ideas?

A Spring Celebration Of Friendship Afternoon Tea:

2010-03-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hello there dear friends,

It's 'Tuesday Tea For Two', teatime once more.., Please do join us!

Pop over for a visit after you have visited and enjoyed your scones with clotted cream and jam and a freshly brewed pop of Rosey Lee in Scone Queen's, Old Country Roses, china teaset!: theplumedpen.blogspot.com

Just a little note from moi, a.k.a./ Silken Purse; a guest blogger today at Scone Queen's lovely, The Tea Trolley blog.

Today is,Tuesday Tea For Two, at my The Plumed Pen blog, once more:
Whereas my dear friend Scone Queen and I have been friends for many years; in fact I have known her since I was 12 and she was 14; today dear friends, we have decided to collaberate with a special teatime blog posting!.., (Yet with reference to our respective ages, we shall not reveal how old we are now)!..,Hehe!~ Scone Queen was originally an aquaintance of my older sister, then much to my delight and thanksgiving to the Lord, over the years we became fast friends!

When dear Scone Queen created her second blog, we had thought that partnering with regard to occasional guest blogging at each others respective blogs would be lots of fun!~(Her other delightful blog is aptly named; Tea By 2).~ I do hope she will also grace the pages of my blog sometime soon, as she is an exceptionally gifted writer, as well as being very knowlegeable in her own right on the subject of Afternoon Tea!.., (I'm sure Scone Queen would not mind in the least, if); I also warmly, and with loving embrace of friendship, referring to a dear friend, (who shall remain nameless):~ This other dear personal friend, (whom if reading this), may just recall a similar offer to guest blog and be ever so delightfully supported should she ever decide to create her own meme; a little 'birdie told me that she would 'give me a heads up', so to speak, when she is ready with her sweet surprises..,wink!

The delights of Afternoon Tea and a precious friendship spanning many years, are numerous, dear friends:

The rich, wonderfully soothing and refreshing repast of many an Afternoon Tea for us, is delightfully full of poignant memories, shared laughter and dreams; (even tears, as we arranged together for a soothing tea to be held after her dear mother's passing).~ These precious teatimes have proven to be a lasting bond of friendship and common interest between my dear friend Scone Queen and I, over these many years! ~ Alas, we are separated by thousands of miles as we reside on the opposite ends of our nation, the coastal regions of Eastern and Western Canada, respectively. We do most thankfully, enjoy frequent conversations by phone however.

Do you have a special friend with whom you share Afternoon Tea, (or perhaps coffee), and with whom you also share many precious memories?.., Please do tell!

Scone Queen and I would dearly enjoy to hear of your pleasant memories of friendships further enchanced over a piping hot and fragrant pot and a pretty cup of Rosey Lee or coffee, as you enjoyed your very own, Tea For Two or coffee hour with your dear friend!

*Please do leave a comment and also kindly consider following me; that way it is easy to stay in touch!~ I will be delighted to visit you as well!

Warmest Regards from Scone Queen

*Photo credits: China, Old Country Roses teacup with pretty molded sugar @ 'Michele's Treasures,Teacups, And Tumbling Rose Cottage' blogspot blog.~ Blue and white teacup picture @ Google Images.~ Molded bunny sugars in Sugar bowl @

Top O' The Marnin' to Ye! Tis a Lovely Day to be Irish! Happy Saint Patrick's Day to One and All!

2010-03-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

This week I am partaking with Wanda Lee's 22nd, 'Tuesday Tea For Two' blog afternoon tea party @ theplumedpen.blogspot.com

It has been ever-so-long since I blogged! My, but the time just seems to speed by and before you know it we will be looking at a full-fledged spring here on the West Coast of Canada! We have alredy had the crocuses, the daffodils are now in bloom, along with the forsythia and the flowering crab trees, and yet, there are mornings when it is still necessary to scrap the frost from the windshield of the car!

But one of those lovely harbingers of Spring is about to be upon us, and I couldn't let Saint Patrick's Day go by without offering you a wonderful recipe for 100% Whole Wheat Irish Soday Bread! This is an absolutely scrumptious recipe, and so light and delectable, I am seriously conidering serving at tea INSTEAD of my traditional scones. It is very toothsome, and a slight bit sweet, without being too overpowering andt tastes like heaven when served warm with butter and a wee bit of honey. Try it and see if you don't agree that it would be a lovely alternative to the sweet and less-healthy scone. Do let me know your opinion!

100% Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

makes two 9 inch round loaves

4 cups whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 c. ( 4 tblsp.) cold butter cut into small squares

1 1/4 c. raisins or currants or a combination of both

1 egg beaten

1 3/4 c. buttermilk ( or 1 1/2 c. plain yogurt and 1/4 c. milk)

1 tablespoon molasses or honey

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal.

3. Add raisins or currants

4. Combine liquids seperately and add 1/2 to dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly with a fork before adding the second half.

5. When the dough becomes hard to mix with the fork, use your hands to combine the ingredients completely, kneading it right in the bowl until it is smooth. (about three minutes)

6. Shape the dough into the two balls, and place them on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Flatten each ball slightly and cut an X about 1/4 inch deep in the top of each loaf.

7. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 35

Dear Reader, I do hope you will try this recipe as it is suprisingly delicious! Kind of like that wonderful pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Hugs and blessings from Scone Queen

Please do leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

Christmas Tea At London Farms in Richmond, British Columbia

2009-12-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

After coordinating the general hub-bub of activity surrounding Broadmoor Baptist Church's Ladies Christmas Tea for close to 200 guests, I was exhausted and in need of some intensive TLC. Among the little grace notes of the remaining holiday season was a blissful time of just a meagre 60 minutes that I spent at London Farms to enjoy their annual Christmas Tea with two of the ladies from my tea committee: Ruth and Janet. Unfortunately, dear reader, I was so busy living my experiences that I took no care to record them on digital film, so thus, I have no pictures to share of OUR time there, but believe me when I tell you that it was lovely to the enth degree! Thanks to Google images, I have found some stock photos to share of this wonderful place. As you can see to the left, London Farms is a nineteenth century farm house that has been made a heritage sight for our growing community of Richmond, BC. ( This is lovely shot of the farm taken after a rare snowfall here in Richmond.) It was at one time, a working farm and the London's were wealthy farm owners who lived in a rather sumptuous home given the times. The picture to the right is of the formal parlour. The farm house has been made into a museum and in the area that was once the very large dinning room, the London Farm society serves tea in the summer time and at special occassions during the year like Easter, Valentine's Day, Father's and Mother's Day, and of course Christmas. We had the dubious distinction of being the very last party to be served tea this year at Christmas, a pleasure that came with certain perks, as we were each presented with a lovely Christmas cactus when we were leaving, as the farm was closing down until well after the holidays. How lovely for them to think to give us these delightful tokens before we left. The other wonderful thing about London Farms is their gift shop which boasts lots of tea related items, as well as homemade soaps, candles, fruit preserves, and handcrafted sewing. I was able to purchase two very distinctive beaswax moulded candles for a very reasonable price. They adorned my Christmas table this year and I am sure will give me pleasure for hour and hours to come; all for the priceo f just $4.00 per candle. What an incredible find.

The tea itself was lovely and consisted of a selection of three home-baked sweets' a chocolate shortbread cookie, a plain shortbread and a delicious square of some sort that I am not able to identify but which tasted heavely! Also there was an absolutely delicious scones served with butter and jam. My! I absolutely COVET that recipe, but alas, they are not about to give it to me; and I suppose I would hardly blame them! The tea that accompanied the sweets is a blend made especially for London Farms entitiled London Lady. It is an Earl Grey concoction especially blended by Murchies Tea of Victoria, BC, at least that is who I think makes it. It is flavourful and delicious and the perfect match to the over-all experience. If you are ever in our "neck of the woods", I do so hope that London Farms is accepting visitors at that time so you can have the London Farms Tea Experience. It is truly lovely!

Tea Finis!

2009-12-08T04:04:00.000-08:00

For my dear Silken Purse's "Tuesday Tea for Two", I would like to share with you the story and some pictures from my lastesst tea venture. At 10:30 last Wednesday evening, I packed up the last of my china, my silver service and coffee carafes and headed home from the church after the two-day marathon that was the Broadmoor Ladies 13th Annual Christmas Tea. Looking back over the past two days I am grateful for the people who stepped forward from every segment of the cogregation, contributing their enthusiam, vigor and expertise to make this event an outstanding success. The tremendous volume and quality of their work was astounding.

The Youth group, and the Worship team helped with the decorating of the facility, led by Ruth from the Tea committee and Selma, a congregant who is a gifted interior decorator. Everything looked polished, tasteful and lovely. The decorating of the tea tables was the responsibilty of individual tea hstesses. Each hostess set her table with her particular china pattern., making each white-clothed table a unique work of art. My pattern is the ever-popular "Old Country Roses" by Royal Albert. It was quite interesting to see all the different styles and patterns of china that were represented, each as unique as thier owner! To my knowledge, no two tables sported the same pattern., and I saw some designs I had never seen before, even from among those who had Royal Albert, which I thought I knew quite well. It just goes to show that life is full of suprises!

The kitchen ran at peak efficiency as Janet organized the volunteer staff to create eye-pleasing plates of delectable savouries and sweets. sweets.

Our Gentlemen Servers, (members and friends of the church) looking handsome in their white shirts and bow-ties, were aptly coordinated by Lois, who has taken on this responsibility for several years, and who turned eighty years young last month. How well they performed, those wonderful servers! Fritz, assigned to my table on Wednesday evening, was always there ready to pour copious amounts of steaming coffee and tea and to see to our every tea-related wish. We were pampered to the ultimate. My server for Tuesday Night was none other than Dr. John Zimmerman, retired professor of the Charles Betall Chair of Pastoral Studies from Carey Theological Seminary, and husband of our guest speaker.

One of the highlights of this two-day extravaganza was the door prizes, donated by the congregation, and local retail businesses. Tea Committee member Lorraine, collected wonderful items and combined them to make lavish baskets, boxes and bags for distribution to eager tea goers on both evenings: eighteen spectacularly bejewelled gifts for each event. The excitement and hilarity was truly contagious.

The theme for the two evenings was "Joy". Drawing from personal experience, Dr. Martha Zimmerman, author, lecturer, and popular conference speaker, shared about the joy of being resuced from hopelessness and despair by God who "in dependable love, shows up on time" in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. She challenged us to look to Jesus and a relationship with him as our greatest gift in the Christmas season.

Music for Tuesday evening was provided by the Richmond Chorus Ensemble who gave tea-goers spirited renditions "Christams Kumbayah" and "Sing Noel". Dressed in thier teal blue sequined tops and black skirts, they blended well, not just musically but also with our theme colours of teal, silver and white!

Wednesday Evening, my wonderful husband Eric,accompanying himself on the impressive grand piano in the church's sanctuary, graced us with his beautifully musical offerings of "Under the Holly Bough" and "Oh Holy Night".

On both evenings, local crafters set up booths around the perimeter of the room, selling their lovely wares to those who wished to do a bit of no-pressure Christams shopping. Quilted items, homemade soaps, jams,jellies and preserves, jewellry, and more were available for sale, with 10% of their profit being contributed to the church. The proceeds from the evening will go to two worthy causes; namely our kitchen renovation fund, and the STEP program for Sans Salvadore which provides housing, clean water, and eduation (to name only a few of it's initiatives) to the porest of the poor in South America.

Kudos to our gifted Mistress of Ceremonies, Heather, who tied the evenings up in a bright, sparkling bow with her gracious manner, radiant smile and quick wit. She has dazzled us for many years with her ability to draw people into the spirit of the evening. Her welcoming,endearing demeanor and enchanting personality put everyone at ease and enabled us to relax and fully enter into the joy of the festivities. We are so fortunate to have her, both as a part of our organizing team and a member of our church family Thank you so much, Heather!

I could go on and on. It truly was a magical night, but needless to say, I was feeling a bit exhausted after all the preparations and the actual event itself. After all the "hither and yonning" I did finally get the chance for a soooothing, wonderful, aromatic cup of tea, in the peace and quiet of my own livingroom; the perfect place and time to start planning next year's 14th Annual Ladies Christmas Tea!

Tea for One Hundred and Sevety-Three. Oh,my, oh me!

2009-11-28T05:25:00.000-08:00

In reference to my last blog entry, one hundred and three rhymed with Tea, but as I counted numbers it was actually one hundred and sevetny-three. Wonderful! It still rhymes so I'll go with it. Last minute stragglers are starting to come in, so my wish is that the number stays still rhyming, so 183 or 193, or 203 would be great, as long as we know far enough in advance to prepare enough food.

Yesterday, we started the decorating and things are beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Broadmoor Baptist Church. It is hard to get really detailed pictures with my little camera, but I will try. The other problem is that I get so distracted with the details that I don't remember to take the camera out! I get too busy living life to photograph it! I am very fortunate that I have at my disposal a gifted interior decorator who goes to our church and who is just a wonderful person with whom to work. Because she is working with materials the church has, and has had for several years, she is somewhat limited in what she can do, but she is managing to pull several delightful rabbits out of her interior decorating "hat", and I am quite pleased. Then of course, the rest of my Tea committee is so helpful and dedicated. It is all boding well for the upcoming event, but I must admitt I will be glad to get to the end of it all, and make it a wonderful memory.

To my American friends, I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that you survived Black Friday with aplomp! Here in Canada, we celeberate Thanksgiving in October, but on American Thanksgiving, I did manage to celebrate "Turkey Day" as we prepared an early "Christmas Dinner" for the ESL students who attend classes at Broadmoor where I am blessed to teach one of the advanced groups. My students sang "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" as part of the progrram for the event, and I think they performed quite admirably. Alas, and alack, though I succombed to my tendancy to not get pictures! Oh, well! I am sure I will get a lot more photo-centric now that I am trying to blog on a regular basis. Anyway dear trolleyites, I wish you well in your own dleightful festive adventures and endeavors. In the words of one of Charles Dicken's immortal characters, "God Bless Us, Everyone!"

Tea For One Hundred and Three!

2009-11-26T06:41:00.000-08:00

You read that right, dear tea trollyites! I am about to coordinate a tea for 103 (at least) ladies at my church. On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, the first and Second of December at 7:00 p.m.. It is the 13th annual event, and I am hoping that the number is not an ominous one! I am working with the most tremendous group of women: four dynamic dames who have been fixtures in the church for decades. How I ended up coordiating this group of august women is beyond me! (Just blessed I guess!) Anyway, we are in the thick of preparations for this mammoth event, even as I pen these words! I will keep you posted on our progress and hopefully have pictures to share with you. Stay tuned and HOLD ON TIGHT! The going might get a little bumpy! If you are in our area (Richmond, British Columbia!) drop by for tea! $10.00 a ticket gets you a lovely repast, spectacular music, a whiz-band speaker, and DOOR PRIZES! Catch you on the flipside!

Photo Credit :Sandy Lyman Clough

Tea-Ready in Twenty Minutes!

2009-11-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

How can I be tea-ready in just twenty minutes? It takes a bit of organization; something that I am unable to muster these days. However, dear readers BE THAT AS IT MAY, this is my goal for the up-coming holiday season and beyond.

My husband and I live in a sweet little rancher home; a mere 1500 square feet, and it would seem more than possible to have it ready for company (Tea) at any given time. After all, it is not a large space to clean or keep tidy. But, (and here's the rub!) we both work from home, and the activity of our two businesses lends itself to constant upheaval! To add insult to injury, I suffer from chronic health problems that leave me exhausted a great deal of the time, so if I let the housework slide for even a short period, it isn't long before I feel completely overwhelmed.

Several years ago I compiled a list of household chores, organized them according to the days of the week, and the different rooms in the house, with space for checking items off once they have been accomplished. I laminated it and hung it on my refrigerator. When I kept to the schedule it took a minimal amount of time each day to keep the housework to a dull roar. The key of course, is to keep to the schedule.

So what are YOUR secrets to keeping things in order? How DO you manage it? (apart from hiring a maid, which I would love to do, but isn't about to happen! :) ) Any tidbits of wisdom would be gratefully acknowledged and accepted!

Welcome to Tuesday Tea for Two:

2009-11-16T23:20:00.001-08:00

Today is , TUESDAY TEA FOR TWO, at my dear friend Paper Princess, a.k.a./ Silken Purse's, The Plumed Pen blog. You are warmly invited to partake. We have been friends for close to four decades, and in later years have very much enjoyed the serving of numerous Afternoon Teas, each in our own coastal reagion of Canada.., How sad though, that we have never been able to attend each other's Splosh Splashes! Here is the link to her website where you will find information on how to join us for our little blogging tea party.., theplumedpen.blogspot.com

Today in my end of the world it is raining to beat the band, and the wind is blowing up a tempest! Since I am unable to be with you in person, I am going to imagine that we are all together at the Paper Princess's cozy bed and breakfast, seated comfotably in her lavish living room, each of us craddling a steaming cup of delicious, steaming, fragrant "rosie-lee", (the Cockney name for our favorite warm beverage). Aren't the scones delicious! I do believe they are the best I have eever tasted! Please do come to our blogging Tea Party. You would be as welcomed as a sunny day in Vancouver!

2009-11-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

Making tarts for tea is a wonderful idea. But every good idea has it's challenges, and making tarts is no exception. I TRULY dislike rolling out pastry! It is something, dear reader, that I do not do well. Enter the handy tart pastry tamper. What an absolutely wonderful kitchen gadget! I purchased mine from the Regal catalogue several years ago. As you can probably see from the picrture, the tamper has a large end and a small end for tamping down either the miniature and regular-sized tarts. You portion out about a teaspoon of dough, roll it into a small ball and place it on the bottom of the tart pan cavity. Then, taking the tamper, you press it into the cavity with an even pressure. The pastry dough travels up the side of the muffin cavity, creating a perfect tart shell. If you want to bake unfilled tart shells, as in the recipe for Cape Breton Pork Pies you will need to puncture the bottom and sides of the uncooked shell repeatedly with a toothpick or a fork so that as the shell is baking, it stays flat. If you don't do this, you will end up with little tart shell sombreroes, ( the bottoms will arch upward!) making it impossible to fill the shells with the filling. I cannot emphasize enough how much wasted time and how many headaches this little instrument will help you to avoid. It is a really good thing, as Miss Martha might say! So run, don't walk and find yourself one of these neat doo-hickeys.. You'll not regret the purchase, I guarantee it!

The Delectable Tart

2009-11-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

If the scone is the "queen of sweets" for the tea table, then surely the delectable tart must be her "lady in waiting". Easy to make, and ever-so-dainty, a variety of tempting tarts offers the tea-taker a symphony of tastes wrapped in a sweet, melt-in-your mouth shortbread crust. For an afternoon tea, I delight to offer at least two (and sometimes three!) types of tarts,. My favorites are the ever popular lemon curd, tart served plain, or presented with a diminuitive dollop of clotted cream, the Maid of honor, a delightful jam filled tart with a delicate cake hat punctuated with a flowerette of pink buttercream, and finally, in deference to my east coast ties, the toothsome Cape Breton Pork Pie. This little gem, one of my husband's all-time favorites, contains NOT ONE OUNCE OF PORK! It's name is the subject of some conjecture. My favorite explanation is that they are so good, when you have one, you can't resist having another, and another and another! Thus, you "pork" out on them, making a little piggy of yourself in the process! So dear blogerites, here is my recipe for Cape Breton Pork Pies. I found it in a venerated cookbook, which was given to me by my dear friend , June one year for Christmas. Imagine my delight, precious blogerites, when I received this, to discover that it was the cookbook most used by my own sweet Mom. In fact, she used it so much it was in tatters by the time she passed away, and was mistakenly discarded when my sisters were packing up her kitchen.. The title page had gone missing when I was just a little girl, so the name on it's front meant little to me, but the pages looked familiar somehow, so I quickly turned to the cake section to discover the recipe for the birthday cake mom had always made for me. I felt as though I had recovered a bit of my own heritage from the ashes of time. What a blessing! Upon further investigation of it, I found the recipe for the Pork Pies, something my husband had intimated was an integral part of his own Christmas tradition from Sydney, Cape Breton. I made them as a suprise for him, and to his delight, he pronounced them "better" than his auntie's. So now they are a staple in our house for Christmas, but also for tea. Enjoy and please let me know how yours turn out.

CAPE BRETON PORK PIES

Tart Shells:

4 tablespoons icing sugar

2 cups flour

Cut the butter into the flour suing a pastry cutter. Add sugar and knead until well-blended. Press small amounts into small muffin tins. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they brown very quickly, and you DO NOT want to make them too dark. ( In my opinion, the lighter they can be, the better, but that is just MY preference!) Remove and allow to come to room temperature. Carefully remove from tins, as they are VERY delicate!

Filling:

2 cups finely chopped dates

1 1/2 cups brown sugar ( I use demerara)

1 cup water

Simmer the above ingredients until the dates are of a soft consistency. Cool, then fill the tart shells. Top with a piped swirl of butter cream icing which has been flavoured with maple syrup or flavouring. YUM! YUM! YUM! These freeze well, and can be made weeks ahead if covered well in the freezer.

* anecdotal additions are my own, but this wonderful recipe is from "Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens" by Marie Nightingale (Nimbus Publishing Limited)

Rolling Out the Tea Trolley Once Again

2009-11-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

After a delay of many, many months, I am pleased to announce the re-introduction of "The Tea Trolley", my blog dedicated to the sumptuous art of preparing and enjoying afternoon tea. I want to express my heart-felt appreciation to my dear friend, and blog collaborator, the Paper Princess, creator and author of The Silken Purse, who graciously gifted me with an absolutely stunning banner to crown my new venture. Even though we are sadly seperated by thousands of Canadian miles, it was so much fun to partner on this project, via long disatnce and internet. It was ALMOST as fun as spending an afternoon at her lovely Bed and Breakfast on the east coast, enjoying her precious company, sipping a steaming bowl of splosh and indulging in freshly-baked scones smothered with raspberry preserves and topped with a generous dollop of clotted cream.. (ALMOST, but not quite!)

My vision for "The Tea Trolley" includes the sharing of recipes, table-setting and tea invitation ideas, and so much more. Come and be a part of our little community. There may even be an opportunity for a cyber-space tea party and a give-away or two! Our only limitation is the breadth, height and depth of our collective imagination. How wonderful is that!

The Paper Princess and I have been blessed immeasurably by the people we have fellowshipped with over the intoxicating aroma of a finely-brewed cup of tea. Between the two of us, we have hosted and attended hundreds of tea gatherings, each unique and memorable. We invite you to join us at "The Tea Trolley" to glean what you can from our experiences, and to contribute what you will to our tea-sipping community at large. You are most cordially invited and welcomed!

2009-06-14T05:09:00.000-07:00

Why Serve Afternoon Tea?

There has been a resurgence of interest in the art of serving afternoon tea. The reasons for this renewed interest are multitudinous. The first that springs to mind is that afternoon tea allows people to slow down the hectic pace of modern life. In an age of fast cars, fast computers, and fast food, it is indeed an pleasure of inestimable proportions to savour a fragrant, lovingly-brewed cup of tea accompanied by elegantly presented savouries and sweets. By its very nature, this tradition of civility must be enjoyed by those who are not in a rush. Secondly, tea time engenders an atmosphere of congeniality. It is nearly impossible to be in a room with several others of your friends and acquaintances enjoying a sumptuous repast of scones, clotted cream and jam and not be friendly. What could be more delightful than spending an afternoon in the company of kith and kin over an exquisite "spot of splosh"? It fairly dares you to be in a bad mood! Finally, hosting afternoon tea for your beloved family and valued neighbors is an act of hospitality that will be cherished in the hearts of your guests for years to come. My ten-year old niece Natasha talks about her first experience of tea-taking hosted by her Aunt Rose as though it were a visit to an enchanted world of butter tarts and decorated sugar cubes. How special it was for me to leave such a magical and positive impression upon the mind of this young girl! Organizing an afternoon tea is an art that improves with experience, but its popularity both with those who host and those who are invited makes it worth the effort it takes to orchestrate this memorable occasion.

Rolling Out The Tea Trolley

2009-06-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

I'm rolling out the Tea Trolley, laden with savoury sanwiches, scrumptious scones, tarts a-plenty, chocolate dipped strawberries, and of course, pots of various and sundry aromatic teas. Tea Time! What could be more inviting than sharing a laugh, or perhaps even a few tears (when the occassion calls for it), with our nearest and dearest over a steaming cup of Rosie-Lee. Please know you are cordially invited to join me in this venture as we explore together recipes and ideas to enhance our magnificent obsession with afternoon tea. What fun we are going to have!

In my humble opinion, afternoon tea is not complete without serving a delicious scone accompanied by raspberry jam and sweet thickened cream. So let me share with you my very favorite recipe for these delectable morsels, best served slightly warmed.

Rose's Favorite Tea Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 level teaspoons baking POWDER
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold butter cut into eight pieces
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla
1 egg (room temperature)
1 cup whole milk OR half and half cream OR buttermilk

Optional Add-Ins: Add ONE of the following three options

1/2 cup currants (previously soaked in boiled water and drained)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (previously soaked in orange juice or boiked water and drained)

1/4 cups chopped apricots and 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Set your oven at 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Reserve 2 tblsps

3. Using a pastry cutter, cut the very cold butter into the larger amount of flour mixture. Combine only until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.

4. Add the reserved flour mixture to one of the optional ingredients, mixing until it is well-coated. Add this to the larger flour mixture along with the 1/4 cup of granualted white sugar. Set aside.

5. In a 2-cup measuring cup slightly beat the room temperature egg. Add the vanilla, and then the milk ( or cream or buttermilk) to make one cup of liquid.

6. Using a fork, combine 1/3 of the liquid mixture with the flour mixture, Mix until incorporated and then do the same iwth the second third, and finally the third, mixing gingerly until the ingredients are just combine.

7. Turn the mixture onto a floured surface, and knead gently three or four times, patting it into a 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick round.

8. Using a small, floured biscuit cutter, cut into rounds and place in an ungreased non-coated 9 X 9 baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the scones are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool or serve warm.

There you have it! Bake and enjoy!

These scones will look like baking soda biscuits, and will need to be seperated when served. You may choose to bake them seperately on a cookie sheet, but if you do so, they will not rise very high.

I do so hope you will try this recipe. Scones, a staple of traditional afternoon tea, are truly a treat anytime! Let me know how yours turn out!