Frosty Morning Tea

With a  huge dip in the   temperature and snow on the way,   this morning was  crying out  for a  Frosty Morning  Tea  Breakfast for two.

 Even though  the  setting   reflected an icy morn,   with   frosty  hoary,   crystals  and   snowy fluffs   sprinkled  all about,   the  ancient  radiator  in the dining room   proved  

trustworthy!

 Lady Earl Grey in her   lovely   blue wrapping   and her  highly  delicate   flavor  suited the occasion to a "TEA"! 

source

 Served in my  latest addition,   my   Wedgewood, Countryside   china cups,,   it  was  absolutely brill!

 Delicious   homemade  cranberry   oatmeal topped with  whipped cream  is now   going to become a staple in our home....

 I   was inspired  to  create this  dainty  tasties   from my latest   Tea Time magazine...

The ones in the magazine  were  not  toasted, 

 however,  for  our   warm-us-up   breakfast,   toasting   was  essential!

 These   were served up  with  alternating   egg salad  and   hot buttered strawberry jam.

Fueled for the day, now   no telling  what  mischief we may achieve!!!

"Talk and tea is his specialty," said Giles. "He has Come along inside... We'll see if tea and buns   (toast) can make the world a better place."

-The Wind in the Willows

Friends Sharing Tea

Thursday  Tea Things and  Talk

Home and Garden Thursday

My Early Morning Garden Tea

Bernideen's Tea Time is a lovely site for  getting your  inspiration for  all things tea!  And today she is  inviting everyone  to  participate in a garden tea....   what a lovely  week this  will be....   with all the errands I have for  later today,..,.   it was marvelous to  have a leisurely  garden breakfast tea , just the two of us.... ( I love  that we are both retired now!)
So  early this morning, I set the stage....

fresh picked flowers from the garden...

bowers of flowers from the house... hehehehe

lovely   potted flowers  on the porch... all greeted us as we  gathered  for the fun!

On the menu....   cranberry walnut scones and baked eggs....  oops. the oven could  do with a cleaning!!!!

 Now our daughter, Amanda, would have loved to  have joined us this morning!

I never baked the eggs before, and now it is  my   manner  of choice.....  delightfully  delicious....
Our tea..

was Earl Grey....   my favorite!

My sweetie  even dressed for the occasion!  HEHEHEHEHE


A truly amazing time  to share this morning....
and the scones.

were   perfection...

Cranberry  Walnut Scones

3 c  Virginia’s best  self rising flour

1 T baking powder

½ c sugar

¾ c butter…slice in  tablespoon  slices  to make  working it in  easier

1 c fresh cranberries… I added golden raisins to make a cup

½ c chopped  English walnuts.. I used pecans

1 1/2 T orange zest

1 c buttermilk  I used  clabbered milk  ( 1 cup milk  with 1 table of  white vinegar)

To top  unbaked scones.

1 T cream or milk

1 T sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Stir together all dry ingredients at top  of list..   Rub the butter  slices into the mixture until  only coarse crumbs form…   Like  cornmeal….  Incorporate the butter evenly.. no large  chunks….Stir in cranberries, nuts, and  zest. Add buttermilk and mix with a fork until evenly moistened.  I  didn’t  mix  it too much  and  as soon as I saw it coming together  I  poured it out on a floured surface and  shaped it into a  ball.   Pat the ball into a  ¾ inch thick circle.    Don’t work the dough too much…   it should be  fairly easy to  work with   you will have a lot on your fingers 

   As it will be moist. So  incorporate just enough flour     so not so sticky

   But  keep it   pliable.

Cut  rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on a greased sheet. Brush tops with the cream or milk and  sprinkle the sugar mixture on top.    Bake at 400 for 14-16 minutes or until  golden…  if you desire  lightly sprinkle with  powder  sugar.
I am also sharing on the Bunny Hop today!!


 Ruth's Thursday Tea talk

1. I'm having...Earl grey, and  we  are  loving it!
2. I'm feeling....like this is the first day of the rest of our lives....

3. On my mind....We serve a mighty, loving, merciful God  who directs our path and provides our needs!!
4. The very idea of freedom presupposes some objective moral law which overarches rulers and ruled alike. Unless we return to the crude and nursery-like belief in objective values, we perish.
 ~C.S.Lewis

Katherine's Favorite Things Thursday

  Tablescape Thursday



Kathy's  Home and Garden Thursday

 Friday's Charm of the Home

 and Show and Tell Friday

at the Romantic Home

Anyone care for Tea?

Today I am joining  Martha's Favorites as well,    on Teacup  Tuesday.



Teatime is a dominate   time around our  household..

Whether  a tea for many

with all the trimmings

or tea for  myself

 

Teatime is an integral part of our  lives!!

Rainy Morning Tea

Bernideen's Tea Time is a lovely site for  getting your  inspiration for  all things tea!  Today she is hosting    Friends Sharing Tea .....a  delightful  theme ...  and this morning  is none better  than to  share a rainy morning  tea breakfast!
When Lynn got up this morning, he  said it was a waffle morning...   but I was thinking all along  we needed more of a gentile  wake, me up....  thus our Waffle Tea idea was birthed...
Now I am not complaining about the weather... I actually love a rainy  spring day  especially when wildfires have been raging out of control in our state...
  and the cool morning air  is fresh    as the pollen is  being  washed away....  but  no reason to be drear inside just because it is dark and drear without!


A base tea cloth  sets a fanciful tone, the bright sunny  mats   capture and hold a warmth that  fills  the  soul...  the aromatic  English Breakfast Tea    draws us right to the table!

THis morning  we are dining on  our Country  Roses  from  Royal Albert...  both the   specialty plates and the  specialty cups....

  which I havent seen since I purchased 4 of them   a few years ago.....I need to replace a cup,,, if anyone  knows where they can now be purchased!!!!!

NO reason why a delightsome tea party can't be shared  just between us two!

The George Foreman Grill  makes  huge waffles,  so  once I  quartered them,  they piled up hugely on the plate!...

Delicious  drizzled with pure maple syrup!

along with a side of crispy bacon.....  a leisurely, delectable rainy morning  tea!

Today I am joining  Martha's Favorites as well,    on Teacup  Tuesday.

A Scottish Tea

Bernideen's Tea Time is a lovely site for  getting your  inspiration for  all things tea!  Today she is hosting    Friends with Tea a  delightful  theme    that just set me into action to have a spot of tea this afternoon.....  today's mail   brought me  the Winter edition of  Scotland  magazine which  always   intrigues me with  new destinations  for my dream itinerary to  the Highlands  someday!

  So as I  was researching  a bit   of  my favorite place on earth,, I decided to enjoy an bit of  Celtic  tea!

Years ago  we were very much involved with the Celtic society here in our area...  and we attended highland games  in Grandfather Mountain... there we  found this  gorgeous pottery from Buchan....  depicting the  beautiful national  flower of Scotland... the thistle..
 
 A simple repast of  apples  and cheese    was just the  bit of  goodness to enjoy with my  Lady Earl Grey....  and    here is  the  exquisite  site I was  researching... Taymouth Castle...situated on Loch Tay at the gateway of the Scottish Highlands...   now this  has been a lovely    afternoon escape!