Elevenses

Sometimes   we   get up so early    in the morning   and  enjoy  a light breakfast,  we are  nearly  famished  before lunchtime....   that is   a  wonderful opportunity  to  celebrate  "elevenses".

The name for a traditional English requirement for a hot beverage, usually tea or coffee and a light, sweet snack to go with it, usually biscuits. The urge arrives around 11am, hence the name, and is used to fill the gap between breakfast and lunch.
"I'm starting to feel a little peckish, is it time for elevenses yet?"

Michael  Nobbs   on his site,  Sustainably Creative  shares his story  about  "elevenses"  charmingly...

Basically,    it is  a  special time  carved out of  one's morning to   just  slow  down and smell the roses...  but  this morning   I  was smelling   beautiful yellow tulips...

We find in  our very hectic   lives lately  that  it is very difficult to find  time to just relax and  chat,  share a dream or two, or a  vision   we  might  have   that we'd like to   do around the house...when things settle down a bit...
Elevenses  provide  the opportunity  to   do just that!

 Certainly  a  pot of   tea for  two  is the main  staple...  this time,  it is  a lovely green tea...
   this   beautiful  tea pot is  a Sadler  from England  that I  got  from  my mom...  she  loved the  spring  bouquet  of  colors!

 A bit of fruit  and  delicious  lemon tea cakes  are essential, as well...  to   break  mid-morning  slump!

A   couple of   favorite   tea cups from   the   collection
 for their   dainty    flowers.   Above  is the    Royal Albert, Cosmos pattern   and  below

is  a  favorite of mine...  a Consort  "Violets"    cup and saucer  in the   palest  tone of purple  you can  imagine....Great Aunt Josephine gave it to me   on my  sixteenth birthday   when I was staying  with her in the summer of '66!

A  couple of     eager  bunnies  flanking  the   table  keeps our  attention  on the season,  after all,   their  time is nearly upon us!!!!

 Across the room   the hutch  refuses to be  left out of the   lime-light...  it, too,  is decked out for the  parade of  Easter    loveliness..

Refreshing  as  an "elevenses"  can  be,   all too soon  it is back to  the  hubbub  of  everyday  practicality, and all we have  left of  our  reverie    are  memories spent  in  a delightful hour  around  a  lovely  pot of tea!

Martha’s Favorites @ Martha’s Favorites

Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage

Teacup Tuesday @ Artful Affirmations

Friends Sharing Tea @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Thursday's  Favorite Things @ http://katherinescorner.com/

Share Your Cup Thursday@ http://jannolson.blogspot.com

Cottage Style Linky Party@ http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com

Home Sweet Home@ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com

Valentine Brunch

Saturday   when   my Prayer Sista's and I  get together    it  will  be   a  bit different....
  We are  celebrating   one of our  birthdays, and  I am  most privileged to  host   it  here....   so I  took  advantage of the season  and  am doing a  Valentine Brunch..

Such   a  joy to     think   of valentines....  it reminds me of the   year after year of  decorating  the valentine   box for my third graders....   buying the doiles and   cutting out the hearts ....    cutting out  lacy  patterned  strips to  line the edges and prettify the box.....    So when I stopped in at the Dollar Tree yesterday     I  was   really exciting about  what I might find.... 

 \

In stead of   paper doilies, I found  these   pink doily   place mats    which I paired   with  my  silver  chargers...

 My everyday Churchill , red transfer ware  pottery  goes  well  with     my   pink goblets   and     the  International   Silver  , Joan of  Arc , are in agreement that  all who   sit at  this table  are loved and   welcomed,  and sets the tone   for   a good time!

Last week  the  plate hanger   showed off  my  spode  blue collection...  the red   collection  is  back  on the wall..

  and my   odd,    but  charming , red   transfer pieces   adorn the  hutch!

 I  can hardly  wait to  begin   cooking  Saturday.. I found the most delectable recipe 

Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast

 source

Rated:

Submitted By: Pamelabee
Photo By: lovetobake93

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 8


"Cream cheese-stuffed French toast is served with a sweet and warm strawberry glaze and topped with whipped cream in this decadent breakfast favorite."
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup mashed fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water

1 cup milk
6 eggs

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
8 slices bread, cut in half diagonally
1 teaspoon butter

8 sliced fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for
dusting
1 cup whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat an oven to 100 degrees F ( 40 degrees C).
2. Heat mashed strawberries and 1/2 cup white sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Mix cornstarch and water together in a bowl, then stir into the strawberries.
4. Cook and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer while preparing remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally.
5. Whisk together the milk and eggs in a bowl; set aside.
6. Mash cream cheese, vanilla extract, and 3/4 cup white sugar in a bowl until smooth.
7. Spread the cream cheese mixture over a triangle-shaped piece of bread, and top with another piece. Repeat with remaining bread and cream cheese mixture to make 8 triangle-shaped sandwiches.
8. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
9. Dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture, 2 or 3 at a time, and place in the skillet.
10. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
11. Transfer pan-fried sandwiches to a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven to keep warm while cooking remaining sandwiches.
12. To serve, top French toast with warm strawberry glaze and sliced fresh strawberries and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve with a dollop of whipping cream

I will  have   more to follow  about our   wonderful  brunch!  Please  check back in!!!!

Time spent with    best friends   is always      a slice   of heaven here on earth  in my  opinion...  especially,  when    Christ  Jesus is the center....   

 It is  all  Christ  who   puts the creative    attitude in our hearts  that  yearns to break  free and   bless  us and others..

Whether  in the  wonderful   foods   we create or the  festive  beauty  of    the decor....   the well spring  comes  from   He who resides within!  And  for   that  I am truly grateful  and excited!   

Today I am sharing on 

  Home Party@ Sandi's   Rose Chintz Cottage     

Tablescape Thursday 

and   

Thursday  Favorite Things

  I  am so also very Thankful  today!

Grace at Home  @ Imparting Grace

Home and Garden at  A Delightsome Life

 Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home

Getting There

I was just visiting  at The Rose Chintz  Cottage and discovered  we only have  26 more days til  Christmas....  Sandi a t the Cottage  is also  hosting a Christmas Tea on December  10...   that sounds so fun..... hope I can     get  my act together to join into that   party!!!!

I  must say though  that   all in all  today was fairly productive...

After   my dear  hubby and I got the  living  room decorated,  we  actually had time to go over to   my parents  home and move the  bedroom  furniture  back into the bedrooms....   Lynn has been working over there  trying to get it  all  cleaned up, painted, and     repaired  to  put it on the market....  the  furniture  has  all been   crowded into the living and  den areas....   now  we can actually  begin   working  in the den  and   it's almost time to  have the   estate  sale   administrator   come over and have our wee   talk....  I doubt we  will  have the sale   before Christmas    but      things  there are  looking up....which is good because the sign goes  up   early December!

It feels great to have gotten   all of this done today!!!!  Perhaps tomorrow   we can  get  some decorating outside accomplished!!!!!That's my plan anyway!!!

Delicious and Healthy, too and it's Brunch

Let's join  in  with     Home     theme  at the Rose Chintz Cottage  .

Last   Saturday   my prayer group and  I  got  together  to celebrate  a  birthday   of our  dear   Sista Lois....   and   we   had a pot luck  brunch!!!!

  I  just have to share one of the  lovely dishes that Colleen  brought.. First of all, it  was   beautiful! 

The   colorful   pear slivers  and  cranberries   looked so festive and     tasty...  but  since it is  meatless  it is   a very healthy  dish     for a  brunch offering!!! 

Pear Breakfast Strata
olive oil
6 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
4 tbsp apricot jam
2 pears, halved, cored and thinly sliced
1 tbsp maple syrup
8 slices whole wheat bread
1/3 cup dried cranberries
4 tbsp sliced almonds


1. Lightly coat a medium-sized baking dish with olive oil.


2. Beat together eggs, milk and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir yogurt and jam together in a smaller bowl. Toss pear slices and maple syrup together in another small bowl.


3. Arrange a layer of bread slices on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon half of the yogurt/jam mixture and then half of the pears on top, spreading them over the bread. Top with half of the cranberries and half of the almonds. Repeat, ending with almonds on top. Pour the egg mixture over the top, stopping to allow the bread to soak up the liquid. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate overnight.


4. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove foil from dish and bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown (it will be very puffy). Let sit uncovered for several minutes before serving. (Syrup shown above is optional.)

We did pour just a bit of natural maple syrup over our portion and it was so delicious!!!

Autumn Woodlands in the Parlor

   Let's   join Sandi a t  Rose Chintz Cottage  for   her Home party!

 As you   approach my  front porch ,    my  happy   gold and orange   colors greet  you!!!!

 Once  you're inside   you   will  recognize  right  off,  my  style is Olde World!!!  Gold and  orange  resounds   about the room!

 This time I am focusing on  my   wall arrangement!

  The metal  container  reminded me of a  knight's  quiver....  I   like to   find  seasonal  woodland  sprays ,   much  that  would have been used  in  days  of yore....

 This season I have a dded    the   ginkgo leaves... their  golden yellow charmed  me   at  Crate and Barrel!

 This  container  is  such a  fun  item to  decorate   by the seasons!!!!  Just  a   bit longer   then it  all comes out and   Christmas   will   be      shine forth!!!....   Sandi reminded me today  that  we only  have 61 more days!!!

WHoa! I was just getting online and the front page of yahoo had an article of must have kitchens showing this photo of what buyers are looking for..I was so taken back.. I did a huge double take because it looks soooooo much like our daughter's wonderful kitchen. I just had to do a side by side to see the comparisons and contrasts. Here is the yahoo photo:




and now Amanda's kitchen



HEEHEE! I love Amanda's better!!!!

An Evening Stroll

around the yard last evening as the sun was beginning to dip into the western sky,

I found a lot of activity in the shrub bed. with the installation of our new fence, the propery line never has looked so good!

Lynn moved our dozen or so tomoato plants over there to catch the afternoon sun!

But because some old fencing wasnt replaced it revealed azaleas tht had gone haywire! It took two to get it back ino submission.

Our neighbor, Jeff, and Lynn worked really hard up until after dark!

Of course, knowing those two a goodly amount of that time as spent chatting!

So I strolled on around looking at how nicely things were looking in the gloaming light!

As I meandered on around to the back I was met by the springing forth of the lilies which mark the coming of summer!

I exchanged my spring banner for a new one!

My wonderful mandevilla continues to climb

and the hydrangea never fails to bless me in my deepest soul!