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.

More Teatime

So the magazine also had a marvelous article about the Willow Tearooms of Glasgow. The article went on to tell about Charles Macintosh and Kate Cranston, Victorian entrepreneaurs who started the first tea rooms in Scotland. Their's was an inspiring tale of creative ingenuity, style, and fortitude I find so lacking in today's world. Their story demonstrates achievement, excellence, and uplifting values that have survived all these many years establishing a grand tradition that stands the test of time! My heart draws ever closer in appreciation for such endeavors.

From Teatime Magazine

I love Teatime!

This month's issue is fantastic. If you haven't gotten yours yet, run out and pick one up today.Their website offers some delightful items for us to peruse while you wait!
Cozy Comforts
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core . . .
— John Keats, “Ode to Autumn”
One of the main reasons I am enthralled with this issue is because it
"tours the tearooms of Scotland and as we discover the history and tealore of this charming Celtic country." The website offer this beautiful British recipe to be taken with TEA!!

A favored sweet in Great Britain, Sticky Toffee Pudding is fantastically rich but relatively easy to prepare. A buttery drizzle of toffee sauce and a sprinkle of toasted pecans adds an over-the-top note of flavor to an already decadent dessert that is perfect for teatime or anytime at all.

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Makes 6 servings

1 cup boiling water
1 cup finely chopped dates
1 cup butter, softened and divided
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1 egg
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream
Garnish: whipped cream, chopped toasted pecans


1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the dates; set aside. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer at medium speed, cream 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar for 4 minutes, until pale in color. Beat in the egg, then scrape down the sides.

3. Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and the dates with the water, and stir until well combined.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm.

5. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the remaining 1/2 cup butter, remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, cream, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt for 6 minutes.

6. Using a 2 1/4 -inch round cutter, cut 12 rounds. On each serving plate, stack two rounds, and top with toffee sauce. Garnish with whipped cream and pecans, if desired. Serve immediately.

Tea Time Musings

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and His paths beyond tracing out! Romans 11:33

As I have been studying Genesis and the call of Abram, I am astounded. God chose a man whose family was a long line of moon worshippers. There was very little to commend Abram , yet God chose him of all of mankind to be the father of His people. But God, because of His foreknowledge, knew Abram was a man of faith. Therein lies the key- To know and be known of God; spending time in studying His holy word, and talking to him in prayer. Praise the Lord we have access to his throne of grace because of Jesus' work on the cross!

Musings Over Tea

I suppose this is the first Memorial Day to come and go without one utterance of pre-planning it's celebration. Traditionally, our family always got together for a picnic or a ride on the parkway. Now that my parents are unable to participate, and my daughter and son-in-law have such busy lives as they finish up their studies at University, it seems the cycle of life in this area has come full circle. I'm sitting here trying to digest exactly how I feel about this change. Now that I am retired, it's not like I need another holiday to celebrate, but it does almost seem like I'm grieving a loss of another staple in my life. One more tradition that just slips away into infinity. I wonder where they go- lost opportunities...