Nurturing my inner... tea with mum

Almost every morning I go into the office, I have a cup of tea.  Nothing fancy.  Just a French Vanilla tea bag with a Demera raw sugar cube.  It's warm, reliable and often the calm before the day's storm.  In the end, it's just a beverage though.  And I prefer a lasting experience.

In the couple of months before my holiday trip home, mom kept talking about a tea shop she heard about on the small main street on the way to the bank.  The bank that the tellers used to give us lollipops with my parents' paycheck deposits in the tube shootie-uppie vacuum thingie.  (Is there a real name for that?)  I was able to take her when I was home last month.  (Really, when do I ever say no when food is involved.)  Tea with Tracy, in Seymour, CT.

A shot down main street around noon.

The varieties of teas available is like nothing else I've ever seen.  Dozens.  Caf, decaf and cocoas.  How can one decide?  (Pressure from your mother, that's how.)

Unparalleled options.

The menu was on the table with a little holiday decor.  Tea for whatever number in your party included, for each patron, your choice of scone, sandwich and dessert.

Evergreens and sparkles always say holidays.

The owners worked there with their daughters and all came to greet us throughout the time we spent there.  Everyone was so friendly in this family affair.  In that light, I too was there with some of my family - mom and my cousin.  We all ordered different teas as expected.  You get your very own little teapot of brew for yourself.  As we waited for our tea, I looked around.

View back toward the kitchen and the shelves
that hold all the teapots and cups.

They had about six cloth covered tables that fit 3-4 people each, but can be put together in arrangements to fit larger parties.  Which is what happened shortly after we arrived, so I'm glad we got a table when we did.  The whole place was full soon enough.  And after devouring the food, I could see why.

Nice windows with sunlight. Christmas tree!

At the entrance, they have shelves stocked with imported, top quality English teas and cocoas for purchase.  How great to know that the tea you had there is likely available to take home with you!  I've never seen a bigger, better selection at any other tea shop I've ever been to.

Almost impossible to choose less than three.
This was only one well-stocked case. They
had more in another cabinet and on a shelf.

In just a wee bit of time passing, our hot teapots were set before us with the instructions that they needed to steep for another few minutes to be of optimum perfection.  Good tea brewing is no careless task.  I think that's why so many Americans don't love tea.  They make low quality tea way too weak and flat.  It's meant to be deep and smooth, which you can only get out of higher quality teas.

Mismatched cups and pots. Love it! Adds to
the "tea at a friend's house" cozy ambiance.

You should take your time when you are enjoying afternoon tea, yet it wasn't but a quick spell of chatting later that out came our three-tiered dispenser of treats.  Both savory and sweet.

Look at my gorgeous pumpkin tea in its cup.

The top plate had scones and clotted cream.  Mom got cranberry orange and my cousin and I chose chocolate chip.  They told us these were Australian style scones because that's the kind the owner's mother used to make.  They are a little more like an Irish soda bread and flatter than what I've experienced as English scones.  Bumpy and chewy.

The middle plate had sandwiches on our choice of white or wheat.  Egg salad, chicken salad and cranberry brie were our choices.  These sandwiches were delish.  Fresh bread, cold ingredients.  No crusts!  Such pampering.  I felt like the Queen.  (For an hour.)



Could you ask for more? Sure,
some dessert!

The bottom plate held all the desserts.  It was so difficult to decide on the sweets, but we finally went with the things everyone could share - apple torte, banana bread and this absolutely over the top, incredible, wish I had some right now, Swedish white brownie made with almonds.  It was a crusty, chewy, light, amaretto-flavored dream.  (Secret family recipe.)

Swedish almond brownie on the right.

They also had some cupcakes and cookies made with flavors of the season that they change up every few months.  For a small place, they really offered variety and quality befitting of a much larger restaurant.

I'm glad to see more small businesses open and rejuvenate main streets of small towns.  I'll be going back to support them and see what delicious things they come up with next!  If you're going to the bank in Seymour, you should definitely stop in and have some tea and that amazing almond cake.

Nurturing my inner... tea party

The recent royal wedding affected some local media coverage nearby.  A British tea shop not too far from here landed in the news.  They were doing their own version of special royal teas leading up to the big day.  A friend of mine saw the piece asked if I might like to try the place.  I had actually already been there a few times in past years and it was wonderful.  So I invited the rest of the running class girls and made a reservation.  Unfortunately, as I called closer to the date to confirm, they told me they had gotten so worn out from the demand for pre-wedding teas, they were closing the shop for two weeks to recover.  Okay, super.  It wasn't like it was any small miracle to get a date on the calendar that all nine women could commit to, but hey, we tried to push it off for another couple of weeks.  I waited and called back to confirm the new date when they were supposed to be reopen for business, but due to an accident of some kind with the lady who organizes the afternoon teas, they were not going to do them on the weekend for two months.  Two months!!!!  Talk about double disappointment.

Undefeated by the rejection of the master colonizers of said temporarily closed local business from above paragraph, this native New Englander decided to throw a tea party in her home.  Tea at the Yank's!  (It seems that I don't mind making grand plans when I really have no idea what I'm doing.)

We tried to divide up the foods so we had both savory and sweet covered.  I had an idea for something sweet and wasn't sure if it would work, but turned out, it did, so now I can tell you about it.

Mini Fruit Tarts

1 package sugar cookie dough
2 packaged cups of vanilla pudding
Various berries/fruits cut up small

Knowing I was going to spend time getting my condo all cleaned from top to bottom, setting up the table for tea and making one thing from scratch, I had to take a little premade help for this.  For starters, prepackaged cookie dough.

Yes, of course you can make cookie dough
from scratch if you have the time.

Take the dough straight out of the fridge, or you can even put it in the freezer for 20 minutes, but make sure it stays cold when you slice it up quickly with a sharp knife into 24 even circles.

Tried to get them as uniform as I could.

I sprayed two mini muffin tins with non stick spray.  Put a circle in each and then quickly pressed them into the cup.  If the dough gets warm, put the entire thing into the fridge for a bit to cool and then take it back out and mould them.  Slightly moisten fingers too, that can help you not stick to the dough.

They don't have to be perfect.

Bake them at the temperature the package says and approximately the time as well, keeping a watchful eye on them.  They will puff up.  This of course made me think this was going to be a disaster, but do not panic, all will be well later.  When the edges of the cookie cup are browned, it's time to take them out.

In oven action shot. That was tricky. (And hot.)

Once you take them out of the oven, leave them in the muffin tin to cool.  That's when they will collapse and turn into a cup shape.  (Yea!)  You can't remove them right away or they will be too soft and fall apart.  After they are cooled, they will harden and then you can pop them out easily.



See, they turned out just fine. (If they hadn't,
you never would have heard of them.)


The friend who lent me the teapots also tossed in some silver serving trays amongst other tea time items.  Everything she had was formal and perfect for the occasion.  I arranged a dozen of the cookie cups on it.  (And now I want my own silver tray.  Where can I get one like this?)

So regal.

With a small spoon, I put a dollop of vanilla pudding in each sugar cookie cup.  Again, if you have the time and desire, feel free to make pudding or custard from scratch.  (I really wanted to, but just had too much to do this time around.)

Crunchy and creamy done. What's next?

I envisioned each tartlette with four quadrants.  I quartered strawberries, wedged up some kiwi, picked out large raspberries and used pairs of blueberries because they were small.  Into each tart artistically went some of each fruit to create edible mosaics.

Just like in the pastry shops. (And no one has
to know I cheated a bit by not making it
all from scratch. Shhh.)

This was my dining room as I was preparing for the food to arrive.  We had two-tiered cake stands, teapots, a turn table with various milk glass containers and my Nana's sugar bowl with different types of sugars inside (raw, cubes, German rock), milk, clotted cream (a must for the scones!) and jams.  This would make easy access for everyone with just a quick spin.

I also borrowed a white table cloth (that was my friend's grandmothers!), ironed that and cloth napkins.  In recent weeks I have had so much fun purchasing teacups for this occasion on ebay.  All Royal Albert, because I decided I liked those best.  All different, because I thought that would be fun!  Like an art collection.  With each cup I had a demitasse spoon.  Some were antiques with engraved city names in the bowls.  I only have a few so far, but will be working on that over time.

Setting things up. Not fully organized yet.

The ladies began to show up around 3:00 pm and each brought something delicious.  Here was the menu: cucumber sandwiches, curry chicken salad on mini rye, warm scones, melting moments orange-flavored short bread cookies dipped in chocolate, almond creamcheese blossoms, blueberry muffins, mini quiches, fruit tarts and some packaged tea cookies.  It was definitely more than we all could finish off, (enough for about a dozen people!) but we certainly gave it our best effort by snacking away for more than two hours while drinking authentically British PG Tips tea.  (One of my friends said she never liked tea, but she loved this tea.  I think the deciding factor, besides that it was quality team, was that I brew it slightly strong.  So the tea really had some body and flavor to it.)

A sampling of the table.

I highly recommend that every woman throw a tea party for her friends.  It's such a femenine and delightful way to spend the afternoon.  I actually researched the proper way to hold a teacup - which is to have two fingers on the handle, never inside the loop.  I read about how to stir sugar into the tea with your spoon - never touch the bottom and make clinking noises!  Also, I saw pictures on where to put the napkins, the silverware, the teacups.  You can even turn on the classical music channel on cable if you don't have any instrumental CDs.  Every bit of planning afternoon tea is about creating the right ambience and trying to be as true to its British roots as possible.  There is so much to learn from the experts.  You'll have a blast getting educated!

The most enjoyable part about the afternoon was that it was a great way for all us girls to get to know each other a bit better with lively storytelling and big laughs over several pots of steamy, comforting tea.  (In fabulous teacups, mind you.  That never hurts.)  Since not everyone could make it this time, and there are tons of other recipes I'd like to try, I'll be doing this again in the future.  I'm also extending the offer that if anyone wants me to help them plan a tea at their house for their friends, I'm more than happy work out details and ideas with them.  It's not nearly as hard as you think.  What you don't own you can always borrow, everyone who attends will chip in and bring something scrumptious to share, and friends will help you set up and clean up.  The most important thing you have to do... is open your home.

Nurturing my inner... royal wedding of a lifetime

Every little girl wants to be a princess sometime in her youth.  I guess the appeal is pretty dresses, sparkly jewelry, a fancy palace and oh yes, a dashing prince!  Well, we know that most of that is just a fairy story for 99% of the world's population, but I suppose the real desire every woman has is to feel special and adored.  So how could I possibly miss the real life princess moment of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine?  (I kind of chuckle that they love referring to Kate as a "commoner."  I mean, really now.  What year is it?  1670?)

I got up at 6:00 am, just in time to see the wedding part.  Live.  After all, it was history!  I watched the nuptuals of Prince Charles and Diana when I was a kid, so I wanted to recreate a little of that youthful magic.  To be excited at the splendor of the special occasion taking place in a foreign land.  Just like in the books my parents read to me.  (Plus, it wasn't my tax money that paid for the opulence.)  As a nod to the British, I was tempted to use long As all day, like caaan't and shaaan't, but figured my friends might really think me mad if I did.  So I resorted to the self-satisfactory spelling of words like, "colour, humour, favourite.")

Tell you what, a high def TV made me feel like I was seated in the church amongst the Royal family.  What a view.  Kate's dress was gorgeous!  She is a natural beauty.  And William is shy and ruggedly attractive.  For blogging purposes, I took a few pictures with my camera.

How nice to have Prince Harry and Pippa, the lovely couple's siblings, to be there beside them.  It's so sweet to have a brother or sister who is always there to support you.

Brothers & Sisters. (And lots of hats! The
British really do love their outrageous head gear.)

One day I simply have to make it to Westminster Abbey.  It truly is an architectural thing to behold.  (Can I get married there one day?  I know, I know, first find the groom, then worry about the location.  A small, yet elusive, technicality for this commoner thus far.)  Here's an interesting little bit of trivia: I made a keen observation that the Queen does not sing their national anthem, "God Save the Queen."  Hmmm.  I saw the role as more of an institution than an individual, but it seems she takes it quite literally.

Aerial view. Wow, the flying buttresses. How
does that thing remain standing? A marvel.

Will & Kate looked happy, seem like responsible people who genuinely care for one another, and I hope we Yanks wish them well.  There's certainly no jealousy toward the Duchess of Cambridge from this stateside pilgrim.  (Would you really want to have to deal with all that daily hoopla, the pressure of the Queen's involvement and being watched by everyone every second?  Not me!  Hello anonymity - I love thee so.)

Sweet smiles from the newlyweds. They
really are a handsome couple.

Who wouldn't want to drive off in a horse and carriage though!  Just like Cinderella.  (I know a few four year olds who desperately would love the chance after the glimpses of princess life they saw while at Disney World.)

Right out of a storybook.

Seeing as I like to live it up and maintain a "When in Rome" general attitude when it comes to all cultures, I made PG Tips tea and drank it out of my Royal Albert teacup while watching the ceremony.  (The cup and saucer was a gift from our CT neighbors to my mother for looking after their house when they were on vacation some years back and mom passed it on to me.  Yea!)  There is something so delightful about drinking good British tea out of an authentic British teacup.  So delicate and refined.  The utmost in civilized class.  Everyone should own at least two, so they can have a friend over for tea.  Best to have some homemade scones or biscuits with it.

Green Park pattern. I love the colors and the
delicate floral design with gold accents.
Makes me want to hop on a plane for London.

Now I'm on the hunt for a few more teacups, different patterns of course, and a proper teapot.  I enjoyed watching the royal wedding and am glad I got up early to see history being made as it was actually happening that moment.  After all, how often do we get the opportunity?  Once every 30 years?  I couldn't miss it.

So, I may never get to be a real princess, it's true, but if I ever am fortunate enough to get married, I know I can at least be one for a day.  Just like Kate.  I hope all my married girlfriends had the chance to feel that way on their special days.

Nurturing my inner... afternoon tea

On the list of favorite things of the day: loose leaf tea.  It has an incredibly earthy and wildly aromatic scent, coupled with a much more complex flavor profile compared to many of its pulverized then bagged, sterile counterparts.  And its not as hard to make as you may think.  Only takes a few minutes.  Makes for delightful afternoon breaks.  (Wish we had kept this daily tradition when we left jolly Old England for the shiny New World.)

What you'll need...

1.) Your favorite mug (the odder, the better):



One of those things you're not even
sure why you like it so much, but you do. 
What does your mug say about you?

2.) Loose leaf tea (large and small companies carry it now - I like Teavana and Teaism):

Honeydew melon white tea
from Teavana.

3.) A tea strainer or tea ball.  There are many different kinds.  I normally use:

The gold standard of tea straining.
That's what it says anyway.

I have this one as well:

Tea stick - strainer part slides up to fill
chamber in the bottom then slides down
and hooks over the side of mug.

So, with the strainer I most often use, I fill about halfway.  This particular loose leaf tea is very fluffy and has relatively large leaves, so it doesn't settle down all compact in the container at initial load.  For tea that is in smaller bits, you will use a couple of teaspoons, which may only come up 1/4 or 1/3 of the way.  Green tea pearls look small, but then open up a lot in the water, so I usually put one teaspoon of those in.  You'll see those later.

Screw on top and then submerge in hot water that you make on the stove, NOT in the microwave.  (Promise me you'll never heat up tea water in the microwave ever again!  That modern contraption doesn't heat water the same way a slow boil on the stove does.  Sure sure, there are scientific ways to explain that in detail, but heck if I know them.  Just don't do it!)

White tea only steeps for about a minute or two.  Black teas are three to five.  There will be instructions that come with your tea or you can look it up online.  I set a timer, because I often walk away and forget.  (I try to stick with decaf as much as possible, so that explains that.)  And you don't want to over steep and make bitter tea.  Yuck!

The tea strainer floats at first and you need
to make sure it submerges.

4.) There are many ways to sweeten tea.  I have my favorite kinds of sweeteners for different types of teas and coffees.

Turbinado Raw Sugar (I like it best in espresso.):

Natural flavor, less processed.

German Rock Sugar (My choice for black teas.):

Light, caramel flavor, takes time to dissolve
so you have to be patient.

Honey (I prefer this best with white or herbal teas.):

Moulded honey bee from Crate & Barrel
 - super cute. Can also use squeeze bottle.

Hold with both hands, breathe deeply, sip slowly.  Don't forget to think fondly of the Britons.

Thanks to modern appliances, you don't have to just enjoy this at home.  Here's to taking your little luxury to the office!

My regular work mug:

It's blue, it's red, it's green!
A splash of color for my grey cube.

But hey, super corporate gal needs a portable option to take to conference rooms as well.  Let's have a little green tea this time:

Green tea pearls. Delightful emerald gems.

Comes in a lovely tin that your Chinese friend brought you back from her last trip to China.  (Thanks friend!)

Why is everything so mysterious and
enticing when written in a foreign language?

Place pearls in the bottom of a portable, glass tumbler, add honey and hot water from the spicket above the coffee pot.  (It may not seem very glamorous to be making your own brew at work, but in these harsh economic times, you will feel practical and it will get the job done.  Plus, at about 1/12th the cost compared to the same cup from a famous nationwide chain with the familiar mermaid logo, your wallet will be very happy too.)

Just like with people when you put them in hot water, what's inside eventually comes out...

Water starts to turn a light yellow 
and the leaves slowly unfurl.

I even have a timer made especially for tea, so I don't forget at work because I'm always doing a million things at once.

Button timers on the right are color coded.
They mean business.

In just a short while, watch the real magic happen...




Go leaves go! Water is turning a
deeper greenish-yellow.


The final brew is super perfect and herbaceously tasty.  Warning: If you do take it into your biweekly team meeting with your VP, your coworkers just might look at you like, "What in the heck is in there?"  (It's always fun to make people wonder.)




Ding! Tea in full bloom.


Right now you're thinking, okay, so how do I drink this concoction without getting a mouthful of inedible leafage?  Well, don't worry.  They've got that covered.  There is a strainer that you pop in the top of the tumbler that will filter out the bad stuff from the good stuff.

Basket strainer with a handle that makes sure
you get nothin' but pure green perfection
without the foliage. That tea leaf is blockaded!

Even during your busy work day full of conference calls and spreadsheets, you can still take a moment, sit back and enjoy a fresh cuppa.  Ahhhh....

Oh, no wait!  Not done yet.  What's afternoon tea without a cookie.  (The Queen would be aghast!)  I'm a big fan of Nilla Wafers.  Though, I don't always enjoy spending $5.00 on a box of cookies.  Not when I have a little secret...

I was raised on name brands.  My mother has a deep rooted fear of generic packaging.  As much as I've tried, and oh I have tried, I cannot figure out why.  (It's only peanut butter and paper towels!!)  I have thus made it a passionate quest to compare generic and name brand items in my own personal day to day taste/use tests to see what works.  (And conversely, what does not.  Keep a list so you don't forget or you may happen upon a dud experience twice.)

I encourage you to give generic a shot and just see what you think.  They are often made with exactly the same ingredients and come off of the very same conveyor belts, but they are marketed under different labels.  (Is this advertising brilliance?  I think maybe yes.)

I know you recognize the Market
Pantry label made by the bulls eye.

A winner: Target brand Vanilla Wafers.  (Note: Giant brand to me is yuck and I don't like it!)  I spend half the money when I buy these no-namers and to boot, I get a super little cookie that is not compromising in taste and texture.  I'm glad I took the chance and tried them because it's a financial benefit to spend less on a cookie you like just as much as the original.  Then I can take the money I saved and buy more loose leaf tea!  Now that is stretching your dollar.