In Search Of Chai

Well I have returned from a marvelous two week trip to Colorado and New Mexico with my crazy husband, Wild Man Dan.  We visited with relatives, met new friends, saw gorgeous scenery, learned new things, and experienced 5 different ways of enjoying Chai. I absolutely adore Chai.  But now more than ever. The word “Chai” means simply tea in Hindi, but the term Chai usually refers to a spiced black tea made with steamed milk and honey or sugar. Chai tea originated in India and includes an abundance of spices including ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, clove, and pepper. The intensity of these spices when mixed together makes a very complex and rich tasting concoction, that for some, like myself, can be addictive.

Our first experience with Chai on the trip was at the Country Sunshine Bed and Breakfast in Durango, Colorado. This lovely little B& B sits in the hills near Purgatory Ski Resort. Owners Walter and Jodi Hammerle are the quintessential B&B hosts and made us feel right at home immediately upon arrival. As gracious hosts they offer all their guests complimentary drinks of all kinds during their stay, including beer, wines, soda, water, coffee and a variety of teas.

Because it was late when we finally arrived at the Inn, Dan and I opted for a caffeine free choice,  Rooibos Chai, which is made from African Red Bush Tea with spices including ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Rooibos Chai is tasty, but lacks the rich flavor of Black Chai. To our delight, Walter prepared us an incredible dessert of flaming Bananas Foster to compliment our drinks. If you are staying near Durango, I would highly suggest staying here with the Hammerle’s and allowing them to spoil you as well. The scenery is beautiful, the air is fresh, the rooms are large, and Walter’s breakfasts are simply the best. Jodi is a doll, (although somewhat camera shy, and refused to be photographed for my blog).  Both are very helpful with assisting guests about local trails and area attractions. And if you go, tell them “hello” for us. Walter and Jodi are two of the wonderful new friends we met during our journey.

Walter busy in the kitchen

The next morning we attended church at New Hope Fellowship Church which meets in a movie house on the south side of town. Odd, for sure.  But then again, the pastor there has always been a little odd.  Actually, the pastor is my own brother, Dana and his wife, Dayna. (Rather quaint, don’t you think?) My brother is an excellent speaker, and I enjoyed his speaking and the musical talents of he, his wife, and their worship team. If looking for a non-denominational place of worship while visiting Durango, I really think you’ll enjoy this very friendly church.  They even serve breakfast.  (Hint- fill out the visitor info card and they will give you a very nice goody bag.  Mine included a pen, a CD of the service, a large bar of gourmet dark chocolate, and a $5 gift card to Starbucks! Hey, that’s one way to get people to come to church. ) www.newhopedurango.com

 

After church we stopped into the Brickhouse Cafe for lunch, mostly because the sign outside said espresso and teas! However, upon examining the menu, I found the only tea they carried was Chai, hot or iced.  Never having experienced iced Chai, I decided today was the day. Yum!  It was delicious.  A little sweeter than most iced coffee drinks. But very easy to get used to. The food was very good as well.  I had a turkey breast sandwich, that had a mild horseradish dressing and roasted potatoes on the side. Extremely good.

From Durango, we headed into New Mexico and spent a couple days in Santa Fe.  Here we had booked a room at the Bobcat Inn. May I tell you  that I absolutely know how to pick out the very best in B& B’s!  ( I am not very good at selecting motels, however! On this trip, we stayed in one of the worst motels ever!!! More on this later). The Bobcat Inn is an authentic remodeled hacienda.  Our room was decorated in adobe style with wooden beams, a kiva fireplace, french doors to the portal patio, fabulous views, and plenty of privacy.

A fabulous breakfast is part of the deal here, and owners John and Amy Bobrick are more than qualified to deliver. Amy has been a caterer and restaurant owner, while husband John is a local Santa Fe chef. Having breakfast in the sunny portal and meeting new friends Carl and Lynsey was one of the highlights of our trip.  If you visit the Bobcat Inn, try to stay there on a Saturday and make reservations for Amy’s fabulous High Tea! We were not able to be there on a Saturday, but I am looking forward to our next visit, which will certainly fall on a Saturday!

In the city of Santa Fe, we stumbled upon the Kakawa Chocolate House, which is located adjacent to one of downtowns only free parking lots. This was one of the most fascinating discoveries we made in Santa Fe, after touring all the art galleries. The Kakawa serves a variety of Chocolate Elixirs, (drinking chocolates).  Sound interesting? You will be amazed. Our gracious Chocolatier host, served us several drinking samples before we made our choices. Be warned, many of the drinks are not sweetened, and some have very strange spices and flavorings such as Red Chimayo Chili’s, Jasmine, musk, lavender, rum, Chipotle, Pasilla de Oaxaca, Chihuacle Negro Chili, etc. One of the drinks I was served burned in my throat, and was downright nasty! I finally decided to order some of their delicious, organic Chocolate Chai. It is made in house with rice, almond and oat milk, evaporated Cane juice, and traditional Chai spices. I also had to try the delicious Chai Truffle.  Oh, my!  Rich, rich, rich, rich.  (Please note that the second truffle on my plate in the photo below was for Dan! It was a Lime and Macadamia Truffle.  There was no way in the world I could have handled the drinks and two truffles after all the free sampling we had done. ) Do give the Kakawa Chocolate House in Santa Fe a visit if you are in the area!

On our last day of vacation we visited the Montezuma Castle, home of the United World College located near Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Dan’s brother, a doctor that serves the students there, had arranged for us to take a tour of the college with professor Ravi Parasher, who teaches economics at the school. Ravi was a most delightful tour guide, giving us details of the beautiful building itself and the history as well.  I took this photo in the dining room where these two stunning glass sculptures hang.  These are the work of artist Dale Chihuly, a famous Northwest artist.  The sculptures are valued at over $250,00 each! I thought they looked rather odd in this setting.  So modern, while the rest of the castle remains true to it’s original detail.

After touring the castle, Ravi invited us to his home to meet Mummy and share a cup of Chai. Ravi and Mummy are originally from India, so I couldn’t wait to have an authentic cup of Chai with them in their home. Mummy’s recipe for making Chai includes a shortcut of mixing the milk and water together, and heating in the microwave along with the spices, before adding Taj Majal tea bags.

Ravi informed me that they had a relative from India send this special blend of spices over, all the way from India. I was so impressed, I had to take a picture of the jar to prove to my readers that I was drinking authentic India Masala Chai.  However, when I took a good look at the picture up close, I noticed that the address of the company that makes this “authentic” blend of India Chai spices was in Florida! Well, no matter.  This cup of Chai was my favorite.  not only was it very spicy and very flavorful but the company of Ravi and Mummy made it even more delicious! For the record we were served some authentic Peda with our Chai.  Peda is a sweet treat from India, similiar to a soft candy. It is made from sugar, milk and saffron, boiled and stirred until thick, and then formed in tube like presses before cutting into smaller pieces.

The moral of my story is this:  All tea tastes better when served in good company.  Give it a try.  I’m sure you’ll agree.

Blessings-

Tea Lady Darla

PS- FYI, Culinary Teas offers an outstanding version of Masala Chai on their website. You do not have to add the spices separately to the black tea leaves.  It is perfectly blended for you.  Just add milk and sugar or honey to suit your taste.  Here is the link to Culinary Teas: Click Here.

A Message From Tea Lady Darla

Hello everyone.  I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks to all of my readers!  Wow.  What a great year it’s been.  I’ve been blogging here a little over a year.  And it has been so much fun.  Tea On Tuesday started out to be a sort of virtual tea party for my friends.  We had been gathering in my home a couple times a month for tea on Tuesday.  Around the dining room table we shared stories about our children, and our faith.  We shared recipes…and burdens with each other. We always began and ended with prayer, as I believe it should be.  Those were wonderful, special memories.  But life got crazy.  Folks moved away. And the tea parties became more and more infrequent.

So Tea On Tuesday, the blog was born.  From my desktop at home, I felt like I could still manage those friendly conversations with my girlfriends over a nice hot cup of tea.  And we’d all feel blessed and closer to one another for the experience.  I never really considered that in the process of this, I would meet new friends, from all over the country.  I am so blessed to have you all.  Without readers, a blog is nothing but chicken scratches.  So thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I hope that there have been moments here that blessed and inspired you in some way, or that perhaps you found some new information you found to be useful.  Again, thank you all for coming and being a part of this.  You have been a blessing to me as well. 

I wish there was a way we could all sit down together and I could see your faces and hear your stories in person.  But that will have to wait until another life, I suppose.

I wanted to let everyone know that I will be out of my office for a while, doing research of course!  Tasting new teas, and visiting new places. I will be gathering plenty of information and inspiration to bring back with me.  I hope you will all check back in later this month when I return to my desk, and join me for another edition of Tea On Tuesday.

Blessings To All,

Tea Lady Darla

Our Babies

I just wanted to post a little update on the babies that hatched on our front porch last week.  There are 4 babies, as we had originally thought.  And they are growing up nicely, thanks to the care of their mother, Robin. The little guy in this pic is looking for a meal.  Notice his sporty new mohawk.  

Below all the siblings pose together. They have changed quite a bit in one week,  just like my youngest grandson!

Counting beaks- Can you see all four?

Watching these babies grow has been a new experience for me, and I’m enjoying it immensely.  There is a window nearby that I am able to peek through and watch Mama feed her babies without disturbing the family.  I have been reminded many times this week of an old Bible verse that goes like this: “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Can you imagine? Not only is God peering into my life from His nearby window in Heaven, but He actually is keeping track of every hair on  my head! I can’t even do that! I am blessed, humbled, and amazed. I don’t understand why He watches over us the way He does. But knowing that He is there helps me be strong, and gives me courage to face the road ahead. I know that I am loved, and someone is watching over me.

Blessings,

Tea Lady Darla

Unexpected Houseguests

Anyone who has known me for very long, would know that one of the things I abhor is unexpected houseguests.  Now , don’t get me wrong, I LOVE  company!  But my days are usually so jam packed full of things,  that I’ve got to do some mighty heavy duty planning to cram it all into 24 hour stretch. And usually I fail miserably.  But I’d like to at least say I came close to finishing all my projects in one day.  Probably a pride thing, I suppose.  In any case, I love expected company.  I just don’t like the kind of folks that show up at your door step to “surprise” you, as though I’m supposed to just drop everything and gush over how delighted I am to see them. Well, I am a lot of things, but phoney I’m not.  And if you disturb me in the middle of a project, I’ll probably just come right out and tell you to leave. However, I did make a tiny exception to my usual curtness recently. 

While I was sweeping up the front porch, I noticed the wreath that hangs next to the front door appeared a little lop sided…well top heavy to be more accurate.

 

Upon further investigation I discovered, (gasp), an unexpected houseguest.  Well, she was so cute, I just had to grab a picture before I shooed her out.  But then I had second thoughts.  What if she was about to be a mother?  What then?  I remembered the story of Mary and Joseph riding into Bethlehem without a place to stay while Mary was ready to give birth to the baby Jesus.  Thanks goodness the Christian side of me kicks in every now and then.  I let my little visitor stay…..but only until she had those babies!! Then she had to go. 

Sure enough, less than 2 weeks went by when I was sitting at my desk and could hear the constant sound of high pitched chirping. So I grabbed my camera to investigate, and this is what I found.

Notice the one little blue robins egg hasn’t hatched yet.  But 3 babies are visible.  Now, I not only have one unexpected houseguest, but 4, with another on the way!

Three days later, I checked again.  I still only see 3 babies in the nest.  so maybe the 4th one didn’t make it.  I don’t know.  But aren’t they cute?

I just had to share this experience with everyone.  Isn’t life a miracle?  No matter what stage, or what species. And for the record, the little family on the front porch is free to stay a little longer. At least till those kids of hers become teenagers.  I hate teenagers.

Smiles,

Tea Lady Darla

Delicious Tea Smoothies

If you’re looking for something cold, refreshing, and nutritious to drink this summer, try one of these yummy smoothies.  They are simple to make and sure to please.

  Raspberry Tea Smoothie:

1 cup of  raspberry herbal ice tea

1 cup of frozen raspberries

1 cup of vanilla yogurt

Whip ingredients together until smooth in a blender or smoothie maker.

 

Irish Breakfast Smoothie-

1 cup of strong Irish Breakfast tea, chilled.

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup cranberry juice

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 banana

Mix all ingredients together in a blender until smooth and creamy.  Do not overblend!

You will love these summertime smoothies! For more tea recipe ideas, visit my website at www.sconeyisland.net

What Is Yerba Mate?

I recently had my first taste of the increasingly popular drink called Yerba Mate. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was drinking, so I thought it would be a good idea to do a little research a find out a little bit about this concoction. Here is what I found.

Yerba Mate is a tea like drink.  However it is NOT a true tea, (all true teas come from the camelia sinius plant).  Nor is it an herbal tea, as many proponents would have you believe.  True herbal teas have no caffeine in them.  Yerba Mate does have a type of caffeine, that varies from the caffeine found in coffee and cocoa, in that it does not cause jitters, heart palpitations, or the crash that is typically associated with caffeine. Drinking Yerba Mate will, however, give you the benefits enjoyed by drinking caffeine, that being that it is a stimulant and increases awareness. These twin like characteristics of typical caffeine has caused Mate lovers to refer to the stimulant in Mate as “mafeine”, rather than caffeine.

Yerba Mate is native to Central and South American regions such as Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. It grows from the leaves of a sub species of holly called llex paraguarienis.  The most flavorful versions of  Yerba Mate are grown in the shade in sub tropical climates.

Benefits of drinking Mate are that it contains 24 vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and 15 amino acids.  Additionally, drinking Mate will suppress your appetite. It is, however an aquired taste.  But then, so are both coffee and tea.  I would recommend using a blend of Mate with a favorite tea in the beginning.

To prepare Mate you would steep the twigs and dried leaves in very hot, (not boiling) water.  The leaves are reuseable, but you may want to add a bit more each time to strengthen the flavor. Mate does not keep most drinkers awake at night, so it can be enjoyed as an evening beverage as well.

There are several versions of Mate on the market.  Some are flavored with mint, chocolate, or roasted flavor characteristics. You can sample them at farmers markets, and vendor fairs, and many tea stores to find the one you prefer. 

Do It Anyway

Good morning and welcome to all tea lovers who enjoy getting together to visit with friends and chat over a hot cup of tea. I’m feeling a bit more contemplative and reflective today, than I usually do. There are so many trials going on in the lives of my friends. It really makes me wonder how God determines which trials each one of us will have to endure. I do know that, according to the Bible, even good people have to face difficult times. There are so many examples such as Job who lost every material thing, along with all his children. And then we have David who was hunted like a wild animal for years because he was anointed to be the next king of Israel. Then there was Joseph who faced false accusations by the wife of Pharaoh when Joseph refused to succumb to her repeated attempts to seduce him. So many times it seems that life is unfair.

I’ve witnessed this within my own life from time to time also. Several years ago when my 8 year old daughter was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Lukemia, we spent several long days in hospital rooms. I would regularly slip out for a cigarette break. It seemed unfair to me then, that she was the one suffering with cancer, while I was the one puffing away. I would have traded places with her in a minute if God would have given me the choice. He didn’t. Eventually I quit anyway. And she got better. But why? Why did she get better, while so many other children we knew died? We watched in agony while other children did not get better through Chemotherapy treatments, still others got better only to relapse later and lose the battle completely. But why? Why did God decide that our outcome would be positive, and theirs would not?

As I write this, my heart is heavy for many of my friends and acquaintances. I know a little 2 year old who has recently relapsed from Nueroblastoma. This is so beyond my understanding, it hurts to even think of it. Why did God let this little girl come into the world in the first place, if the only life she would ever know would be pain filled and tragic? Another friend stands falsely accused of illegal business practices. Another friend has been out of work for weeks and they have nothing. They cannot even afford their medical bills. Another friend is in chronic pain. Another friend has lost her teenage son in a car accident. I could go on and on, but I think you understand my point. You too may be experiencing hardships, injustice, poor health, financial ruin, a broken family. Where does this come from? Why does God allow it? Can it really serve any purpose? Does God really hear us when we pray?

Jesus talks about prayer and teaches his followers to pray in Matthew 6. Certainly He believed there was value in prayer. Repeatedly in the New Testament we see Him stealing away to be alone and meet with His Father in prayer. That would indicate to me that there is some real value in prayer. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that God gives us some choices in how things are run on earth by the way we choose to pray. This is not to say that we are in complete control of the outcome of all things. But certainly, we are allowed to voice our opinions to God through prayer, and cast our votes for what we’d like an outcome to be.

I don’t think people spend enough time praying these days. Maybe it’s because they don’t believe it really does any good. Or maybe it’s because they have such a hard time committing themselves to being a part of what God desires to do in each one of us. Praying is not an easy task. I’m not talking about the fleeting “God help me through this mess”, prayer. But really being on our knees to interact with God. To hear from Him first, and speak to Him after.

My point in posting this is to tell you that God does answer prayer. I have so many documented answers to prayer, you would have to spend an entire day visiting with me to let me share all my stories. I usually write the prayer request, and the date it was answered, and I place in a big wooden box I refer to as my “family alter”.

God has not answered all my prayers. My first marriage fell apart despite my pleading with God that it would somehow survive. The tumor in my brain did not shrivel up and disappear so that I wouldn’t have to endure surgery. But the surgery went well, and I am healthy today. And my daughter is alive and well twenty years after the chemo treatments. That is not just a coincidence. She is a miracle. But I’d need to write a book to explain it to you. And I’ve been seriously considering doing just that. The house I live in is a miracle, but that’s another incredible story. Countless times we have had financial needs provided for in the nick of time.

And just recently another answer to prayer. A big one. I am not at liberty to share because it involves other people. But it was a miracle. I promise to share the story as soon as I am able to go public with it. Not all my prayers have been answered in the way I requested God to answer them. But I am certain He has heard me cry before Him, and He has considered carefully my requests and made the best decisions on my behalf because He dearly loves me.

I think it’s important to pray alone, (as in Matthew 6:6). But I also think there is incredible value in praying with friends and family members, (Matthew 18:19-20). My husband and I have been astonished to see some amazing answered prayers that seem to have been the direct result of kneeling together and speaking out, in front of one another, the petitions we are lifting up before God. And while I cannot, by any means, claim to know everything there is to know about prayer, I hope that I can leave you feeling inspired and encouraged to pray more often, and to have faith in the process, even if the end results are not always the hoped for, and anticipated results. Sometimes God answers prayers in a different way for a reason we simply cannot understand in the fragileness of our humanity. Whether you understand prayer or not, I encourage you, in the words of Martina McBride, to do it anyway. I leave you now with the lyrics to a song that has touched my heart, and inspires me to never give up hope on the requests I bring to God daily.

DO IT ANYWAY

You can spend your whole life building something from nothing
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach
and you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

Chorus:
God is great, but sometimes life ain’t good
And when I pray it doesn’t always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway, I do it anyway

This world’s gone crazy and it’s hard to believe
that tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart, for all the right reasons,
and in a moment they can choose to walk away
Love ‘em anyway

God is great, but sometimes life ain’t good
And when I pray it doesn’t always turn out like I think it should
But I pray anyway….I pray anyway.

You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in
that tomorrow they’ll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway, sing it anyway

I sing, I dream, I love, anyway

[Thanks to Mike Sublett for lyrics]

Looking For Tea Party Recipes?

Greetings tea fans.  Just want to update you about what I’m up to these days.  I have completely re-modeled my website to include a recipe page, tea articles, a tea store, party supplies, fun ideas and links to other related sites. This is still a work in progress, but I invite you come take a sneak peek by clicking here- Sconey Island.

So, if you are looking for tea party recipes, I will have them listed over there. Please stop by and visit me there.  I will be adding more recipes throughout the month.

Blessings,

Tea Lady Darla

Tea With Grandma

Truly one of the best things about being 50, (perhaps the only good thing about being 50), is my grandchildren. What a delight they are to me!  And the best part is, that they do go back home.  And my house can return to being a peaceful, (and clean), sanctuary. Last week I had the pleasure of hosting two of my favorite people, while giving the their Mama a little break after having just delivered her 4th baby.  He makes our 6th little grandbaby, our 2nd grandson. Big sister and big brother got to spend the week over here with Grandma and Grandpa.  Naturally, we had to have at least one tea party! But I must tell you, they ask me to have a tea party for them.  Nothing could make me happier.  It’s such a fun way for us to spend time together.

Hosting a tea party for your grandchildren is super fun.  And I guarantee they will LOVE it!  Even my squirmy little grandson loves having tea in the tea room with grandma.  You do this at one of their regular mealtimes, such as lunch.  Everything that kids love to eat can be easily translated into “tea party food”. We made graham crackers with jam, and celery sticks with peanut butter, slices of cheese, mandarin oranges, grapes, and banana bites, and a little slice of Angel Food cake for dessert! They loved it and ate every bite.  It was served with a flavored herbal tea, (I used Raspberry Mint, which my grandson loved and drank 6 cups full!  Good things the cups were tiny).

The little tea set I served lunch on was a thrift store find that cost me less than 8 bucks. It had some broken pieces.  But it is just perfect for hosting a tea party for 2 grandkids and 1 grandma.

And in true grandma form, I used our little tea party as an opportunity to teach them about table  manners.  (Not that they needed much direction from me, since they happen to be very well behaved, thanks to some very firm guidance from their awesome mother). But we did talk a little bit about putting your napkin in your lap, and chewing with your mouth closed.  Using magic words such as please, thankyou, and excuse me. There is a book titled Children’s Tea & Etiquette, by Dorothea Johnson if you’d like more information about proper tea manners.  Personally, I think this book takes the etiquette theme way too far by suggesting which side of the chair to exit from when leaving the table, and where to leave the napkin, yadda, yadda. Too much information, I say.  Too many rules spoil the fun of having a tea party.  I am a tea party hostess, not a tea party snob. And I’d really prefer to let my grandkids have fun during the experience.  So a few rules are great.  But don’t take this too far.

Once the kids have settled and started eating well, I like to tell them a story.  Any good story book will do.  But in keeping with the occasion I chose to read one of the stories from Sandy Lynam Clough’s book titled “Come To My Tea Party”. This wonderful book has stories of kindness, recipes, and craft ideas. It’s a fun book for grandma’s to have in their library. My favorite children’s tea party book of all is Emilie Barnes book titled “Let’s Have A Tea Party”.  This wonderful book is a plethora of fun party ideas, decorations, recipes, games, themes and more. There is a wealth of information here, and I highly recommend it.  Whether you are hosting a tea party for your own children the neighbors kids, or the grandkids, you will find all the inspiration you could possibly need in these titles.

Well, I have just finished my cup of Kashmiri Green Chai, which means it is time for me to say goodbye and finish up my errand running for the day.  I hope you will join me again for tea soon.

Blessings,

Tea Lady Darla

Hosting A Mother Daughter Tea Party

Greetings dear tea lovers, and welcome back.  I am relaxing this afternoon with a cup of Buckingham Palace Tea.  I have grandchildren staying with me this week, and I have just put them down for an afternoon nap after spending the afternoon at the Outside In Cafe in Redmond.  I probably need the nap more than they do at this point.  But I know the tea will relax and refresh me for the rest of the afternoon. Taking care of my grandkids reminds me of what a demanding job motherhood is.  And yet, for all the blood, sweat, and tears, it’s still the most rewarding career choice of all.

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is host a Mother-Daughter Tea Party. This is a surprizingly simple way to make a lot of ladies, both young and old, feel incredibly special. Invite just a couple of your friends, and have them bring along their mothers, or their daughters, or both! If you have a larger home available with plenty of seating, you can invite several friends. Here is my no fail recipe for hosting a very memorable event for some of the favorite women in your life.

I start to decorate my table early in the day, so it’s done and out of the way.  I use a white table cloth, (because it works for all seasons, and all holidays). I add placemats, flatware, crystal or glass stemware, luncheon plates, and cloth napkins, tucked into some fancy napkin holders.  If you don’t have these items, don’t fret!  Nowadays,  there are lovely paper and plastic party ware that would work just fine for such an occasion. ( See my link to “Party Works” on the left, under Party Supplies). I also like to fill a little glass vase with some snipped flowers from my garden, (or you could pick up a little bouquet for next to nothing at Walmart).  I like to sprinkle a little decoration of some sort on the table, such as glass pebbles, or colored confetti, or foam flowers.  Use your imagination and I’m sure you’ll come up with something clever without having to make an extra purchase.

Make sure you have sugar and creamer dishes available, as well as a couple of teapots.  Borrow these if you need to. Place a teacup and saucer at each place setting.  I am fortunate to have a lovely collection of teacups. But if you don’t have teacups, you can consider shopping at thrift stores ahead of time and picking up several mismatched pieces. Or better yet, ask each lady to bring a favorite tea cup with them.  They can then share a little story about what makes their cup a favorite during the tea party. 

Once the table has been set, you can focus the rest of your time and energy on the menu.  Basically I keep things pretty simple.  A tray of fresh fruit, some scones with jam and Devonshire Cream, and of course tea.  I serve two types of tea during my tea parties.  One is a caffeinated black tea, the other would be a decaffeinated choice such as Rooibos or Herbal tea.  If you have younger girls coming, you may even consider some sweetened ice tea or lemonade. This is my basic menu, and nothing else is needed, unless you really want to serve something more substantial that could be considered more of  a luncheon.  In this case I would suggest adding a quiche or salad, or perhaps just making some tiny tea sandwiches. A little cream cheese and dill blended together can be spread on white bread and topped with cucumber slices.  Cut your sandwich into quarters, and remove the crust.  Place these on a fancy glass serving plate, unless you have a tiered serving piece.  A 3 tiered serving piece is a fun piece to use for fancy tea parties.  Sandwiches take the bottom, scones, in the center, and cookies or tarts are on the top plate.

Truly, the food preparation for this tea party is very simple and can be accomplished in less than an hour.  I always make my scones from good quality scone mixes, (see my links at left).  They are quick and super easy. But most importantly they are absolutely delicious!  Especially with some delicious toppings.   

A couple of other things you may wish to consider at your tea party.  A good hostess must also be ready to start good conversation between her guests.  Think of good, safe topic that everyone can participate in, such as  “What is the most important thing your Mother ever taught you”.  Introduce the topic early and let everyone think about their answers. Encourage them to answer the question whenever they feel ready to do so.  I also like to have someone available to take Mother- Daughter pictures after everyone has finished eating.  E-mail these to your guests as a reminder of this special event.

I hope you will consider having your own Mother Daughter Tea this year.  You will be amazed at how much delight you will bring to the lives of the women you invite. And if you are anything like me, you will be delighted yourself, at how simple this plan is, how well it works, and how happy it makes other women. 

 

Best wishes,

Tea Lady Darla

Zucchini Chronicles- Part Three

Would you believe we found this ransom note, (below),  in my husband’s mailbox at school?  That poor giant zucchini has been taken hostage. (If you missed parts one and two of this story, please refer to my older posts). There is no telling what happened to this poor little guy.  Would you believe my husband actually accused me of having done this!  If only I had thought of it first! Actually I am trying to hunt down the guy who kidnapped the zucchini so I can thank him and give him a reward for sparing me from having to deal with this bad boy on my own.  If you know who the culprit is, please have him contact me, so I can thank him personally.

Hooray For Tea Party Day!

On Wednesday, April 15th, thousands of Americans will gather in various locations across the country to come together for a different kind of tea party.  Although I have never participated in any type of political gathering, I do plan to be one voice among thousands tomorrow who will stand up and say “Enough is enough!”  This is one tea party we can all partake in together. If you live in the Central Oregon area, we will meet at Troy Park on Bond Street, next to McMenamins in downtown Bend, from 3pm -6pm.  For questions please call Lucy Brackett at 541-390-4486.  For all other areas, please refer to the official website at www.taxdayteaparty.com .

If we refuse to put an end to wasteful government spending, someday our pledge of allegiance may sound like this:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Social States Of America,

and to the new world order for which it stands-

All nations under Obama with wealth and healthcare for all.”

(God help us!)

I know there is a rule out there somewhere that says tea and politics don’t mix.  But…maybe just this once?  I’ll drink to that.  How bout you?

An Easter Tail

Welcome back to our continuing saga.  With Easter just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share some memories of our first Easter together as a blended family.  I am pouring myself a hot cup of Peaches and Cream black tea while we visit.  I highly recommend it. Please sit down and relax while we visit together.

No other holiday set the differences between our families more starkly than Easter, which was our first holiday together. Thankfully we share the same religious beliefs concerning Easter, that Jesus Christ actually experienced a resurrection after his death on the cross.  No problem there. We both love to attend resurrection services at our local church.  So we were good there as well.  But that was where the similarities ended in regard to how we chose to celebrate this festive occasion.

I had gone out and purchased a giant ham, potatoes, yams, asparagus, and all the ingredients neccessary to prepare a fabulous lemon chiffon pie for my new family, when suddenly my phone rang.  It was my new sister in law who wanted to know what time we would meet her on Sunday afternoon for the annual wienie roast in the hills overlooking the farm. I hadn’t heard anything about a wienie roast, I informed her.  “No problem”,  she said.  “Just bring a couple packages of hotdogs and buns, and join us on the hill.”  Dan knew the spot she explained.

Wienie roast on the hill…hmmmm.  Not sure how that ties in with Easter, but I wanted to be a good sport, this being my first year living in Central Oregon and wanting to make a good impression on my in-laws.  My kids, however were not nearly as agreeable.  They wanted to do things the way we always used  to do.  Whatever that meant.  We never did things the same twice anyway.  I encouraged them to give it a try, which they begrudgingly agreed to do. 

So all was well, until later that afternoon when Dan suggested we start dying the Easter eggs for the egg hunt.  “Who are we doing an egg hunt for?” I asked.  “The kids”, he answered. 

“You mean our kids?”, I asked in shock. 

“Of course”, he replied.

“But aren’t the kids a little old for that? “  Between us we had 7 kids at the time.  The youngest was 11, and the rest were teenagers.

“Youré never too old for an egghunt”, he informed me. 

Well I was pretty sure my 3 children would not agree with that statement.  And considering I had already broke the news about the wienie roast, I was a little concerned I’d have a mutiny on my hands if I forced them to get up early and hunt for boiled eggs.  Thankfully I was able to talk Dan into letting me pick up some plastic eggs and filling those with candy and money.  Dan was very reluctant to break off from his long held traditions of hunting for decorated boiled eggs.  But thank God he conceded in this one area. 

Early Easter morning we bribed the kids to wake up and hunt for the Easter eggs that the Easter bunny had hidden in the yard.  My poor city slicker kids were in absolute shock. The Elliott kids were used to this, so they were great cheerleaders to my 3. We finally managed to get everyone out there to search for the hidden eggs.

Secretly, I think my kids kinda liked it.  They must have collected at least $1.32 between the 3 of them, not to mention a few lucious hard boiled eggs too!

After the egg hunt, we dressed for church and heard the familiar story of Christ’s resurrection which truly never gets old to me,  But always more wonderful and endearing. How the King of the universe could be so humble and lay His own life down so that I would not have to be punished for the ignorant sins I’ve committed over the course of my lifetime.  Why was He silent while humans slapped and mocked Him?  He had the power to end His own suffering, but chose to give His life a ransom for us instead. It’s an incredible story.  It will never grow old to me. His humility, His kindness, His long suffering at the hands of wicked men confounds me. And I cry always.  I do cry at Easter.  But then I rejoice, cause I know it was all part of a magnificent plan.  The plan worked, and is still working.  And I am a part of His plan!  Now that’s a reason to celebrate!

After church we head out to picnic site for our “traditional” wienie roast….Elliott style.  the word “picnic” has always struck a cord of terror in my heart. But now more than ever. This is a picnic out in the boondogs with no bathrooms. It means we should be taking our 4-wheeler, but since we don’t have one, we’ll scratch up my cute little Honda instead.  It means  sitting  around freezing in the early Spring wind, trying to think of something to say while cooking cheap dogs on sticks. It means being stuck on location until my husband is ready to leave…some 3 or 4 hours later. 

Well, things haven’t changed much in the past 14 years.  We still have that traditional wienie roast every year, like it or not.  “Nothing says resurrection Sunday like wienie’s on a stick”,  says my oldest son, now 30.  Dan  still even tries to hide Easter eggs for our adult kids.  Little did I know that Easter is truly his favorite holiday of all.  He absolutely LOVES to hide Easter eggs! Although none of our kids willingly participate anymore, we have always been able to find a few volunteers to search for Dan’s hidden eggs. The Sibley kids, the kids I do respite care for, and now we have 5 wonderful grandkids to hunt for Grandpa Dan’s eggs.

Yes, we will hunt eggs again this year, and roast wienies.  And yes, we will go to church and hear, once again, the most incredible love story the world has ever known. And yes, I will cry again, as I do every year.  Not because I have to go on another picnic, but because Jesus loves me so much.  I have so much to celebrate! 

Blessings-

Tea Lady Darla

Blogging For Newbies

It seems hard to believe that less than a year ago, I scarcely knew what a blog was.  Now here I am a blogging maniac at 50 years old!  When I was younger I used to keep journals about my life and the delightful ways my children kept me entertained.  Now, as I approach senior citizen status, (I can’t believe I’m saying this), I find myself blogging about life in general.  Blogging has become a new hobby of mine that I am very passionate about.  It is also a fascinating way to learn intricate details about other people.  So pull up a chair, won’t you?  And let me pour you a cup of Satsuma Tea.  I’d like to encourage anybody who has never tried blogging, to go ahead and take the plunge and learn to share what matters most to you.  Don’t know what to blog about?  Don’t worry.  It’ll come to you.  Most people are passionate about something.  Religion, politics, family matters, music, travel, entertainment, sports, shopping, tea parties?  The list goes on and on.  You can even start a blog to compliment your business, or to keep in contact with customers.  So many ways to use a blog, and benefit from it.  So here are just a few tips to get you started.

The first thing you may be interested in knowing is that you can blog for free!  There are several different blogsites you can use.  Some are actually for private family use only, if you’d prefer to keep your entries within a smaller circle of readers.  You may also want to know that you can actually make money blogging, by allowing advertisers to post their ads on your blog.  (I currently do not allow advertisements on either of my blogs.  So I cannot speak of how well this works.  I have heard from others that it can take a LONG time to earn any significant amount of money.  But it’s good to know that it is an option for bloggers).

My two favorite blogsites are Blogspot and WordPress.  To start a blog on either site you will need to register by filling out some basic information.  You may wish to add a profile page by adding a few personal details about yourself that explain the kind of person you are, and give a hint as to what type of blogger you will be.  You can upload a photograph of yourself from your own computer to add to your profile page. 

Now you are ready to create a page design.  Sounds tricky, doesn’t it?  Don’t worry!  WordPress and Blogspot have made it so easy for you!  They have several pre-selected themes for you to choose from, with different layouts.  Links on the left, links on the right?  One column, two, or even three? Want to blog about food?  There are dozens of pictures, colors and themes to choose from.  They have done all the work for you.  So just pick something now.  You can always go back and change it later.  Or customize it with your own photos.  Let the blogging experience be fun, not a nightmare.  So just start out slow and know that things can be changed and perfected later.  It’s really okay if you don’t understand everything yet.  Just play around with it.  Take your time.  Take a week or a month.  Ask questions.  The support staff at WordPress has been very helpful to me.  But for the most part, I have to confess, the whole process through both WordPress and Blogspot is very user friendly and self explanatory.  You really can’t goof it up.  You can only make it better.  So don’t be afraid to go ahead and dive in! Believe me, if this ole techno-challenged boomer can figure it out, anyone can.

Once you have your blog design selected you are ready for your first post.  Hit the “New Post” button and you’re on your way. The programs work just like any other word processor with spell check and other options to make your writings look tidy.  You can also link to a website, upload a photo, add a video, poll, sound effects, etc.  There is no special skills or software needed to perform these functions.  They are all included here at WordPress, or on Blogspot. They give you all the tools needed, so that you can just concentrate on being creative with your writing and photo sharing. Go ahead and write your little story.  These are called ”posts”.  Blogging is not intended to be a book.  It’s just a ”snippet” or short story.  When you string them together they can become like a journal or online magazine. 

 To help search engines find what you’ve written you need to find the categories, tags, and/or labels buttons.  Here you will be able to add keywords from your blog, and the subject matter that it deals with. It may take a while for search engines to find you initially, but this step is critical if you wish to expand your readership beyond a small circle. When you are happy with your first post, hit the “publish” button and viola…you are now an official online blogger!  How cool is that?

Add followers. Obviously there really isn’t any point in blogging if no one is ever going to read it.  A word of caution here, be careful what you blog about.  You really don’t want to write nasty stuff about your mother in law, or your next door neighbor.  Keep it clean and interesting, but not overly personal.  Remember the u-tube divorcee who spilled dirty secrets all over the internet about her ex-husband?  While there may be an appetite for that by some internet users, it is highly inappropriate to use the internet as a means of trying to seek revenge by destroying the reputation of someone you once were in love with. So how do you find readers or followers?  Well, how bout if I save that for another day?  There are dozens of tricks you can use to increase readership.   And quite honestly, I am still learning this for myself.  But truly the subject matter here deserves a post of it’s own.  Let’s talk about it next week.  Won’t you join me for tea then?

Have a blessed day,

Tea Lady Darla