As you may have noticed, we did not post anything last week. Cooking, cleaning, and family time took precedence over blogging. But have no fear, we will be having a giveaway this month to make up for it so be sure to check back each week for the details on how to enter. I hope everyone had a grand time over Thanksgiving with their loved ones! Here is a look at out table scape and dessert we presented.
With the start of December, also starts my hot chocolate obsession. I have already started off every morning this week with a cup to wake me up as I am not a coffee drinker. But today, I wanted to have a nice mug full after my meal. My brother also insisted I make him a cup so I reached for these cute little mugs I got from the Dollar General for $1 each. To make our hot chocolate, we used the Swiss Miss brand, and added in whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and cocoa powder. Finally we added in some candy cane spoons!
With the first snow of the season today, I figured it was time to use up the last of the food related apple products in the house. After this week, I will be in full hot chocolate mode until February. As will the stores, for finding apple cider or apple butter becomes nearly impossible to locate in between all the gingerbread and peppermint flavored things. So here is how I savored my last cup of apple cider and apple butter for the season.
The tea pot/tea cup combo is made by Peggy Jo Ackley through CIC. I picked this up for $10 at a local antique store and thought it would bring the ambiance to my breakfast this morning.
I just returned home a few days ago from a much needed trip at the Amish Country. Its a trip we usually take a couple times a year but have not been able to in the last year. Thus I was so excited about going. Its a place where you can fill your day with going from one antique store to another without end. It is just amazing how many antique stores there are. What that mostly means for me is the intoxicating search for tea pots and tea cups, and the and Amish Country never disappoints. The question is not if I can find any, but how many can I fit in my vehicle? Although I found quite a few good treasures, I decided to feature this whimsical cheery yellow pumpkin tea pot. It was a little bit more expensive than I wanted to invest in a seasonal tea pot and I am not sure where I will store it, but I could not resist. I actually did place it back on the shelf for a few moments (out of some faint attempt of self-control) but then around the corner fate happened. I found this beautiful yellow and gold tea cup that just needed a whimsical tea pot to make a seasonal tea encounter wonderful. So, back I went to collect the tea pot, and then to the cash register to check out.
The yellow kept making me think of lemons, so, I decided that Lemon Lift Black Tea would be perfect. Its a distinctive blend with just the right amount of lemon and a dash of spice. A little bit of lemon added to the top of this hot tea was perfect. I wanted something easy to go with my tea and decided on the usual choice of cupcakes. Cupcakes are easy to make and definitely easy to find in any grocery store. I didn't feel like whipping any up so I decided to pick some up at a grocery store after my son's futsal game. My husband trying to be helpful packs up all my bags and puts them in the vehicle for me. Upon arriving home, I discovered he had placed my cupcakes into the vehicle on their tops. Needless to say they were not very pretty anymore. I was able to salvage three and throw some sprinkles on top to cover the imperfections. Because I was able to salvage a few cupcakes and my husband was really trying to be nice, I let him off the hook pretty easy. Overall I was very pleased with this fall teatime especially since we only have a few more days before the Christmas fever takes over.
On my way home travelling a few months ago I made the usual stop to eat at Cracker Barrel. Instead of patiently waiting on my food to arrive, I slipped out and thought I could occupy my time better by shopping. I love shopping to find the perfect treasure to bring home with me as a reminder of my time away. That’s when I found this beautiful linen embroidered with the scripture of Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God". It was the last one they had and I knew that it would be perfect to use not only for a perfect tea napkin, but to provide inspiration.
In this fast paced life that is constantly filled with distractions, disappointments, and mindless chatter, it is next to impossible to be still. Because of this it is so easy for the world to rob the peace and joy and break down the communication between ourselves and God. As our souls yearn for God, this busyness yields a disconnect in our spirit, and an internal war ensues within us. As our minds begin to race with life our focus begins to shift from knowing God is in control to wondering why we must endure suffering. God becomes a distant glimpse while we become engulfed in the present reality of our problems. Instead of being tuned into what God has for us, this distance ensues a narcissistic cycle of constant discontentment and self-pity.
It is imperative in this secular world that we simply stop and take time to be still and meditate on what God’s design and plan is for our life. Knowing God in a deep intuitive way allows us to detach ourselves from our circumstance and rest upon who he is. Understanding that in the difficult times in our lives he is strengthening our inner man that we may endure the hardships of life and like Job say’s, “Though he may slay me I will rest in him”.
It is one of my life long struggles to drown out life and simply be still and know God for who he is. So, as my tea linen inspires me to work upon my deficiency and grow stronger in the faith, I pray this post inspires you to do the same.
It's Halloween, the festive time of the year where old traditions of celebrating the dead come alive. The last day of October is where we attend costume parties, decorate our houses with spooky jack-o-lanterns, light bonfires, and tell scary ghost stories that send shivers down anyone's spine. But most notable and prevalant attribute about Halloween its the treats! Its the one holiday a year where candy is King and the sugar level in every household raises by an infinate amount. So what does that mean for any tea lover? It means its another opportunity to set up a festive and inviting place to celebrate with a Halloween tablescape and some hot tea with treats.
I started off with a perfect black tea pot that could be found in any witch's kitchen for a brew of some sort, and a matching black mug that could hold a delightful potion of tea. Next, I placed an apothacary full of candy corn topped with oreo Halloween themed cookies. A plate full of orange and green cookies with a couple of cake pops make the sweet menu official. A couple added items for extra ambiance and I am ready to begin my Halloween treat.
Here is to hoping to inspire you on this spooky day to stop and take some time to enjoy your sugary treats with a spot of tea.
Hope everyone is enjoying the autumnal weather we are having! As you know I love to bake cupcakes, and seeing as how it is the fall time, I have been baking these Pumpkin Roll Cupcakes like crazy! They taste JUST LIKE a pumpkin roll and were a instant hit in my house (I'm already on my second batch!).
Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 box of Pumpkin Cake mix
- 4 egg whites
- 1 and 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups of powdered sugar
- 1 package of cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 stick of butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 teaspoon of imitation butter
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- extra cinnamon for garnish (optional)
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
Directions
- Mix the cake mix, egg whites, sour cream, vegetable oil, and water together. Add in nutmeg and cinnamon and mix well. Place batter into a cupcake tin and bake for 20-22 minutes.
- While cupcakes are in the oven, mix cream cheese, butter, imitation butter, and vanilla until blended.
- Start mixing in the powdered sugar about a 1/2 a cup at a time.
- When the cupcakes are done, let them cool for about 20 minutes. Then put your icing on them. To finish, sprinkle cinnamon on top to garnish the cupcakes.
Additional Comments
- This recipe makes about 16 cupcakes depending on how much batter you use per cupcake (I filled the cupcake pan almost to the top).
- Since they have cream cheese icing, they should be stored in a refrigerated area. This will allow the icing to become firm and cool.
- If you would like to create a cinnamon cream cheese icing, add in a teaspoon of cinnamon to the icing mixture before adding in the powdered sugar.
I made a video tutorial on these cupcakes as well. My brother made a cameo in it, check it out:
In honor of Trick-Or-Treat night, todays posts talks about costumes! Have you ever wondered what tea pots dress up as for Halloween? Well here are four tea pots that have their costume on and are ready for tonight!
Here is an unmarked tea pot dressed as a kitchen sink. It is complete with cabinets and drawers under the sink. The tea pot also has a few dishes in the sink, with a dish towel hanging over. The tea pot, cup, and tray on the left make up the lid. This is a super cute tea pot that blends right in with the holiday décor.
This Bordeaux tea pot was hand painted by Mann. I think it looks like a basket filled with grapes, leaves, and vines from a vineyard. What do you think?
This hand painted Tulip Time by Mann, makes for a wonderful garden costume. The handle is a blade of grass, and the lid has a tulip sprouting from the top as a handle. Side note: it is sitting by a childhood favorite, Pumpkin Moonshine!
Finally we have another unmarked tea pot, this time as a cute little cottage. What is more homier than a thatched roofed home complete with a chimney? I think this costume does a great job at impersonating a cottage. This is also my favorite costume of the four!
