Trina & Tilly: July 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015

Equestrian Tea

Hello Everyone!

Summer is the perfect time of year for a whimsical tea party for a little girl and her favorite friend. What happens when your best friend is a horse named Phoebe? You invite her to tea of course! This is exactly what little Layla did and it was quite adorable. Every horse deserves at least once in their life to be treated and loved by a little girl.

Layla knows that any tea time magic always centers around three main ingredients; the perfect tablescape, the menu, and finally the loveliest of attire. We cannot forget to mention the lovely miniature tea set that is sweet and appropriate for any little girls tea outing.

Her setting was in an open grassy area by a fence and much needed shade for a summer time tea. Secondly, a hostess knows what the perfect food to prepare for her guest. On the menu for Pheobe was a peanut butter sandwich, apples, and plenty of carrots. For Layla, there was a tiered tea tray filled with cupcakes and cookies, along with a peanut butter sandwich. Finally, the attire worn by Phoebe was her best show halter, which made her quite the beauty for tea. Layla had her hair done up, the cutest tutu skirt, and farm boots that any girl needs for tea on the farm.

This made a wonderful time for Layla and Pheobe which communicates the importance of slowing down and celebrating friendship, teaching manners, and creating memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. This setting created an environment that could make any of us want to become a child again and enjoy the magic of teatime.

God Bless,

Trina Belle

Friday, July 24, 2015

Cake Bunting | How To

Hello friends,

Recently I made a Happy Birthday banner to place in a cake for my best friend's moms' birthday cake. I received lots of compliments on it and decided to do a tutorial post on how to make one. It is very easy to make and literally anyone can make one. You can make the bunting say whatever you like, I will be recreating the Happy Birthday banner for this tutorial. Here is what the finished product will look like.

All you need is some colorful tape, string or ribbon, and 2 straws or skewers. You will also need scissors and a marker to write on the tape.

The first thing you will need to do is cut your ribbon or string into 2 strands. I cut my pieces into about 18 inch strands to allow for tying knots on the straws and for dangling down the side of the cake. You will then need to cut and center a piece of tape on one string. Each piece of tape should be about 2 inches long and is folded over the string like so:

You don't have to keep the tape evenly folded over because the bottom will be cut off. To make the bottom of the tape in the shape of a pendant, cut the tape at an angle.

Continue the process spacing the pieces of tape out evenly. Stop when you have 5 pieces of tape on one strand and 8 pieces of tape on the other.

When you are finished, use the marker to write on the bunting.

When tying the bunting on the straws, it is important to place the straws in the cake first. This will help in judging where to tie the strings onto the straws. I simply double knotted the ribbon onto the straws, making them easy to slide of for reuse.

And voila! Easy peasy cake bunting.

Hope you enjoyed,

Tilly

Chinese Flower Tea

Hello Friends,

Today we'll be talking about teas infused with leaves, flowers, and berries. In China, it is popular practice to place these items in tea to not only flavor the tea, but to make it more pleasing to the eye. In fact, teas that are aesthetic in appearance are more expensive than teas that actually taste good. The more the items dance in the teapot and/or stay parallel to the pot during infusion, the more expensive the tea is even if it tastes bad. The same goes for visually pleasing colors and shapes the tea transforms into. What buyers are purchasing is not just a tea to drink, but a visual show.

We purchased several floral teas and decided to try the Green Tea with Acai Berry first. The tea came in the form of a little pod tied up. The packaging shows what each tea pod is suppose to look like when finished.

We placed the pod in a clear teapot so we could see the flower bloom. Hot water was added and the tea pod slowly began to open and float to the bottom.

It took the pod about 10 minutes to turn the water a nice amber color and to fully open up. It stayed in the center for the most part and lowered in the teapot as it opened. Much like the practice in China, the tea did not taste that great, but it sure did look pretty. It was fun to watch too!

Hope you enjoyed,

Tilly

Friday, July 17, 2015

Tea Kettles

Hello Everyone,

I thought we would talk about the greatest appliance every tea lover should own, a tea kettle. A teakettle is the most convienent appliance to have on hand. Kettles usually have a handle on top, a lid, and a spout. My favorite part of my kettle is the steam whistle which indicates when the water has reached a boiling point. When the steam tries to escape it causes vibrations to occur and making the whistle noise come from the chamber. One advantages in using a tea kettle is that the enclosed nature of the vessel leads to quicker boiling. It also allows for a cleaner and purer water source for your tea since the tea kettle only has one usage; they are not contaminated by other grease and food items.

My tea kettle is stainless steel which means it is lightweight, keeps its bright finish, and is very durable. Teakettles can be made with other materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, polished chrome, or ceramic. My tea kettle is also bright red which will grab the attention of anyone who may walk in the room. Therefore its not only for a daily function but can be used to brighten up any kitchen and provide an iviting environment for a spot of tea. If you do not own your a tea kettle, I would encourage to go purchase one. Tea kettles are inexpensive and can be found literally anywhere.