Friday, June 10, 2011

Tea with Karleen


Yesterday I went to visit Lucy and Chalupa. . .and my friend, Karleen.  I was eager to hear about Karleen's holiday in England and to learn about the places she visited with her family.  We usually have a cup or two of tea when we are together, so this time I said I'd bring scones.  Karleen said she'd think of something to make as well, and by the time we got together, a full-blown, impromptu tea party had developed.


Our menu consisted of a variety of tea sandwiches, raw veggies, a leafy green salad, chips, rosemary crackers with fontina cheese, scones with strawberry jam, s'mores brownie bars, and chocolate and lemon tarts with fruit compote.


Karleen moved a drop-leafed table into her living room and set it right in front of the picture window.  The view of the river and all its activity created an ambiance as fine as the best restaurant in town.


Our tea of the day was Ti Kuan Yin, a gift from my friend, Marilyn, who just returned from visiting Taiwan and the tea plantation where it was grown.  The tea was delicious, rich, and soothing.  I especially enjoyed the appearance of the individually rolled leaves and how they unfurled as they steeped.


We decorated with miniature roses.  Completely unplanned, Karleen picked some of hers and I picked some of mine.  When we got together we discovered that we had each picked the exact same color combination:  yellow, peach, and white.  How cool is that?


Karleen's tiered tray was beautiful and I wondered where she got it.  At the end of our luncheon she asked me if I recognized what she had done.  She had made the tiered tray from two glass plates, two crystal candlesticks, and adhesive.  She said the instructions on the blog she'd read that gave directions spray painted theirs in a bright color, but she decided to leave hers as clear glass.  I thought it was beautiful that way and went well with the glass water pitcher and goblets. 


While we were eating, several barges and tugboats motored on by.  It's always interesting to observe them as they head upriver to Idaho to load up with wheat to transport to the closest sea port.


Our scones were special on this occasion, as I used Eve Hill's Kensington Palace Scone recipe.  I must say that they were the best scones I have ever eaten, and I give all the credit to her fabulous recipe!  Eve is an online "tea friend" and she received this recipe from Ernest Titmuss, a shop owner who sells teapots and other fine things on Kensington Church Street in London.  He once sold a Royal Doulton tea set to Princess Diana.  Her butler, Mr. Brown, picked it up from the shop and sometime during the exchange shared the recipe for scones that he frequently made for the princess and her family.  Later Mr. Titmuss shared the recipe with Eve.  Isn't it interesting how something as simple as a recipe can be exchanged, laden with meaning and memories?  




The afternoon flew by!  Time goes quickly when shared with a lovely friend.  In my next post I will share pictures and descriptions of the beautiful gifts Karleen brought to me from London.  So, come back, y'all!

21 comments:

  1. Oh my...everything looks just lovely. What a fun impromptu creation. Those tarts with the flowers are so pleasing to my eyes. Glad you had a good tea time with friends...

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  2. Wow! What a fun, pretty way to while away the afternoon. What a blessing. Love this!

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  3. What a perfectly pleasant way to spent the afternoon. Everything is so lovely and inviting. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  4. this has to be one of the best posts all week. I am so glad to have found your blog. I am a tea lover too. I live for those impromptu tea parties. As a collector of the tea sandwich recipe I adore those sandwiches so much...everything else is amazing GREAT JOB

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  5. What a great way to spend the afernoon!
    Lisa :O)

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  6. How very beautiful it all turned out! The tea and all of the tempting tidbits look so special and delicious!

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  7. Wow, that was quite a spread. Very attractive! Thanks for sharing. Susan

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  8. What a lovely tea party you had! The photos are wonderful and the food as well!

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  9. Love seeing your wonderful tea party. The food was beautiful with the roses. Loved seeing Karleen's creative tier server. Wow, she is close to the river, what a view. A perfect addition to an afternoon tea party.

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  10. You gals outdid yourselves with all that bounty for the tea table. It all sounds like great fun.

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  11. It looks like you had plenty. You SO could have invited me. I'm not THAT far away... and if I would have seen this spread before hand, I would have been there!

    So does Karleen mind that the dogs names have made their way to the front of your visitation list?

    Blessings, Debbie

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  12. Looks like such a wonderful afternoon with friends and such a tea! Beautiful.
    Lady LInda

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  13. What a gorgeous looking tea party! Everything looks so inviting and yummy. I'm glad you were able to spend some time with your friend Karleen.

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  14. How sweet to see you linked up - this was the first time I used that Linky Tool and I really didn't know if it would work - it did - a miracle! Thanks so much for all your posts as I always look forward to scrolling your blog and what a great source for information!

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  15. My goodness, for an impromptu tea, you two ladies put together a feast for the eyes. It was nice to join you this week for tea.

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  16. Sounds like a lovely tea! The food looked amazing!!! And what an interesting story about those scones!

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  17. Hello,
    your tea party mirrors the blogname Gracious Hospitality very well. Such a nice impromptu party! I am amazed about all the nice treats and the beautiful tea setting. You are right, the table in front of the window with the gorgeous view is definately like a sophisticated restaurant.
    Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
    Best greetings to you and your friends,
    Johanna

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  18. Loved this post - I so enjoy when you share your tea parties and luncheons. Your photos, vignettes and centerpieces are always so lovely - thanks for the continual source of inspiration!

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  19. This looks wonderful! I love the yellow roses on the sandwiches!

    Do you have the scone recipe posted anywhere?

    Katherine

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  20. You totally live up to the name Gracious Hospitality. I finally scored my invite!! Keep the kettle on, I just might surprise you... ;)

    Blessings, Debbie

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  21. A perfect tea, and I like how it came together with everyone contributing something. What a view!

    Jody

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Thank you for commenting on my blog post. I am always happy to hear from blog readers. Your words encourage and inspire me. I am glad you stopped by to share conversation, recipes, ideas, and thoughts on creating a welcoming home.