Baked Apple Delight with Lavender

This is a wonderful gluten-free version of an old favorite. The delightful flavors in this mixture meld delightfully.

Baked Apple Delight

4 apples

2/3 cup almonds

1/8 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup coconut

juice of 2 oranges

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup agave syrup

1/2 cup dates, chopped
lavender and mint

Core apples, cutting deeply into center so that space can be made for filling.

Grind almonds and flax seeds in food processor until finely ground. Place mixture in a bowl. Add coconut, orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, agave syrup, and dates.

Place a small amount of filling in the bottom of a baking dish (or dishes). Use the remaining filling to stuff each apple.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes. When apples are tender and baked through, remove from oven. Drizzle with more agave syrup for decor. Garnish with mint and lavender.

*The lavender enhanced the flavor --- allow little buds of lavender to mix with the filling.

Technically Tea

It was decided when Dad and Alma visited recently, that we would do a "town day". I determined to take them to tea and to a local museum. Dad is a retired university professor. He has been responsible for the education of many electronics technicians and engineers over the years. I really wanted to take him somewhere that would interest him and remembered that one of the tea shops in town was co-owned by an IT computer scientist and electrical engineer. Perfect!

It was decided that we would participate in a tea tasting. Olga was a wonderful host and spent much time discussing tea and its history, sources, and usage.

She spent several hours with us, explaining things and answering all our questions.

We tried four different teas. They were:

 Mocha Roca Rooibos: a naturally sweet, earthy tisane with subtle hints of chocolate; the best rooibos I have ever tried; excellent (I don't usually enjoy rooibos tisanes).

White Bergmot Honeymoon: a super floral black tea; a blend that is all about the aroma; smelled like roses; rich in the oil of bergamot, also called beebalm (I have lots of it growing in my herb garden right now); dad's favorite of the day and my least favorite.

Ceylon Nuwara Eliya: plain black tea; dark mature; flowery broken orange pekoe; full-bodied and delicious!

Yunnan Royal Gold: a red tea from Yunnan, China; made from young leaves, buds, and tips; very flavorful and my favorite! Most delicious of all!

Chocolates, fortune cookies, and artisan candy was served with tea so that we could cleanse our palates between kinds of tea. Olga was generous with the tea portions and attentive to the pace we set in enjoying our teas.

We spent time looking through the gift shop where tea containers and accoutrement's from all around the world were displayed and available for sale.

It was an enjoyable time and I loved going to tea with Dad and Alma. They were great conversationalists and were interested in the tea experience.

Generally, after tea with a friend we'd go to some of the nearby gift shops. But, I decided to treat Dad to a visit to our local museum instead. It was the highlight of his day! He walked inside the front door and was met by a docent. That is where he stayed for the next two hours and the two of them discussed ideas of mutual interest. The docent was exactly Dad's age and was a physicist who spent his entire career in our community where he worked in the nuclear industry. He shared history, perspectives, and answered questions galore! Dad never did see the displays.

Alma and I browsed through museum displays, learning about nuclear power along the way. It didn't take us two hours, so we each found a comfortable chair and relaxed while Dad enjoyed his visit with the docent. 

Afterwards, I thought I really should take Alma to a gift shop or two, just to be fair. We ended with a trip to Frosted Cupcake Sweet where we each had a decadent cupcake! It was a very pleasant day.

Tipping the Pansy Teacup

 

It's been fun sharing about pansies this week. They are such a friendly, expressive flower. Just looking at their happy faces makes me smile! I hope you've enjoyed learning about these garden friends. I have a few more things to share about pansies today. Today's post is a bit of an assortment of ideas related to pansies. Please bear with me and next week we'll start a new topic with a bit more clarity than what you're seeing here today.

 

Pansies are a subject that's photographed and painted fairly often. They can be found on stationary, gift wrap, or in magazines. Clip art of pansies can be found on the Internet as well. Here's a craft project with which you can use the pansy pictures you like (or color photocopy them so you don't destroy the original) to make stickers. Everyone loves stickers! They are fun for children and adults alike. They can be used to stick on envelopes, assignments, packages, and more.  Some people create entire journals or books filled with stickers!  Making your own stickers out of magazine pictures, wallpaper samples, gift wrap, or drawings is even more fun!  You can even use old greeting cards and family photos.

Homemade Stickers
Here's a recipe for this fun craft.

2 parts white glue
1 part white vinegar

1)  Create a sticker sheet by gluing pictures on an 8 x 11 sheet of paper or by sketching them on.  Color if desired.

2)  Photocopy on a color copy machine.

3)  Coat the entire back of the page with the white glue/white vinegar mixture.

4)  Allow page to dry completely.

5)  Apply a second coat of white glue/white vinegar mixture.  

6)  Allow page to dry completely.

7)  Using scissors, cut out pictures to create stickers.  Leave a small, white border around each picture.

8)  To use, moisten back of sticker and apply to page, envelope, or more.



 

And look! Yesterday when shopping for groceries at the supermarket, I saw the most recent issue of Martha Stewart Living. On the front cover was a cake decorated with pansies. How fun! I did not copy her with my series this week, but I wonder...did she copy me? Of course not, but it is fun to imagine. 

Pansies can be found in my bedroom too. This little bird's nest is hanging on the wall and little silk pansies add color and flair.

Above the bed is a watercolor painting of pansies. It was painted by my mother whose love for pansies was so genuine and deep!

Dad and Alma have been here to visit this week. Here's dad, tipping his pansy teacup to you! He's saying: "Hello, friends! I'm glad you've stopped by my daughter's blog today." Dad does not know a stranger. We went to town yesterday and he befriended everyone in his path.

Lastly, yesterday while shopping I came across two beautiful planters of pansies at a pretty art and decorating shop. They were abundant! Blooms were spilling over the sides of the planters. Such cheer! Such joy! Such delight!

Enjoy a happy and blessed day!

Pansy Teacups

Since we are on the topic of pansies, I thought you might enjoy seeing some of my pansy teacups. Searching for pansy teacups was something that my mother and I enjoyed doing together. It was fun to have something we were purposefully looking for as we browsed shops together. Antique shop, thrift stores, and an occasional tea shop were places that we found these little treasures. Most of the pansy teacups in my collection were my mother's, although a few were some I found in our searches. At this point I don't remember whose were whose. I've added information from the markings on the bottom of the cups and saucers. For me, it adds interest as I try to discover the history of each teacup. After awhile, it becomes easy to identify a teacup's origin simply by looking at it and not having to depend upon its marking. And just like with garment styles, each period has its own unique style and design. 

Royale Garden
Bone China ~ Staffs, England

Formalities by Baum Brothers
Bone China ~ Made in England

Ornamental Collectibles
Made in China

Regency English
Bone China ~ Made in England

Pansy
By Sango ~ Made in Japan

Saji Fancy China
Occupied Japan

Original Napco China
Hand Painted ~ Made in Japan

No Markings

Castle China
Made in Japan

Child's Teacup & Saucer
Hand Painted ~ No Markings

Hand Painted & Made By...
H.L. Effie Foster 1956
"May Good Thoughts Follow You Always"
to "Ellen Martin"

Windsor Bone China
Made in England

Royal Stuart
Fine Bone China ~ Made in England

Royal Patrician
Fine Bone China ~ Staffordshire England

Today I am linking to Heather's Tea Trolley.

And a Pansy or Two

Here we go again --- another simple table setting.
Flowers on the menu
and an uncomplicated family supper.

Romaine, mixed garden greens, tomatoes, 
sweet onions, and sugar peas were the 
ingredients for a fresh salad garnished with 
pansy, daisy, and marigold blossoms.

The flowers sure made the salad colorful 
and inviting! And, they are all edible.

The salad dressing was a quick 
homemade vinaigrette made from 
olive oil,  lemon juice, Bragg's Liquid 
Aminos (or soy sauce), salt,  stevia, 
and Italian Seasoning. Blend together  
until emulsified and then pour 
into a pretty little pitcher.

Menu

Garden Salad and Dressing
Enchilada Casserole with Corn
Baked Potatoes & Earth Balance Spread
Broccoli Spears
Grape Juice

Chocolate Cake

Today's china:

Noritake Milford with platinum rim

Vintage 1970's

Pansy Faces

Royale Garden Bone China
Staffs, England

My mother’s favorite flower was the pansy. It was her lifelong favorite, with no deviation or change of thought. Although she loved all flowers and had a degree in botany, the humble pansy was always her favorite. As a child, I remember her showing me how each pansy had a face. And each face was unique and expressive in its own way. It seems especially meaningful to me now that she is gone that the pansy means “thought” or “remembrance”. The word itself can be traced back to the French word, pensée. The pansy is a flower with several nicknames. Each name was given because of a specific quality applied to this flower. My favorites are “Jump Up and Kiss Me” and “Heart’s Ease”. Or how about this one --- Three Faces Under a Hood”? Sometimes the pansy is called “Viola Tricolor”. Other names referenced are “Cull Me to You”, “Tickle My Fancy”, "Live in Idleness”, “Kiss Her in the Pantry”, “Johnny Jump Up”, “Monkey Faces”, “Peeping Tom”, and “Three Faces in a Hood”. So many names for one simple, little flower!

In “Language of Flowers” by Kate Greenaway, pansies are said to represent “thoughts”. In Victorian times, a maiden found a pansy that was left by an admirer, it meant that “I am thinking of our forbidden love”. It was much more romantic to let her know by giving her the flower rather than putting it in writing or saying out loud. But, the custom did not go both ways! If a lady gave a pansy to a man she admired, it was considered bad luck! Times surely have changed!

Dorothea Dix, an American nurse and activist who lived in the Civil War era seemed to admire the pansy too. She said that “perhaps no flower...claims to be so universal a favorite, as the viola tricolor; none currently has been honored with so rich a variety of names, at once expressive of grace, delicacy and tenderness.”

Another famous American was Clyde Tombaugh. He was an astronomer who made discoveries in our solar system. But clearly he didn't always look up. It appears that he also took time to appreciate little things close to the ground, like pansies. He is famous for asking "how does a pansy, for example, select the ingredients from soil to get the right colors for the flower? Now there's a great miracle. I think there's a supreme power behind all of this. I see it in nature".

The pansy is an edible plant. Both the blossoms and the leaves are safe to eat. References in the past show that the leaves were used by the Celts to make tea (actually a tisane, which they used as a love potion) and Culpeper, a 17th century English writer, refers to a syrup made from the flowers that was used medicinally to cure certain unsavory diseases.

The pansy is the subject of legend and lore in every culture where this pretty flower blooms. I especially enjoyed learning what American pioneers thought of this flower. They felt that if they picked a handful of these flowers in the spring and brought them into the farmhouse, prosperity would ensue. If the custom was neglected, harm would come to their baby chicks and ducklings. Pioneer children made dolls out of the pansy blossom. Using the pansy flower for the faces, they would add leaf skirts and twigs for arms and legs. So beautifully inventive!

I am linking this post to Bernideen's Tea Time Blog "Open House" meme today.