Jane's Tea Room at the Gettysburg Academy

This past Sunday we attended the Kitt-Tea fund raiser event at Jane's Tea Room at the Gettysburg Academy. This fundraising tea was to benefit the Forever Love Rescue at the Kitty Corner in Gettysburg. Jane's Tea Room is a part of the Gettysburg Academy, which is currently a bed and breakfast in historic Gettysburg. Additional information about the history of the academy can be found on their website.

There are several dining areas set up on the main floor of the house. Tables that seat two, three, four, or more guests are tucked in different rooms, all colorfully set for event. Before we were seated, we were directed to the counter that held a variety of tea bags sourced from different companies. We selected a few different teas, and headed to our table.

We were provided with a teapot of lukewarm water that was refilled as needed. The Green Tea selected was a perfect choice for the water temp provided. The Black Tea selection actually held two pyramidal teabags in the package. There is a glass jar on each table to hold the spent teabags. The label on the jar touts the fact that the used tea leaves will be repurposed to benefit the rose garden.

The tiered tray that held the scones and desserts was on the table before we arrived. There was a menu on the table, and a list of the silent auction items available for the fund raising event. The auction items were placed around the room so you could see what was available, and place your bid. In addition to the silent auction, we were requested to bring grocery items that the kitty rescue would be able to use such as cat/kitty food, paper towels, garbage bags, etc. We were happy to provide a few necessities.

Once seated, individual sandwich plates were served. They included Cucumber and Herb Cream Cheese, Dijon Mustard Ham & Swiss Pinwheel Pastries, Traditional Egg Salad on White Bread, and an Oats and Peanut Butter Kitty Ball in the center of the plate. The sandwiches were very tasty and fresh. Additional sandwiches were offered, if desired.

The Homemade Cranberry Scone was served with a thick whipped cream.

And the dessert medley included Bread Pudding with Apple Cinnamon & Raising with Caramel topping, Red Velvet mini cakes with Yummy icing, and a petite Cinnamon Roll. The tiered tray held an assortment of these petite desserts, you could enjoy as many as you wanted. Finding new tea rooms that are relatively close to us is always a treat. Gettysburg is about half an hour away but we allowed extra time to find parking, which was not an issue. There appeared to be plenty of street parking, some metered, some not, and there is a lot in the rear of the Bed & Breakfast. We were happy to learn that Jane's Tea Room raised $750 for the Forever Love Rescue.

Always take time for tea! And help the kitties when you can!

A Valentine's Day Tea - February 14, 2025

Valentine's Day was celebrated in Sweet Remembrances on Friday, February 14th. Shades of pink and red, coupled with hearts galore adorned the tables and shelves around the tea room in preparation for a festive event. Guests arrived in their rosy red outfits, eager to enjoy the first celebratory tea of the new year.

 

The first course featured
a Mixed Berry Salad with a sweet Poppyseed Dressing. It included strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries along with Feta cheese and sugared pecans. A chilled Forever Yours Spritzer added to the rosy shades of the day. Forever Yours is a herbal blend available at the Rosemary House.

The array of tea sandwiches prominently featured hearts. At the top of the plate, there is a Chicken Salad Caprese in a fluted heart. There was a Ham Salad on Whole Wheat Bread. The large heart was a warm red pepper and swiss cheese toast. The French bread held the Bistro Beef bites topped with a petite heart cutout. The Rye bread in the shape of a heart was filled with our Herbed Party Spread, and in the center of the plate was a warm Strawberry and Brie Tartlet topped with pecans..

For the scone course, we served our Traditional English Cream Scone cutout in the shape of a heart. That was served alongside a glazed Double Chocolate Chip Scone. Sweet Cream and strawberry jelly were the accompaniments for the scones. And a Fudgy Topped Strawberry and a strawberry cut to resemble a heart completed the plate. Check out the little white chocolate hearts tucked into the fudge topping. Yum!

The dessert medley included a Rose is a Rose White Cake, a Pink Peppermint Cookie, and a White Chocolate Glazed Shortbread Heart.

HAPPY  VALENTINE'S DAY!

Let Them Eat Cake - Bakery and Tea Room

How far are you willing to travel to enjoy afternoon tea with a friend? A day trip to Nazareth, PA (two hours east of Mechanicsburg), provided the opportunity to enjoy tea time at 'Let Them Eat Cake', a bakery and tea room combination that offered the perfect spot for visiting and catching up with a long time high-school (and college) friend.

Let Them Eat Cake is a place where you can indulge yourself and enjoy the finer things. They promise to transport you to somewhere divine and scrumptious, someplace where you can feel fancy, and enjoy the finer things.

Pretty in Pink could be their moniker. Although not just for February, pink is their color. We were seated in the front window where a cascade of red hearts shielded the outside. Our place setting held the menu options and the variety of teas available.

We each selected our own flavor with a promise of being able to choose another flavor should we desire another pot.

The tiered tray arrived promptly after the tea was poured. The bottom tier had a nice assortment of sandwiches, each garnished with something complementing the sandwich filling. The middle tier held two varieties of scones, and the top tier was laden with seasonal desserts.

We opted for the vegetarian selection which included Lovebird Chickpea Salad with cherries and almonds, Cupid's Cucumber Delight, Strawberry Basil & Brie Tea Sandwich with fresh strawberries topped  with balsamic glaze, and whipped brie, Pistachio, Roasted Red Pepper and Vegan Feta Sandwich with olive tapenade (our favorite), and Tofurkey & Fig Toasts with fig jam, whipped ricotta, on a crispy toast square. 

The scones included Strawberries and Cream Scone (shown here) and a Classic Scone. They were served with clotted cream, strawberry preserves, and passionfruit curd. The toppings were presented in a little three compartment serving tray to be shared.

And the dessert medley included Red Velvet Love Bites, a mini cupcake with cream cheese buttercream and edible glitter, Chocolate Covered Passion, a chocolate dipped strawberry with pink drizzle, and Be Mine Macaron. The macaron was filled with dark chocolate ganache and raspberry rose compote.

The Valentine's décor was cheerful and abundant. And since it's a bakery, there were cupcakes and macarons of many different flavors, and decadent brownies to carry out and enjoy later at home.

National Hot Tea Month - January

And just like that, happy new year turns into the last day of January. We close out the month of January, National Hot Tea Month, with a few of our favorite tea themed quotes. 

"If you are cold, tea will warm you;

If you are too heated, it will cool you;

If you are depressed, it will cheer you;

If you are excited, it will calm you."

-William Ewart Gladstone







"Enjoy life, sip by sip, not gulp by gulp." -The Minister of Leaves

“The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort and refinement.”  -Arthur Gray

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be diminished by a nice cup of tea." -Bernard-Paul Heroux

“Tea time is a chance to slow down, pull back and appreciate our surroundings.” -Letitia Baldrige

"Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things." -Chaim Potok

“Making tea is a ritual that stops the world from falling in on you.” -Jonathan Stroud

The Front Porch Tea Room, Hellam, PA

Earlier this month, before Angelica returned to Penn State, we enjoyed an adventure south to The Front Porch Tea Room, a Victorian style tea room in Hellam to experience their Afternoon Tea. They offer a different menu each month, and we enjoyed their January feature.

Once we were seated, we were offered a teapot of green tea. After the teapot is empty, you may select another flavor from their extensive list of teas.

Their traditional salad features a plate of greens topped with cherry tomatoes, clementines, soy salad toppers, cranberries, candied walnuts, Feta cheese and their famous poppy seed dressing. After we finished our salad, a plate of scones was placed atop the pedastal.

The sweet scone was Grape and Prosecco served with a champagne glaze and the savory scone was Spinach, Feta and Red bell Pepper. Both were accompanied with their clotted cream.

There were two options offered for the soup course, either their New Year's Eve Soup or the Loaded Baked Potato topped with cheese, bacon, and a dollop of sour cream. We all chose the potato soup.

The sandwich platter was served next and included a Fancy Cucumber Sandwich, Pork & Sauerkraut Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes, and Pesto and Red Pepper Pinwheels alongside a strawberry garnish. The sandwiches were all fresh and tasty.

Dessert at The Front Porch is always the hardest decision as you must select one dessert from their assortment. The January selection included a Champagne Cake with Sugared Cranberries, a Hot Cocoa Brigadeiro with glazed marshmallos and whipped cream (pictured below) , and Eggnog Ice Cream with Rum Caramel Sauce. In addition to the featured choices, there were also other options including a Chocolate Cake with white frosting garnished with a little Christmas tree and a Gingerbread cake with whipped cream and a cookie.

Dessert makes us happy!

It's always a special treat to be able to sit down and enjoy Afternoon Tea. We've been to The Front Porch on previous occasions, and will return again.