The Queen's Tea - A Centenary Celebration

The Tearoom recently hosted a Royal Celebration in Honour of the Centenary of Queen Elizabeth's II Birth (April 21, 1926). It was a joyful celebration on a lovely summer afternoon. We hung the royal bunting in celebration of this festive occasion. On the menu we interspersed quotes attributed to Queen Elizabeth between each course.

Once seated, our guests each selected their favorite flavor of tea. We included favorites such as Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth, and Windsor Castle to the tea list for this event. Once all the teacups were filled, we served the first course which was A Golden Charcuterie Cup - fit for royalty. It included assorted fruit, nuts, cheeses, crackers, and more with a golden teapot with skewered grapes.

"I declare before you that all that my whole life, whether my life be long or short, shall be devoted to your service..." 

Next up, the Sandwich selection:

The Queen's Favorite Strawberry Jam Pennies

Traditional Cucumber and Herbed Butter Rounds 

Classic British Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich

Chutney and Cheddar Cheese on Whole Wheat

1953 Coronation Chicken Salad on White

Buckingham Palace Garden Party Rose Petal Sandwich

Brie and Peach Crostini, to the queen's taste

"When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat." 

For the scone course, we served

Historic Kensington Palace Scone

Classic Cinnamon Chip Scone

Sweet Cream, Lemon Curd, Strawberry Preserves

Fresh Orange and Pineapple Pieces

"Good memories are our second chance at happiness."

And lastly, the dessert course included:

Chocolate Toffee Torte

Turkish Delight (Rose or Lemon Flavour)

Rosemary for Remembrance Cookie

Earl Grey Cupcake, featuring the Queen's favorite tea

"Everyone is our neighbour, no matter what race, creed or colour."

Teacup Succulent Planting with The Praise Ringers

Following the lovely Afternoon Tea hosted by the Praise Ringers of the First United Methodist Church, there was a succulent planting session where attendees planted a little garden in the teacup they used during the tea. All supplies were included to plant and decorate this quick and charming craft. Planting instructions were offered before we began. The Ringers came to each table and offered soil for the base of the teacup, a bit of charcoal to keep the plants fed, a variety of succulents both large and small, and then adornments to complete the project.

You can see how intent we all were in creating our petite succulent garden. There was a variety of sizes, shapes and colors offered. Little pebbles, colorful stones, perky butterflies and miniature mushrooms were optional pieces to add to the garden.

This is my little succulent garden after a few weeks of growth. They prefer bright light and it is recommended to allow the soil to dry between thorough waterings. When the soil appears dry, this little plant has been happy with the addition of a tablespoon of water.

Special thanks to all the Ringers for their participation in creating an Afternoon Tea and Succulent Planting Class. Such a memorable event for all who attended.

 

The Praise Ringers Spring Tea - May 2026

The Praise Ringers of the First United Methodist Church have been fundraising for their upcoming adventure to Scotland in August. They have been invited to participate in the International Bell Ringer's Symposium in Aberdeen. In an effort to make this happen, and to get all the bells and ringers to Scotland, they recently hosted a fund raiser Spring Tea in the church. They also have established a Go Fund Me account if you would like to contribute to their fundraising efforts. Much preparation went into planning and executing this special Afternoon Spring Tea. On the day of the tea, Susanna greeted attendees and helped them find their table.

Twinkling white lights helped to set the scene, while colorful green tablecloths and coordinating paper products graced the tables. A printed menu also included a listing of the hot tea selections. As guest were seated, the ringers came around and offered the different tea flavors.

 The tea options included Pine Needle Black Tea, a black tea so named because the leaves have been rolled into the shape of pine needles, Back Porch, a black tea with orange, strawberry and raspberry flavors, Eight Treasures, a green tea with pineapple and strawberry flavoring, Lazy Daze, a caffeine-free herbal blend and Decaf Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. In addition to the hot tea, a refreshing cup of Lavender Lemonade was on the table.

The bell ringers came around to each table pretty frequently, which made it possible to taste the different tea flavors offered. A sweet little favor was tucked at each place setting. A colorful gift bag held a miniature tea themed charm for each attendee.

The first course was a delicious, chilled Strawberry Soup served in a sweet petal shaped bowl and garnished with fresh, colorful pansies. The soup was so tasty it was tempting to abandon all manners and simply lick the bowl clean.

A floral paper plate laden with tea sandwiches was served next. It included a Pimiento Cheese sandwich on white bread, a Turkey, Havarti, and Apple Sandwich on Raisin Bread, Turkey Muenster Cheese Pinwheels, and an open-faced Cucumber Sandwich topped with dill.

Following the sandwich course, a plate of Scones, Tea Bread, and Fresh Fruit was served to be passed around the table. There was a Traditional English Cream Scone served with Sweet Cream, Bonne Maman Lemon Curd and Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves. In addition, a Triple Lemon Tea Bread was served with Fresh Orange Slices and Strawberries.

A three-tiered tray arrived shortly thereafter, and it held a lovely assortment of homemade desserts which included Lemon Creme Puff Cookies, Fudge Chocolate Squares, Lemon Ice Box Pie, and Frosted Teapot Shaped Sugar Cookies. It was a sweet ending to a delightful afternoon tea. Kudos to the Praise Ringers for hosting this relaxing and memorable teatime. They have a Facebook page, so if you are interested in any of their upcoming events, to include concerts at the church or about town, please follow them. They often share snippets of their concerts, and I'm sure there will be some photos of their journey to Scotland.

After tea, there was a craft where attendees planted a miniature garden of succulents in the teacup they used at tea. Our next post will share photos from that craft session.

Hydrangea Tea Cottage and Gifts - MATBA April Seminar

Members of the Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association traveled to Pottsville, PA to attend the April meeting held at Hydrangea Cottage Tea & Gifts. Owner and fellow MATBA member Erik Tice welcomed a group of entrepreneurs to his tearoom and gift shop. After some shopping, and before we sat down for tea, we were encouraged to select a teacup from the collection on display.

We enjoyed the intimacy of a smaller group at this gathering and thus we were seated around a large dining room table on the second floor. The gift shop occupies the first floor, and spills over onto the second floor where we were seated in the front parlor.

The menu was placed at each seat and announced a delicious assortment of goodies yet to come.

First up, we were served an Apricot and Almond Scone with clotted cream and apricot preserves.

Following the scone course, we enjoyed a warm cup of Spring Minestrone Soup topped with croutons.

Pedestaled cake plates filled with tea sandwiches and a fresh pansy garnish were brought to the table next. The sandwich selection included Truffled Egg Salad, Cucumber with Lime & Dill Aioli, and Ham with Green Tea Cream Cheese Spread. The sandwiches were petite, but each guest received two of each variety.

The colorful and tasty dessert medley included a frosted Pineapple Cookie, a Peanut Butter Snickers Bar, and Lemon Cake.

Erik made certain that our teacups were filled with the teas of the day which included Monks Meditation (a Ceylon black tea with catnip, grenadine flavor and calendula petals) and Beatrix Potter (a caffeine-free blend of green rooibos, rosehips, strawberry flavor, chamomile, spearmint and lemongrass).

Hydrangea Cottage Tea and Gifts is celebrating their fifth year in business. Their gift shop includes teas from Piper & Leaf Tea Company and Simpson & Vail Teas. They have soaps, marmalades, candles, dip mixes and more. In addition, they offer artwork from local artists. Tea is served on the third Saturday and Sunday of the month, by reservation only. 

Susanna Reppert Brill of The Rosemary House (PA) presented a program on The Ins and Outs of Selling Herbal or Functional Teas. Following the program, during the business meeting, outgoing president Karen Donnelly of Greenhalgh Tea, (PA) welcomed newly elected president Melissa Fitch-Ciccotelli of Tea You There (MD) to the helm. Karen has presided over the Association for the past four years. Melissa has accepted the role of president for the upcoming two year term.

International Tea Day - Tea & Chocolate Pairing

In celebration of International Tea Day, May 21st, we offered a complimentary Tea and Chocolate pairing, both under the pavilion and in the gift shop. It was a rainy and chilly day which made for a perfect day for drinking tea, and we simply pretended we were in a British cottage garden. The rain transformed the garden into a vibrant lush green locale with bird song overhead. Outside we featured five teas to taste alongside an assortment of chocolate. There was a Ceylon Kenilworth, a traditional black tea from Sri Lanka with a classic mellow flavor. We paired this tea with Dark Chocolate covered Blueberry Acai. Our suggestion was to sip the tea first, followed by a bite of the chocolate and another sip of tea to compare how the tea and chocolate enhanced each other.

Wilbur Buds is a well-known chocolate from Lititz, and we offered both milk and dark chocolate. The suggested pairing included a Kenya Milima, a bold black tea from the Kenyan highlands in Africa to be paired with the light milk Wilbur Buds. The semi sweet was paired with Irish Stout, a flavored black tea with hints of coffee and chocolate. This was a popular pairing. 

There were two teas that we paired with Lindt White Chocolate. Lung Ching Dragonwell, a traditional Chinese green tea with a flat green leaf and a sweet fresh vegetal taste was offered. And the other tea we paired with the white chocolate was Pine Needle. This tea was interesting as it is a Chinese Black Tea and it gets its name from the shape of the leaf which has been rolled to look like a pine needle. Several attendees described the flavor as 'earthy'.

The pavilion kept us dry throughout the day, and we were happy to hold this special event outdoors even though there was a gentle rain most of the day. The cooling rain was a blessing as the two days prior to this event the high temperature was in the 90's. The rain afforded a nice break from the heat and kept the chocolate at a good temperature.

The table set up in the gift shop featured a Decaffeinated Vanilla tea paired with chocolate mint candy, and a Golden Yunnan black tea that was paired with Dark chocolate covered cherries. Special thanks to everyone that joined us for our celebration.

 

Happy Mother's Day - Afternoon Tea - 2026

Our Mother's Day Afternoon Tea took place this past Sunday in the tearoom. With roses for love, and the menu on the table, everything was in place. As our guests arrived, they placed their tea orders from the extensive tea list. Individual pots of tea were provided for each guest. 

The salad was a base of spring greens and romaine lettuce, various veggie toppers including broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, and tomato, topped with Parmesan cheese, crispy croutons, and a Curry Orange Marmalade Dressing (a mix available at The Rosemary House).

The sandwich selection featured an Herbed Veggie Bar topped with a turnip cut into a heart shape, the Tomato Parmesan Muffin had a slice of roast beef, a tomato slice, and horseradish mayonnaise, the open-faced round sandwich was a Cucumber & Radish with garlic chive butter, the layered Goldenrod Sandwich had a layer of pimiento cheese like filling, wheat bread, and a thin layer of a sweet apricot cream filling between the two layers of white bread. The little bundle was a warm Chicken Sandwich with a crispy breadcrumb topping, and in the center, there was a melted Pimiento Cheese in a miniature phyllo cup.

The scone course included our Traditional English Cream Scone alongside a Lavender Sage Scone. The toppings included sweet cream, lemon curd, and strawberry preserves. The fresh fruit with orange and pineapple also featured a strawberry half topped with a chocolate fudge filling.

The dessert medley featured White Cake with a delicate pink frosting Rose, the crispy Phyllo Shell held Passionfruit Cream, and the little cookie was a Peppermint Meltaway.

                                     Happy Mother's Day!

Cous Cous Salad with Turmeric - Herb of the Year 2026

In celebration of National Herb Week, and the Herb of the Year 2026, which is Turmeric, we served a Cous Cous Salad at our Garden Tour this past week. Many guests requested the recipe. 

Cous Cous Salad 

1 cup couscous
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Bring the water to a boil, add the cous cous, turmeric and olive oil. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Add chickpeas, and remaining ingredients. Toss gently. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Chill and serve.

Garden Tour by Susanna Reppert Brill

Dandelion Cookies

Spring - and yards are bursting with golden yellow dandelion blossoms. Now is the time to harvest the colorful flowers and make a batch of cookies! 

Dandelion Cookies

1 c. butter, room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. dandelion petals (removed from flower heads)

2 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. dandelion flower petals

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until light in color and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing fully after each egg. Add the vanilla and 1 c. of dandelion petals. Add the flour and mix until the dough is smooth. Roll the dough into a log. Mix 1/4 c. sugar and 2 Tbsp. dandelion flower petals and spread mixture onto wax paper. Roll the dough log over the sugar and flower mixture, until the log is covered in sugar and petals. Wrap the log in the wax paper and chill at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the dough into 1/4-inch slices, place on parchment lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 10 - 12 min. until cookies are lightly golden.