Prairie Cone Flower

We're off on our Wagon Train adventure in North Dakota. It is my hope we get to see a field of this glorious native American herb! It is also my hope we don't have to use it during our trek -- especially the way the Native Americans used it --- for snake bites!

ECHINACEA: medicinal uses
A guest post article written by David Brill, Clinical Herbalist, The Rosemary House
The 3 commonly used Latin Named Species: Echinacea angustifolia, E. purpurea, E. pallida


This beautiful purple flowering plant has many common names including Echinacea, Snakeroot, Snakebite Plant, Cone Flower, Toothache Plant and others. As these common names imply this herb has many medicinal uses.

Echinacea received its name from botanists after the Latin Echinus for the hedgehog to describe its prickly-cone shaped flower’s center. By the late nineteenth century Echinacea, pronounced /ek-ah-nay-shuh/, had become the most widely prescribed drug in the United States, it has been used for cancer pain, poisoning, spider and snake bites and many infectious diseases. Over 300 articles have been written in scientific and technical journals verifying the effectiveness of Echinacea to treat diseases of the immune system. The most widespread use today is for prevention and reduction of symptoms of the common cold.

Recent scientific investigation has established 7 distinguished actions of this plant: 1.) Stimulation of White Blood Cell (WBC) production when counts are low in the body, 2.) Increased maturation of WBC, developing immature cells quicker and continuously toward differentiation within the body aiding the lymph, spleen and thymus organs of the immune system, 3.) Amplifies chemical messengers released when the body is attacked speeding the migration of WBC to the site of damage, 4.) Increases the aggressiveness of WBC to invaders of the body, 5.) Increases marking of invaders to the body so WBC can identify and attack them quicker, 6.) Increases cell wall permeability of invaders so that WBC can identify and attack them easier, 7.) Helps to maintain the inter-cell integrity decreasing the ability of invaders to attack our human body’s cell walls and decreasing infection by the inhibition of hyalurenidase used by the attacking invaders to breakdown our cells walls thus reducing the spread of infection and stopping the spread of infection through the body.

Testimonials from our clients and customers suggest they find the Echinacea they use very effective or not effective at all. The reason for this disparate result can be explained as either form used, amount and frequency or timing of dosage. Fresh Echinacea should tingle the tongue this is your take home test. If taking capsules filled with ground plant material break them open and chew keeping it on the tip
over...
tongue within a short time your tongue should tingle. If it does not this is probably inert Echinacea and medicinally valueless. This same test can be applied to tinctures or dry plant material found in retails herb stores. This verifies form, this tingling ensures freshness of the material.

Timing: Use Echinacea when you feel you are getting sick. Everyone knows the feeling: scratchy throat, slight body or head ache, pain in back or kidney area, tiredness and it is also appropriate to take Echinacea as a prophylactic (preventive). This would be when you have met a sick person or on the road in an airplane and/or stayed at a smoke filled party or bar. This is also the time to dose yourself with Echinacea.
Dosage: I suggest a teaspoon of extract every 2 hours for the first couple of days as soon as you get the feeling you maybe getting sick. This requires having a 4 to 8-ounce bottle of Echinacea extract in your medicine cabinet or carrying a small bottle with you while traveling.
(These recommendations are not intended to replace the advice of your personal physician.)
For those that cannot take alcohol, glycerin extracts can be used, most Echinacea glycerites are less powerful then their sister alcohol extracts and require higher dosing, follow manufacturer’s suggestions provided with their product.


David Brill is a clinical herbalist at The Rosemary House in Mechanicsburg, PA. He lives with his wife and business partner Susanna Reppert-Brill and their three little herbs Zachery, Angelica and Cedar.

Wagons Ho!

This past week we've been watching the North Dakota weather forecast.... this is the most current forecast. Looks like we're in for a good ride! Everything is packed in plastic just in case, but with fingers crossed, we'll have perfect weather - sunny days and cool nights.
Sun Jun 29 Sunny 78°/52°
Mon Jun 30 Sunny 81°/55°
Tue Jul 01 Mostly Sunny 86°/59°
Wed Jul 02 Isolated T-Storms 82°/55°
Thu Jul 03 Partly Cloudy 74°/50°
Fri Jul 04 Partly Cloudy 76°/52°
Sat Jul 05 Partly Cloudy 75°/51°
Sun Jul 06 Partly Cloudy 77°/54° Wagons Ho!

Summer Strawberry Salsa

This yummy combination of sweet and savory produces a unique and flavorful appetizer. Once all the veggies are sliced and ready, it mixes together easily. Your guests will enjoy this fun and healthy salsa.
Summer Strawberry Salsa

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned (seeds removed, thinly sliced)
1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienned
1/2 green bell pepper, julienned
1/4 c. finely shredded fresh cilantro leaves
1 c. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, but no longer than 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving.
Yield: 2-1/2 c.; this recipe is very easy to double.

Serve the Strawberry Salsa with toasted pita triangles or toasted baguette slices, or simply with a plate and fork to enjoy as a salad! It would also make a colorful topping for grilled chicken.

Rosemary Topiary

Recently one of our classes at The Rosemary House was to create a charming heart shaped topiary. Topiary is the art of shaping plants to create living sculpture (think Edward Scissorhands). It is actually one of the oldest means of creating decorative forms for our home or garden.
Since ancient times trees and vines have been trained for useful purposes, raising crops off the ground, increasing the yield of the fruit and furnishing shade. The Romans were the first to develop these skills into topiary. Now generations of gardeners have used it as a softer alternative to marble statuary. As do many things, topiary went in and out of fashion with the Victorians reviving the fashion and adding ornate details.

Topiary is a fun topic to explore and many herbs lend themselves to it. Bay trees do very well as a "standard topiary" (think of a lollipop look), as do lavender and rosemary. Vining plants like English Ivy work nicely as a topiary shape but since we are The Rosemary House, we used creeping Rosemary.

First we shaped a 56 inch piece of 16 gauge galvanized wire into a heart shape. The Heart shape was approximately 32 inches leaving about a 5 inch stem on the heart and a small 3 inch circle on the bottom. We then hot glued the circle on the bottom of the heart to the bottom of the clay pot. Filled the pot with soil and planted two creeping Rosemary plants. With green twist ties we attached the Rosemary Plants to the wire and will continue to adjust the twist ties as the plant grows and begins to fill out our lovely heart shape plant.

A mid Summer Night Favorite Fairy Poem

« ¤ »
Fairies
There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!

It's not so very, very far away;

You pass the gardener's shed and you just keep straight ahead.

I do so hope they've really come to stay.

There's a little wood, with moss in it and beetles,

And a little stream that quietly runs through;

You wouldn't think they'd dare to come merrymaking there.

Well, they do.

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!

They often have a dance on summer nights;

The butterflies and bees make a lovely little breeze,

And the rabbits stand about and hold the lights.

Did you know that they could sit upon the moonbeams

And pick a little star to make a fan,

And dance away up there in the middle of the air?

Well, they can.
There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!

You cannot think how beautiful they are;

They all stand up and sing when the Fairy Queen and King

Come gently floating down upon their car.

The King is very proud and very handsome;

The Queen - now you can guess who that could be?

She's a little girl all day, but at night she steals away.

Well, it's Me!
« ¤ »

Written by Rose Fyleman (1877–1957) A woman of exceptional talent, Rose Fyleman is best known for her delightful fairy poems. She was born in Nottingham, England. Perhaps this magical setting led to her belief in fairies. Whatever the cause, we are blessed by many lovely fairy poems from this gifted author.

Taking Tea and Playing Tag!

Linda, from Friendship Tea has tagged me.... and since it's a fun kind of thing, I've selected my playful froggie pot to brew a cup of tea this morning and answer her questions....
so here goes Let's Play Tag!
The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player tags 4 people and posts their names, and goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.
Ten years ago... Wedding preparations were under way as Susanna and David were married on the 4th of July at Peace Church with a wedding reception held in our gardens. All the food was prepared by myself, including the wedding cake decorated with crystallized pansies. It was a beautiful day with cause for much celebration. The honeymoon, a Rosemary House traveling herb seminar, included a trip to the Amazon with the newlyweds, 3 sisters, 1 brother-in-law, a cousin, her son, and a few other participants. What an adventure! A Honeymoon to Remember. It's hard to top an Amazon adventure, but our Wagon Train excursion is the perfect celebration for their 10th wedding anniversary.
Five things on today's to do list... serve lunch to a herb club, advance prep for tomorrow's event, clean off my desk, cleanup from today's event, set the tables for tomorrow's event, laundry, prepare the family dinner, think about packing for vacation, go to the bank... wait.... that's more than five things.... the list is never ending....
Snacks I enjoy... chocolate, chips, cakes
Things I would do if I was a millionaire.... travel leisurely around the world, eventually buy castles in England and Spain and invite family and friends over for dinner (airfare on me of course) every night.
Places I have lived... born in NJ, lived mostly in PA, a short while in CT, and spent my senior year of college abroad in Spain

I'm tagging TEA pals:
MaryAnne of Torchsong Studio,
Marilyn of Marmalady's,
Alice of Tea in My Cup, and
Valerie of Tea and Trinkets

Peach Basil Iced Tea

With a bountiful summer harvest of fresh basil available, here's a pleasant beverage that we enjoy serving for its unusual combination of flavors.

Peach Basil Iced Tea
3 Orange Pekoe tea bags
1 c. chopped basil, loosely packed, fresh
4 c. water
4 c. Peach Nectar
1/4 c. simple syrup (dissolve 1/8 c. sugar in 1/8 c. hot water)

Place tea bags and basil in a large bowl. Bring water to a boil, pour over the basil and tea bags. Steep 5 minutes and strain. Chill. Stir in peach nectar and syrup. Enjoy this refreshing iced tea on a hot summers day.

A Stitch in Time

Part of our preparation for this summer's adventure included a sewing bee! This past January my niece and I traveled to NY to visit the eldest sister for a weekend that included a day trip into NYC for brunch at the American Girl Place and another day that included stitching prairie dresses for the vacation. I was assigned the task of sewing a matching dress for the American Girl doll which took longer to create than the assigner anticipated; however, mother, daughter, and doll will be properly outfitted for this adventure. We stitched aprons, bonnets, long skirts, and basically transformed our wardrobe into period appropriate outfits, the best we could at least.

Tenting - In the Garden

Ongoing preparations continue for our wagon train adventure! Departure day is looming on the horizon, and we are planning and packing and organizing and preparing and anticipating and wondering. This past week our gardens have been the location for tent setup to confirm that they are indeed waterproof, that we have all the necessary pieces, and that the tents can be setup swiftly. There will be 4 of these tents moved from location to location as the team of horses pulls the wagon clippity clop across the prairie of North Dakota. These will be our luxury sleeping quarters for a week. If you think about it, it's simply a bed and breakfast setup. Right? The thoughts of a hearty campfire breakfast might be what gets us (me) thru the night.

In Bloom in the Garden - Day Lilies

Our Day Lilies are beginning to bloom in the late June garden. We have a glorious hedge of them in our edible flower garden. It is also the time to decide whether we want the blooms to continue, or whether we want to pickle the unopened buds. The large day lily blossom, organic and carefully washed, is great to stuff with a tuna or chicken salad, served on crisp lettuce greens for an eye popping presentation.

But, if you would like something a bit unusual, pick the small unopen buds and drop them into a jar of pickle juice. In a week or so, you will be able to enjoy pickled day lily buds! Something unique to offer your visiting neighbor! The only unfortunate thing about picking the buds to pickle them is that you will no longer have the showy blossoms in your garden. It's a tough call. Typically, we enjoy the blossoms, and allow the buds to bloom unless we know we have an edible flower class in the future, in which case we will pickle the buds to pass around the lecture hall.

Garden Discoveries

Years ago, my sister completed the requirements to achieve Backyard Wildlife Habitat status for our gardens from the National Wildlife Federation, long before there was an easy online certification process. Our properties provide the four basic habitat elements essential for wildlife which includes food, water, cover, and places to raise young. It is an exciting backyard, with lots of activity, mostly from songbirds, squirrels, and chipmunks. We do have an occasional hawk that flies thru, and the other day I spotted what I thought was a Mallard taking off from the garden.
It was one of my wishes to have a spot to sit and enjoy the garden, the sights and sounds and even fragrances that you find in a herb garden. Every now and then, we will enjoy a simple summer meal in the gazebo. It's a pleasant break from the norm. Well, today, hidden along side the gazebo, we discovered 4 eggs nestled among the weeds (yes, we have those), slightly tan eggs, larger than a chicken egg, and definitely a nest. With a quick Internet search, it was confirmed that they are Mallard eggs (a-ha, that was a Mallard I saw last week). The hen lays a single egg each day, up to about 8 - 12 eggs. Once all the eggs are laid, she will begin nesting for approx. 28 days. The eggs all hatch at the same time, and once hatched, she will lead her brood to food and water.

We do indeed have a backyard wildlife habitat. Wonder if mother Mallard read the sign, or did she simply assess the gardens, and determined they fulfilled her needs. In the meantime, we realize that nature can be cruel, we do hope these eggs are safe, and wonder where she will take her brood once hatched.

Happy Father's Day!

The Patriarch of our family, a father of 4, grandfather of 5, great-grandfather of 1 (plus 1 on the way), is celebrating a quiet Father's Day, with pizza and Daughter #3. (Daughters #2 and #4 are at a herb festival all day; Daughter #1 will probably call later this evening.)
This father of 2, grandfather of 1 (with 1 on the way) will do anything you ask him to do, with a smile on his face, even attend afternoon tea because that's what we do.
This father of 3, a boyscout leader, and our camping expert for the upcoming wagon train, is great with the grill, but will accompany us to afternoon tea because that's what we like to do.
This father of 1 (with 1 on the way) married the 'golden girl' in our family. A nickname her grandmother bestowed upon her when she was little, she is the oldest of the grandchildren, and a real blessing in our family.

Remembering Father's every where today - those that are near and far, and those that live within our hearts, Happy Father's Day!

The Auxiliary Board of Bethany Village, a local retirement community, hosted an International Tasting Tea this past Thursday; and I was fortunate to have been invited to attend. The Auxiliary was organized in 1972 and conducts certain activities and projects in an effort to raise funds to procure necessary items for use at Bethany Village, such as outdoor benches, kitchen equipment, a multimedia projector, and more. This tea was one of their recent fund raising events. The tickets were $10 per person, limited to 86 attendees. It appeared to be a successful event, it ran smoothly, and looked effortless, although I know there was a lot of coordination to make this event a success. Mary Klaus, a local Patriot News reporter, spoke about the medical missionary work she has done around the world, and how she has served tea in many unusual locales, and that it has been a uniting factor for many. Her program,, "Dust off Your Dreams" was very interesting and entertaining. She had many memorable experiences to share. Following her program, it was time to sample the international teas. There were 6 tables set up around the perimeter of the room, and when you wanted to sample another tea, you would go to the labeled table which had been decorated to represent each country. We were able to taste Almond Sunset representative of Australia, English Breakfast typical in England, Harney's Paris blend symbolic of France, a Sencha Green from Japan, Raspberry Passion to illustrate Mexico, and Ginger Lemon denoting Thailand. The party began with a three tiered tray which included a bottom tier of sandwiches, a middle tier of fresh fruit skewers, and a top tier of assorted cookies, brownies, and sweets. The hostesses of the event would replenish each plate as it emptied. The assortment of sandwiches and sweets was amazing, and the amount of goodies appeared limitless. Just to mention a few of the sandwiches, there were ham & pineapple squares, cream cheese filled fruit breads, egg salad triangles, onion and olive rounds, shrimp salad sandwiches, and more. The desserts included chocolate chip cookies, layer bars, orange frosted cookies (my favorite), peanut butter cups in a cookie, brownies, and more. There were some very busy cooks preparing for this event. It was noted in the program that all of the tea and the treats that you have enjoyed today are supplied and prepared by our Auxiliary Board and Members, and they did a superb job in preparing and serving this large group of women, many wearing hats and gloves. What fun it was to be on the other side of the kitchen! Thank you Kathy for extending an invitation to me to join you in this delightful afternoon tea.
(If you wish, click on the collage to enlarge the photos.)

British Ambassador's Residence

We recently coordinated a Traveling Herb Seminar to Washington, DC to view the British Ambassador's Residence, the grounds and gardens. In our 40 years of business, this was our 68th excursion (the 69th is scheduled in September). It was a beautiful day, and a delight to be escorted around the grounds by herbal enthusiast and head gardener Jim Adams. He proudly presented the gardens with explanations of what they have already done and what they anticipate for the future. He shared a memorable moment when he explained the tree that was planted last year when the Queen of England was in Washington. He told the story well, and you could just feel his emotion when he said 'I'm going to meet the Queen of England'. He told us that she graciously accepted flowers from all the children, and that when she spoke to him, it was as if he was the only one in attendance, her attention totally focused on him. He was honored.
The residence, located on Massachusetts Avenue, commonly referred to as Embassy Row, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869 - 1944) and built in 1928. It is a red brick building with stone dressings, suggestive of an English country house of the Queen Anne period.
The roses were in full bloom, and quite a delight to see. While we were there, the gardeners, some volunteers, were planting annuals in abundance.
The residence has been described as functional and comfortable, as well as impressive. Indeed.

Apprentice Gardener Night

This past Friday evening was our all-important Apprentice Gardener night. We have three distinct gardens behind our businesses. The Rosemary House garden is a traditional English cottage garden, the garden behind Sweet Remembrances is considered a low-maintenance garden, and the garden behind David & Susanna's home is a whimsical garden. Although no mowing is needed, each garden has its own requirements to keep it under control during these growing months. In order to provide some extra hands for this garden maintenance, Susanna created Apprentice Gardener night where volunteers help in the herb gardens for about 2 hours. Many hands indeed make light work. There is a lot of weeding, trimming, planting, weeding, pruning, cutting, weeding, etc. that needs to be done; and it is done cheerfully by these volunteers. We rely heavily on the extra help we receive on these 6 Friday evenings scheduled April thru September. The benefits our gardeners receive include a herbal supper, surplus seeds and plants, a 10% discount in the shop the night they help, and a real learning experience. It is a fun event, and many of our Apprentice Gardeners come back year after year, affectionately referring to it as 'weed and feed'. Our menu this past Friday started with a Fresh Spring Garden Salad (all local, organic produce), followed by Meatloaf and Byron's Potato Filling. Dessert was a Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Cake with a raspberry chocolate filling. This menu, a favorite of Susanna's, was a continuation of her birthday celebration week.

~ Thank you to all our Apprentice Gardeners ~ we do appreciate your help!

Domino Sandwiches

This individual plate of tea sandwiches was served during our recent Queen's Tea. The Domino Ham & Cheese Sandwich is a fun addition to a sandwich plate with its many layers of cheese, ham, and assorted breads. This one looks like a lot of work, but is relatively easy to make.

Domino Ham & Cheese Sandwich

1 cup minced ham

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. dill pickle relish

1 Tbsp. butter, softened

4 slices thin-sliced whole wheat bread

4 slices thin-sliced white bread

3 slices Swiss Cheese OR Pepper Jack Cheese*

Prepare the ham salad by combining the ham, mayonnaise, and pickle relish. Mix well, set aside.

Spread the softened butter evenly on each bread slice. Spread the ham salad on one slice of white bread; top with a slice of wheat bread, butter down. Butter the top of the wheat bread, and place 1 cheese slice on top of wheat bread. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients to form a tall stack. Wrap sandwich in waxed paper; put under a weight, and chill.

Before serving, remove crusts from all edges. Cut sandwich into 3 rectangles; cut each rectangle into four thin fingers. Yield: 1 dozen domino sandwiches

*I prefer the Pepper Jack, it's not too hot because of the combination of the other ingredients

Note: Any bread slice that comes in contact with the cheese slice needs to be buttered, it acts as the 'glue' that holds the bread and cheese together. Without this 'glue', the sandwich will not stay together.

Ginger Glazed Fresh Fruit

A friend requested this recipe, one of the menu items we served recently at the Queen's Tea. It is a relatively easy recipe to prepare, and has been well received every time we serve it at the tea room. It produces a very delicate ginger flavor to complement the fruit.

Ginger Glazed Fresh Fruit

3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. apple juice
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
approx. 6 cups prepared fruit (cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries, & blueberries)

Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir in the apple juice, lemon juice and ginger. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil and is slightly thickened. Cool.

Wash and prepare the fresh fruit. Gently mix the fruit with the ginger glaze, stirring to coat.

Serve chilled, or at room temperature. (we prefer room temperature as the flavor of the fruits intensifies).

Our Peace Garden

These early spring photos share our Peace Garden.



This garden is dedicated to our hope for Peace on Earth, Internal peace for all people, and Eternal peace for our Beloved Mother (1919-1999) and her sister Hildegard Peplau (1909-1999), and their sister-in-law Anne Nails Peplau (1913-1998).
We have quiet chimes, Tibetan prayer flags blowing in the breeze, St Frances over looks the garden, and a Peace pole in the center.
A memorial tribute to these three great influential women is placed in the Peace Garden, and a bench provides solace for thought and reflection, or quiet prayer. It is a peaceful corner in our little world that we hope spreads beyond our garden gates. Que la paz prevalezca en la tierra.

The Cozy Tea Room, Thurmont, MD

This past week, The Rosemary House coordinated a bus trip to Washington, DC. En route home, we stopped at The Cozy restaurant in Thurmont, MD to experience their Afternoon Tea. Although this restaurant is the oldest restaurant in MD, it is just in the past year that they have introduced Afternoon Tea at this location. Our group was served the "First Ladies Tea" which included a wide variety of delicious treats, beginning with a scone with cream and jelly. This was followed by a very yummy Strawberry Soup, sweet and rich, garnished with a large mint leaf. Then, a wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and a crispy crunchy portion of pumpernickel bread. There was a raspberry sorbet intermezzo followed by the presentation of the tiered tray which included a nice variety of sandwiches and sweet desserts. The sandwich selection included a cucumber round, fresh and crisp, chicken salad stars, a flavorful wrap, and very moist banana bread with cream cheese filling. The desserts included a strawberry trifle, pecan cookies, mini petit fours, and a coconut yum-yum. The pots of tea were never ending with a variety of about 14 Harney & Sons loose leaf tea in teabags to select. If you have an opportunity to visit The Cozy for Afternoon Tea, advance reservations are requested; otherwise, try their dinner buffet, it's a winner too!

Happy Birthday Susanna!

There was a celebration in our little herbal complex! The youngest of the four sisters (second from the left) celebrated her natal day. (This photo includes a CA cousin during a previous celebration). The baby isn't quite ready for her AARP card, but alas, is getting closer to receiving that invitation in the mail!
There is a spirit of make-believe hiding within us all, which perhaps is one of the reasons the upcoming Wagon Train adventure has its unique appeal.
Whether we are enjoying an open hearth dinner, or a very special afternoon tea, we are creating memories to last a lifetime.
Happy Birthday little sis. May the coming year be full of joy and happiness, hope for the future, and new adventures!

The Queen's Tea

This past Sunday we celebrated the Queen's birthday with a very special celebration. An annual event, we attempt to create a menu 'fit for a Queen', and yet something different from the previous year. (Click on the photo to enlarge the collage.)

Our celebratory menu included:

• Walnut Date cheese Ball & Crackers
• Ginger Glazed Fresh Fruit
• Chicken Salad in Tart Shells
• Radish Cucumber & Basil Rounds
• Peach & Brie Crostini
• Ham & Cheese Domino Sandwich
• Rose Petal Sandwich
• Gingered Cream Cheese Grapes
• Kensington Palace Scones
• Apricot Cream Scones
• True Devon Cream, Mock Clotted Cream
• Apricot Preserves, Lemon Curd
• Strawberry Cookies
• Miniature Dundee Cakes
• Fudgelicious Brownie
• Prince of Wales Tea
• Long Live the Queen! Oolong flavored Champagne

Rose Petal Sandwiches

These favorite rose petal sandwiches are a Rosemary House original tea party sandwich, served during special gatherings in the garden. Harvest fresh rose petals (organic, un-sprayed); and rinse carefully. Lightly pat dry. Mix rose water (1 - 2 tsps.) with 8 oz. softened cream cheese. You want to add enough rose water to flavor and soften the cream cheese without making it too runny. Add slowly at first, you can always add more rose water if necessary.

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on soft white bread. Cover one layer of bread fully with the rose petals. Place another cream cheese covered bread over top of the rose petals. With a serrated knife, remove the crusts; cut the sandwich in half, and then each half in thirds; so you have small bite size rose petal sandwiches.







Place the little sandwiches in a circular pattern on your plate; and garnish with fresh roses. Cover with wax paper and saran wrap until you are ready to serve these dainty little tidbits. What a perfect addition to a garden party.