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.

An Irish Breakfast - locally

We enjoyed some fabulous Irish breakfast spreads while traveling through Ireland two years past. We are fortunate to have an Irish café and gift shop fairly close, so we headed to Oxford Hall Celtic Shop and Café in New Cumberland, PA for their fabulous Irish breakfast. This Irish experience must be preordered as it takes an hour to pull everything together.

Upon arrival, we perused their giant wall of loose leaf teas, and each of us selected our own blend. Irish Breakfast black, and an Irish Breakfast green, along with two flavored black teas rounded out our selections.

And a short while later, our Irish breakfast experience began. It included two eggs (prepared to order), thick toast, 2 bangers, rasher, black & white puddings, grilled mushrooms and tomato, and beans. It was a plate full of amazing! We were transported back to Ireland without all the hassle of toting luggage, catching planes, shuttles, and driving on the opposite side of the road. 
 

In Appreciation - Holiday Tea

The last holiday event, post Christmas celebrations with the family, included an appreciation tea for the faithful family and friends that lend a helping hand in the tea room throughout the year. The tables in the main dining room were pushed together to form one large square to host an intimate gathering of ten guests. The festive table. complete with traditional British Christmas crackers was ready for a celebration. 

Going around the table (L to R), are Mike and Gail. Gail is frequently seen in the tearoom as a gracious hostess and tea server. Her husband Mike offers a helping hand at the PA Tea Festival in September. The two young ladies, Tabitha and her sister Caroline were tea ambassadors at the festival, willing to provide assistance to whomever asked. Their mother, Kristin can be found at the tea festival also (it's a family affair), and willingly lends a helping hand in the tearoom when the need arises. Susanna and David are pillars of support for the ongoing operations for both The Rosemary House and Sweet Remembrances.

And rounding out the table, niece Angelica pitches in at the tea festival, and works behind the scenes and occasionally in the tea room when she is home from Penn State where she is working on her final semester for her Masters degree. Master salad preparer and tea server, Claudette, is an integral part of the tea room service. And Nancy savored the opportunity to sit and enjoy Afternoon Tea as prepared by Melissa and Michelle of Manchester Tea and Tarts.

We were offered a variety of British teas including Barry's Gold, several Twinings favorites, and assorted fruit blends. Once we each had our tea, the three tiered servers laden with an array of delicious sweets and savories were presented to the table.

The bottom tier held an assortment of three sandwiches, and each guest received two of each sandwich. The sandwiches, all cut in the traditional British style 'finger' included Sliced Turkey Breast with British Stuffing and Cranberries, Five Cheese and Branston Pickle, and Cucumber and Tzatziki Sauce. A colorful array of fresh and delicious holiday flavors.

The middle tier included the warm Scones which featured a traditional plain English Scone and a Figgy Pudding Scone which included all the ingredients you would find in a figgy pudding. Large bowls of homemade lemon curd and strawberry jam were on the table, and a petite cup of true Devonshire Clotted Cream was on the tier alongside the scones. 

The holiday medley of desserts included British Christmas Cake (laden with Sultanas), Scottish Snow Cake and Petite Mince Pies generously dusted with confectioners sugar. Scottish Snow Cake has a shortbread crust, a thin layer of jam, a white cake layer, and a sweet vanilla icing coated in coconut. Such a festive and delicious assortment of British sweet treats.

And the finale featured warm Sticky Toffee Pudding atop Devonshire Cream Custard. It was hard not to lick the plate.

Many thanks to Manchester Tea and Tarts for presenting such a memorable afternoon holiday tea. We enjoyed opening the Christmas crackers, sharing silly jokes, discovering tiny trinkets, and sporting colorful paper crowns. You'll have to imagine us in purple, orange, green, and blue crowns. It was a sight.

Extra special thanks to the family and friends that gathered around the table at this joyous event. It is with great appreciation that such enthusiastic and energetic friends and family are willing to share their time at Sweet Remembrances throughout the year. The opportunity to sit around the table and enjoy our very own special tea time was sublime. They all promised to be ready to pick up the mantel again in February.

The Year End 2024 Candlelight Tea

Over the years, we have typically closed out the year with our annual Candlelight Tea. This past year, 2024, was no exception. The final tea for the year, held a few days before Christmas marks the end of the tea room festivities for another year. The tea room is all aglow with the flickering candlelight, and our guests leave the hustle and bustle of pre-holiday activities to enjoy an elegant and relaxing evening tea.

 

The first course featured an Apple Cranberry Salad with fresh apples, craisins, parmesan cheese, and sugared pecans all topped with a homemade Cranberry Dressing. The sandwiches included a Cran Apple Chicken Salad Triangle, Swiss Pumpernickel Melt, Cucumber and Savory Feta Cheese Sandwich, Warn Artichoke in Puff Pastry Bundle, Turkey & Monterey Jack Wrap, and a Cheesy Pumpkin Tartlet.

The festive scone course included our traditional English Cream Scone alongside a Farmhouse Craisin Scone served with Sweet Cream and Jelly. Fresh fruit, including pomegranate arils. The dessert medley included a Cranberry Bliss Cupcake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookie, and Salted Caramel Truffle from a local Mechanicsburg chocolatier.

We hope your holidays were memorable, and that the advent of the new year brings you much joy, happiness, peace, and a bounty of  tea times. Here's to 2025!