Up, Up, and Away

Taking to the sky for an early August morning sunrise balloon ride to celebrate Angelica's Penn State graduation day, was a unique experience for Susanna, David, and Angelica as they soared above Happy Valley with The Sky's the Limit Ballooning  

An industrial fan was used to fill the balloon with air. Once it had unfolded, furled, and filled with air, the fire breathing dragon added hot air to add lift. The sturdy USA made triangular basket crafted in North Carolina didn't allow for much movement in the basket. When one person shifted position, everyone else rotated along.

The whoosh of the hot air is exhilarating. The sight of the balloon against the blue sky is peaceful and tranquil.

Weather is a concerning factor, and wind speed, fog, all determine whether or not the balloon will take flight. We were grateful that the weather accommodated this surprise flight for the graduate. The flight lasts approx. an hour, and landing might be in a farmers field, a cul-de-sac, or a recently harvested corn field, wherever the winds take you. From a distance you can spot the towering Penn State stadium as the balloon came down in a nearby field. The chase vehicle follows the balloon from the ground, and is at the ready to help bring it down and in position to let the balloon deflate.

All hands on deck to help push the air out of the balloon and get it back into its carry case.

Once safely on the ground, a glass of champagne is celebrated along with the reading of an Irish Blessing, a prayer of the Balloonists, from the end of the 18th century.

The Winds have welcomed us with softness.

The Sun has blessed us with his warm hands.

We have flown so high and so well

That God has joined us in our laughter

And He has set us gently back again

Into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

A Birthday Feast!

There is one day of the year that Nancy loves and Susanna finds, well, challenging. A birthday celebration of grand scale took place this week, and a special homemade dinner prepared by Susanna and family was a feast to behold. The short glass held A Pimm's Cup crafted by Angelica. It has a gin based liqueur mixed with lemon-lime soda and fresh fruit. Very refreshing, and reminiscent of our trip to England. The soup was a very fresh corn soup with celery and red peppers, a recipe found on the internet.  

A Thai noodle salad with soba noodles, cucumbers, and lots of freshly minced ginger gave the salad a bit of a zing. Angelica was in charge of mixing this one together.

Taco boats were next up - either in a boat, or in a tortilla, everyone could make it how they preferred. Diced fresh tomatoes, onions, avocado, and a seasoned chick pea shredded red cabbage combo formed the base. The head chef, Susanna, and sous chef, Angelica,  pictured here; in the wings were David and Cedar, each with their own assignments.

A petite veggie frittata ended the variety of courses for the birthday celebration.

Kudos to the family for pulling together such a fabulous celebration.

A Taste of Spain

Last year, Susanna and Angelica prepared a plant based themed dinner for a family celebration, A Taste of Spain. The first course featured Tomato & Cannellini Frijol Dip accompanied with three cheese crackers and an Olive Tapenade Espanola served with Cauliflower whole grain chips. Both of these appetizers were an excellent prelude to the evening feast. And, as you can see, we were eager to dive right into these colorful and flavorful dips.

The next course included Spinach with Chickpeas that were delicately seasoned with Maldon salt flakes and infused with fresh ginger, garlic, and red chili pepper. Lots of flavor in this medley. Marinated Carrots rounded out this course.

A variety of 'small plates followed which included a Spanish Vegetable Stew (Pisto),

followed by a potato omelet (Tortilla Espanola) edged with Goddess Sprinkles of Roses, (look closely), toasted cardamom and allspice berries.

 Dessert must have happened quickly, no time for photos, but there was a three layer chocolate berry cake and a golden cannoli cake (from a local bakery) to round out the gustatory delights. Kudos to Susanna and Angelica for finding a host of delicious, healthy recipes to prepare, present, and savor. It truly was a feast beyond compare. There is eager anticipation for what this year holds for said family celebration.

Another milestone! PSU Graduation 2022

How it started

How it's going

 Congratulations, Angelica! Penn State University, Graduation Day, May 8,2022. 

Double Major: Community, Environment, & Development and Spanish

The future is yours!

Bunny Cakes - a Family Tradition!

In our household, we celebrate each holiday with many of the same familiar treats associated with each festive gathering. We have an unspoken rule that you may add a new recipe or something different, but you may not take away a family favorite. At Easter, you will find bunny cakes to be one of the expected after dinner treats. Originally, we used to make a total of four bunnies for the family. Over the years, it has decreased to only two furry rabbits, some with coconut fur and others without. Herewith are a few bunny cakes from years past.

2020 - A Year in Review

In the beginning of the new year we celebrated with an employee appreciation Afternoon Tea at Emigs Mansion in York County. It was a lovely gathering of family and friends and a delicious variety of food. More details and photos are in this blog post.

Also in January, members of the Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association gathered at the Elden Street Tea Shop in Herndon, VA for one of their quarterly meeting.                                                                   

February featured our annual Valentine's Day teas. We held two this year, one on Valentine's Day and one on the Sunday of Valentine's Day week. Such fun with hearts galore!

In March, at one of our events for the year, we held a

Tea and Honey Pairing in Sweet Remembrances. Everything prepared for the tea featured honey and a tasting in different teas completed the evening.

A few excursions to local tea rooms were on the agenda while Angelica was home for spring break. Susanna, Nancy, and Angelica enjoyed a special outing to Olivia's Tea Room in Camp Hill, in March. While an adventure to Oxford Hall Tea Cafe in New Cumberland included Afternoon Tea and a tea leaf reading session.

Our annual St. Patrick's Day tea was featured in March. Festive, green, and with the luck of the Irish, we celebrated one last tea in Sweet Remembrances, and just like that, restaurants were shut down to indoor dining with Covid on the rise. We had no way of knowing what the rest of the year would look like.

Kids in the Kitchen became a routine. With a college student home and a high schooler too, quarantine provided an opportunity for the kids to learn a few cooking skills. From making lentil joes for dinner to spiced nuts just because and dipping chocolate covered Easter eggs, there was always something going on to keep us all entertained and nourished. Angelica even tried her hand at scone making. With Easter on the horizon, the kids made bunny cakes, and Susanna made lemonade!

Typically our Easter celebration includes family from NY and another sister from Jim Thorpe. This year, with travel restrictions, we were our small family unit of five, but we had all the traditions expected with a delicious Easter morning breakfast to a ham and potato dinner.

May included a Mother's Day Afternoon Tea 'to go'. With the lockdown extending longer than expected, plan B for Mother's Day included Afternoon Tea 'to go'. It was all hands on deck for help preparing a complete Afternoon Tea. It was an adventure, but a lot of Mother's and their families enjoyed a special treat in the safe confines of their own homes. 

June included an Afternoon Tea special for members of the Penn Cumberland Garden Club. Garden tours were coordinated throughout the summer, and the tour held at The Rosemary House offered the opportunity to order an Afternoon Tea Garden Party. Members were able to enjoy the tea in the garden, socially distanced of course, or take their boxed tea home to enjoy.

The local church hosted garden tours in July. It was an opportunity to get out of the house, enjoy nature and fresh air, and gather ideas for decorating the garden.

August featured A Sampling of Spanish Tapas with outdoor dining or indoor dining as an option. With limited seating indoors, we were thankful to have the garden patio to provide additional seating. Angelica presented a program on Spain, bouncing back and forth between the indoor seating and the outdoor dining. It was a lovely and extra special event.

More Afternoon Tea events for the family. First up, a Magical Tea at TranquilaTea Tea room in Waynesboro in early August was a special birthday celebration.

While a journey in the other direction took the family to Elizabethtown for another August birthday tea at Manchester Teas and Tarts.

In late August the family took the university student back to Penn State for their covid semester. The students made it thru the semester, mostly hibernating in their dorm rooms and attending zoom classes.

And in September, the youngest started his senior year of high school, Class of '21. A maroon and steel cake was enjoyed after the first day of school. Our senior was on the winning football team, making the start of the school year pretty exciting.

October included decorating the gardens, and hosting two annual Halloween teas. A journey to Penn State to celebrate Angelica's 21st birthday on a crisp fall day was also on the agenda for October.

We welcomed Debbie Harman of Thyme with Debbie for a fall program in October, Cooking with Herbs of the Mediterranean Region. It was a demonstration that included tasting a nice variety of fresh herbs. Debbie will be returning to the tea room for several classes in 2021, Flat Breads and Spreads in March, Grain Bowls in May. Watch our Calendar of Events for updates for these fabulous classes.

In November we hosted our quadrennial Presidential tea event. This event is held every four years, with all the pomp and circumstance befitting a presidential event. We were pleased to welcome Executive Chef John Moeller, author of Dining at the White House. Chef Moeller served at the pleasure of three presidents, Bush, Clinton, and Bush. He shared many interesting stories of his experiences at the White House.

Early December saw a few traditional holiday themed events in the tea room, but another abrupt shutdown mid-December caused us to move to Plan B and offer a final 'to go' tea for the year since supplies had already been purchased for a weekend of tea parties. The culinary Santa crew offered inspiration for the dessert menu. Here's to 2021! May it be all that you hope for!