Express Yourself!

During our adventures in Nassau, we had some free time to explore and we discovered the Heritage Village Artists' Studios. A two story business features locally made Bahamian crafts. In the open air patio was this beautiful display of unique bottle trees.

According to a placard, bottle trees started in Africa in the 1600's.The lore of the bottles was carried to America during the slave period. It was customary to hang a bottle on branches of trees on burial grounds. The belief was that in the dark of night, evil spirits would enter the bottles and then, during the day the spirits would burn away from the heat of the sun. Blue bottles were thought to be particularly useful. This artwork is the combined effort of the father daughter duo, Robert Russell and Sharon Garzaroli.

While walking along the street, we discovered this creative work tucked in a little alcove. The mystery and beauty of the island has been captured in the colorful artistic expression of the artist.

We had just enough time to visit the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, located on the corner of West and West Hill Streets. The two story museum has many galleries and and a variety of artists. The exhibit we saw was "From Columbus to Junkanoo" which highlights the growth and diversity of Bahamian art. Sadly, no photography allowed. But, certainly a recommended stop if in the area!

Field to Fork Community Farm, Nassau, Bahamas

Hidden at the end of a long dusty road scattered with various sized pot holes is the Field to Fork Community Farm and the hydroponic greenhouse operation for Lucayan Tropical Produce. We were greeted by Farmer Tim Hauber and offered a tour of the farm where they grow and harvest fresh organic produce that is then sold at area restaurants, small boutique hotels and the local farmer's market. The 2-acre vegetable farm produces a variety of salad greens,

The farm  focuses on growing veggies such as Dikon radishes, Napa cabbage, carrots, and an Asian Salad Mix along with the newest Salanova lettuce a red and green double bibb lettuce. Farmer Tim also shared his craft brewed beverages that are naturally fermented. We were fortunate to be able to sample several of these specialty brews, two of which included a black tea base. There was on Oolong Kombucha, Guava Kombucha, Passion Fruit Kombucha in addition to Ginger Beer and Ginger Turmeric. The last two packed quite a punch!

The 7-acre hydroponic greenhouse is naturally ventilated, and provides ideal growing conditions for cucumbers. From the cucumber yield, 95% of the cukes harvested are shipped to Florida while only 5% are for the local market.










There is quite a production going on with this system. The greenhouse is built on a slant and rainwater is collected off the roof. The greenhouse is computer maintained, except for the harvesting and general labor.

Take a Winter Break!

Take a break from the gray winter skies and hop along on this wondrous journey and enjoy the warm and balmy breezes of the Bahamas. Nassau, on Paradise Island to be exact. The island, a mere 21 miles long by 7 miles wide, is a winter paradise and offers a welcoming respite to those escaping the winter chill.

Lodging was at the Sandyport Beach Resort, located very close to the airport, and an easy taxi ride to the downtown attractions. Members of the Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association held their January meeting in the Bahamas. Hosted by Denise and Paul Worrell of Naturally Bahamian, during our stay we were welcomed into private residences and entertained royally. Herbal teas, native to the island, was the order of the day. 

There's a lot to share, but for now, enjoy the beauty of the island!

Celebrating!

We have three January birthdays in our family - all celebrated at the end of the month. Cedar, reaching 14 this year and growing taller every day, kicks off the family celebrations with a birthday on the 29th. Little did he know that his Aunt Carrie wanted him to arrive on the 30th when she celebrates her natal day. Their birthdays are close enough to be birthday buddies. Also on the 30th , cousin Anne is celebrating in LA. Sending a shout out to all three.

May you have a thankful heart, achieve your dreams, and enjoy a year full of hope.

Standing Tall, Silently Weeping. . .

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Author: Emma Lazarus

Tea with Tracy, Seymour, CT

A weekend visit to New York included an excursion to a tea room in Seymour, CT,  Tea With Tracy. White lace curtains, white chairs and a pale blue decor coupled with large sunny windows created a bright and cheerful room.

Once seated, our attention was immediately drawn to the clever names for the variety of teas that were offered. The Princess & Super Hero Teas brought a chuckle from Susanna and Angelica. Can you guess which tea Susanna selected?

Captain America!

The menu options were framed and available on each table. Breakfast is served early Sunday morning, and tea service begins at 11:00 on Sunday. We arrived shortly thereafter, and selected the Afternoon Tea. We were able to select one sandwich each, one scone, and one dessert. Since there were four of us, we selected four different items in each category, so we were able to sample a wide variety of their specialty items.

The top tier held the four assorted scones which included Cranberry Orange, Chocolate Chip Butterscotch, Pineapple White Chocolate and Onion. They were served with butter packets and a tiny teacup of jelly. Devonshire Cream was available for an upcharge which we selected. It was also served in a tiny white teacup.

The middle tier held the petite tea sandwiches on white and wheat bread. Our selection included traditional cucumber sandwich, egg salad with curry, chicken salad with fresh herbs, and raspberry and brie sandwich. We were happy to be able to sample a variety of sandwiches.

The bottom tier was laden with large pieces of dessert. Cutting each piece into fourths offered us the opportunity to sample each sweet treat which included Pecan Pie, Carrot Cake, Cherry Almond Bread Pudding, and Chocolate Crepe Cake.

 It's always fun to have the opportunity to visit another tea room, to be the guest! The tea room was a hustle and bustle of activity the entire time we were there. Located on a busy little street, there were plenty of small antique shops and consignment shops to explore after tea.

Showcasing the Black Teacup Collection

Gathering together the black teacups that I have in my collection, I was surprised to see the variety that I have. Since the majority of the teacups used in the tea room are either pink, yellow, or green, most of these sets are stowed safely in a cupboard.

This Royal Albert bone china tea cup from England is on display in the tea room. It is clearly marked on the bottom of the saucer and the cup. There is an elegance with the solid black saucer and the rich black and mauve roses circling the cup.

Found in another section of the tea room is this tea cup set with a slightly more modern design. The iridescent saucer sparkles, and the black and white swirl is replicated in both the saucer and the tea cup. There is no marking on this elegant and sophisticated cup.

These two pretty tea cups have matching designs on the saucer and cup. It's always a treat to finish drinking your tea and have the beautiful floral design to admire. The cup and saucer on the left is marked 'Made in Japan' while the set on the right is stamped Royal Sealy China, Japan.

And finally, this cup and saucer set was part of the original collection that was given to me from my mother shortly after the tea room opened. Mom was happy to pass her collection to me as she was thrilled to have more space in her cupboards to continue collecting!

How to Make- A Really Fine Cup of Tea

These are the basic directions on how to prepare a cup of tea according to the instructions on the tin of the loose leaf tea sold by John Wagner & Sons:
How to Make - A Really Fine Cup of Tea
Use fresh water. Bring to a furious boil. Put tea in teapot, one level teaspoon per cup (more or less as desired) plus 'one for the pot.' Pour boiling water on tea. Steep three to five minutes - the longer the stronger.

These directions are specifically for black tea. And over the years, most recommendations for making tea no longer include the need for adding 'one for the pot'. Of course, these are all simply guidelines, it's all to personal taste, add more or less tea as desired and steep as long or as short as you prefer. Eventually you will find the perfect balance and achieve a really fine cup of tea.

Tea & Spice Merchant, John Wagner & Sons

The John Wagner & Sons business began in 1847 'since the days of the clipper ships'. This Pennsylvania company offered a wide variety of teas and spices, and was one of the first teas that we sold in The Rosemary House, right alongside Constant Comment. There was a wide variety of flavors, each distinguishable by the color of the tin. You could find Orange pekoe (orange tin), Keemun (black), Jasmine (yellow), English breakfast (red), Formosa Oolong (light green), Imperial gunpowder (medium green), Irish (kelly green), Earl Gray (purple) Rare Mandarin (lavender), Pan fired green (blue), Mint (white) and Ch’a Ching Chinese restaurant (white).

The tins featured a descriptive explanation of each of the teas and also included instructions on 'how to make a really fine cup of tea'. The Ch'a Ching Chinese Restaurant Tea states; many times, many customers have urged us to provide them a tea such as they have been served when dining in a fine Chinese restaurant. Here at last it is - rich, full-bodied to the taste, dark and clear in the cup with a fine pungent aroma that will bring back memories of the far fabled East from which it comes. The Rare Mandarin is a black tea of great distinction, originally from the gardens reserved for the exclusive patronage of the Russian aristocracy. Blended for the taste of the most discriminating gourmet. The Mint Tea is flavored and scented with the clear fresh taste of garden mint.
Don't they all sound delicious?

John Wagner & Sons Tea

When The Rosemary House opened in 1968 (celebrating 49 years this year!), we carried tea and spices from a local Pennsylvania company, John Wagner & Sons. The Ivyland, PA company was founded in 1847, eventually sold to another company in 1996, but is no longer available. The teas were sold in gift sets, or they were sold loose in a large Treasure Chest. This is the lid from the chest.

The loose leaf tea was sold in specialty food stores and gift shops such as the Rosemary House. The assorted teas were packaged in tins, in several sizes. Shown here are the smaller tins that were tossed in the chest. Customers could pick out their favorite teas, and select a different flavor each time they came to the shop. Look at that price! 35 cents or 3 for a dollar! Now, you can find the empty little tins on eBay for $8.00 a piece! 

Susanna was just a young girl when the shop opened, and one of her favorite activities was to pretend these tins were building blocks. She would play for hours stacking the tins, lining them up, assorting them by color, knocking them down, and starting over again. She was easily entertained.