A Fragrant Program & Flavorful Afternoon Tea

Our most recent event in the tea room featured a fragrant and flavorful experience. Centerpieces for each table featured a beautiful array of petite perfume and fragrance bottles. Perched atop mirrors or silver filigree pieces, they quietly announced the program that was to be presented.

The wide variety in color and shape of the tiny fragrant bottles was fun to study and admire. The program was presented by Cheryl Harmon, and her selection of vintage and modern perfumes as centerpieces added to the enjoyment of the afternoon. Cheryl had a BS in Education and a MS in Library Science. Now retired, she volunteers her time at Mission Central. We are happy to welcome her to the tea room to share her love of all things fragrant.

Cheryl (R) and her daughter Hallie Harmon (L) share their journey to a perfumery in Grasse, France. Cheryl suggests that just as you wear different clothes for different times of the year or different occasions, your fragrance collection should also be varied according to the seasons or special event. But, ultimately, you must love the perfume you select, and feel good when wearing it.

Our event included an Afternoon Tea Party which started with a Carrot Slaw made with raisins and almonds and dressed with an oil, vinegar, and honey dressing with lots of spring onion and fresh parsley.

The sandwich selection included a Basil Pesto Pinwheel with roasted red pepper, Beef and Tomato Crostini with spring onion and parmesan cheese, an Asparagus Sandwich with egg yolk butter, a Cucumber & Radish round, and an Artichoke Chicken Salad Triangle.

There was a scone course which featured our Traditional English Cream Scone and a Lemon Pecan Scone with sweet cream and raspberries preserves alongside fresh fruit.

And the dessert medley included a White Cake topped with lemon curd, whipped cream and an edible violet, our tribute to 'l'eau de violette'., a Raspberry Almond Puff, and a White Chocolate Chunk Cookie. 

A fragrant and flavorful afternoon indeed!

A Spot of Royal Tea with Royal Commentator Amanda Matta

We recently hosted "A Spot of Royal Tea" and we were pleased to welcome Royal Commentator Amanda Matta to the tea room. Amanda is TikTok's #1 royal commentator where she takes a deep dive into the royal news cycle with her clever analysis of all things royal. She was recently quoted in Us Weekly magazine regarding Princess Kate's focus on family, stating "Kate's ability to blend hands-on parenting with her role reflects a modern, relatable approach to royal life." During her program at the tea room, she spilled the tea on the royals while also sharing the difference between afternoon tea and high tea.

The menu began with a Pear & Walnut Salad with Parmesan Balsamic Dressing. This recipe is from the book, Eating Royally by Darren McGrady, personal chef to Princess Diana and chef to the royal family for 15 years.

The sandwich plate included the 1953 Coronation Chicken Salad, warm Asparagus & Pistachio Rollups, Pimiento Cheese with pecan edge, Cucumber & French Style Cheese Spread, and Turkey, Havarti, & Green Apple on Cinnamon Bread.  

The festive scone plate held our Traditional English Cream Scone served with Sweet Cream and Strawberry Jelly alongside fresh Orange and Pineapple pieces.  There was a slice of Orange Glazed Poppy seed Tea Bread, and Queen Elizabeth's Famous Jam Pennies. The Jam Pennies are round and petite, lightly buttered bread with a spread of raspberry jam in the middle.

The dessert medley featured a Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting, a Mixed Berry Tartlet, and Coconut Pecan Cake.

Many thanks to Amanda for her presentation. During her program she announced that she is working on a book about the royal history. It will be a commoner's guide to the British Royal family. Amanda holds a degree in Art History & Museum Studies and her Master's degree in Arts Administration & Museum Leadership. We look forward to inviting her back once the book is published. 

Afternoon Tea at Infusions Restaurant, Mt. Joy

The Infusions Restaurant is located at the Mount Joy campus of the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center. This student run restaurant is a true learning experience. With the logo 'Made by Students, Made from Scratch', the students prepare it all. Afternoon Tea is served on Tuesdays, and a prix fixe Lunch on Thursdays and Fridays, during the school year, October through May. We joined members of The Royal Tea Club for a special Afternoon Tea.

The Royal Tea Club is a group of mostly women (some men) that gather at tea venues throughout PA-MD-VA to enjoy a special tea time. Afternoon Tea at Infusions was the first gathering of their 21st year This petite table, set up in the foyer, greeted us as we arrived, and hinted at the Wonderland Tea that was to be served.

The restaurant features a large serving area, there were 72 members in attendance for this gathering. Décor in keeping with the Wonderland Tea included jumbo cards hanging from the ceiling and scattered around the windows. The menu was appropriately festive with the characters from Wonderland.

The place setting - with a petite sprig of rosemary wrapped around the napkin. We were offered several choices of hot tea, English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Jasmine Green, Decaf Vanilla or Hibiscus. There was also iced tea, and lemonade available. Coffee was also an option.

The culinary students were behind the scenes in the kitchen preparing the food for the day. The hospitality students were busy attending the needs of the guests.

The first course was Absolem Cream of Mushroom soup. The enoki mushrooms as garnish were festive. 

Following the soup, we were served the Cheshire's Quiche with green onion, red pepper and bacon along side the Mad Hatter's Deconstructed Caesar Salad.

Tina Sams from The Essential Herbal and Maryanne Schwartz (recently retired) from Lancaster County Soapworks joined Susanna and Nancy for tea. Guests are always welcomed at the Royal Tea club events.

The tiered tray held Lemon Blueberry Scones and toppings, Strawberry Peach Jam, Devonshire Cream, and Lemon Curd, on the top tier. Hearty sandwiches were on the middle tier. They included the Dodo Egg Salad with Olive Tapenade on Croissant and The Queen of Hearts Pork loin with Apple and Brie on a roll. There were two of each sandwich per guest. The bottom tier held petite themed desserts.

The cleverly themed desserts  included the White Rabbit Cream Puff, Fresh Fruit Tarts, Wonderland Fudge Brownie and the Loyal Servant Cookie. It was a festive and fun way to end the Wonderland Tea. Kudos to the students of Infusions Restaurant.

 

3rd Thursday Tea - Exquisite Chocolates, Carlisle, PA

Exquisite Chocolates, billed as purveyors of life's finest pleasures, has started serving 3rd Thursday Teas/luncheons once a month in their shop. Eager to experience this new tea time location, we journeyed to Carlisle (a mere 20 minutes away) for an afternoon tea time getaway. 

The tables, set up in the rear of the chocolate shop, were set in matching china and green napkins since spring has sprung. Today's menu was tucked underneath the place setting. 

Before the tea service began, our hostess greeted the group and presented coupons from the catering company, Tastebuds Personal Chef Services.

The tea list, offering a variety of Rishi Teas, features herbals and teas. Nancy selected an organic Sencha Tea a first and second flush harvest from the organic farms on Kyushu Island in southern Japan. It is a pleasant green tea with a vegetal/ grassy flavor to it. Susanna selected the Peach Hibiscus Green tea described as a luscious red hibiscus and juicy peaches with naturally sweet, roasted Japanese green tea with a slightly fruity sweet flavor. Once we selected our tea flavor, an individual pot of hot water and tea bag were provided.

The first course was an Irish Vegetable Soup. It was a creamy root vegetable soup with potatoes, carrots, leeks, parsnips, and broccoli garnished with freshly snipped chives. It was warm, hearty, thick, and tasty.

Shortly after the soup was served, the two tiered tray was placed on the table. Two types of sandwiches and petite desserts were on the tier.

The bottom tier held two types of sandwiches, and we were able to enjoy two of each sandwich. There was a triangular Rueben Tea Sandwich made with corned beef, swiss cheese and pickled cabbage on marbled rye. The other sandwich was a St. Patty's Day Cucumber Tea Sandwich served on Irish Soda Bread. Kerrygold Chive butter was spread on the soda bread. 

A small scoop of Blood Orange Sorbet was served after the sandwiches. This was smooth, and very refreshing.

And rounding out the tea was an Irish Pea Salad. The salad was served on a fresh Romaine leaf and was made with fresh peas, onion, sweet peppers and mixed with an herbed yogurt dressing.

The top tier of the tray held a Pistachio Macaron and a Pepita topped artisanal chocolate. They provided a sweet treat to end our teatime. Visit their website to learn about upcoming teas and luncheons.

And, who can go to a chocolate shop without picking out some exquisite chocolates to enjoy at home? A small blue box gaily tied with a bow held a  citrus rosemary chocolate, a large peanut butter truffle, and two milk chocolate salted caramels rounded out this little sampler pack to be enjoyed as a midnight snack.

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The tea room was host to our annual St. Patrick's Day tea and guests were all a wearin o' the green. Seasonal tea options included Irish Whiskey Cream, Shamrocks & Shenanigans, Love Shack, or XOXO. Once guests selected their teas, we served our Emerald Island Kiwi and Blueberry Salad topped with Irish Cheddar Cheese and a shamrock 'crouton'.

The sandwich plate included a Wee Cottage Pie, Carrot & Cheddar on Whole Wheat with Pecan Edges, a Benedictine Sandwich (cucumber & onion, topped with parsley), a Petite Potato Bite filled with cheese and corned beef, a Goat Cheese & Tomato Tartlet, and a toasted Reuben topped with a toasty shamrock.

We served a Spotted Dog Irish Soda Bread Scone with sweet cream and homemade lemon curd. A savory slice of Spinach Bread topped with our Rosemary House special French Style Cheese Spread and tomato was also on this sweet and savory plate. Can you see the Irish flag represented in the array of colors with the green tea bread, white herb spread, and red tomato?

The dessert medley this year included a slice of Irish Whiskey Cream Cheese Cake, a Chocolate Guinness cake with a whipped cream frosting, and an Earl Grey Cupcake with a lemon buttercream frosting. Guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth! 

 

Jane's Tea Room at the Gettysburg Academy

This past Sunday we attended the Kitt-Tea fund raiser event at Jane's Tea Room at the Gettysburg Academy. This fundraising tea was to benefit the Forever Love Rescue at the Kitty Corner in Gettysburg. Jane's Tea Room is a part of the Gettysburg Academy, which is currently a bed and breakfast in historic Gettysburg. Additional information about the history of the academy can be found on their website.

There are several dining areas set up on the main floor of the house. Tables that seat two, three, four, or more guests are tucked in different rooms, all colorfully set for event. Before we were seated, we were directed to the counter that held a variety of tea bags sourced from different companies. We selected a few different teas, and headed to our table.

We were provided with a teapot of lukewarm water that was refilled as needed. The Green Tea selected was a perfect choice for the water temp provided. The Black Tea selection actually held two pyramidal teabags in the package. There is a glass jar on each table to hold the spent teabags. The label on the jar touts the fact that the used tea leaves will be repurposed to benefit the rose garden.

The tiered tray that held the scones and desserts was on the table before we arrived. There was a menu on the table, and a list of the silent auction items available for the fund raising event. The auction items were placed around the room so you could see what was available, and place your bid. In addition to the silent auction, we were requested to bring grocery items that the kitty rescue would be able to use such as cat/kitty food, paper towels, garbage bags, etc. We were happy to provide a few necessities.

Once seated, individual sandwich plates were served. They included Cucumber and Herb Cream Cheese, Dijon Mustard Ham & Swiss Pinwheel Pastries, Traditional Egg Salad on White Bread, and an Oats and Peanut Butter Kitty Ball in the center of the plate. The sandwiches were very tasty and fresh. Additional sandwiches were offered, if desired.

The Homemade Cranberry Scone was served with a thick whipped cream.

And the dessert medley included Bread Pudding with Apple Cinnamon & Raising with Caramel topping, Red Velvet mini cakes with Yummy icing, and a petite Cinnamon Roll. The tiered tray held an assortment of these petite desserts, you could enjoy as many as you wanted. Finding new tea rooms that are relatively close to us is always a treat. Gettysburg is about half an hour away but we allowed extra time to find parking, which was not an issue. There appeared to be plenty of street parking, some metered, some not, and there is a lot in the rear of the Bed & Breakfast. We were happy to learn that Jane's Tea Room raised $750 for the Forever Love Rescue.

Always take time for tea! And help the kitties when you can!