Happy May Day!

Once the coveted gift of a secret admirer, May baskets seem to have gone out of style. Alas, we live in a harried time and a pretty basket of flowers found on our doorstep would indeed be a surprise. In a less stressful era, weaving tiny baskets and gathering mosses to line them were another sure sign of spring. Forget-me-knots, violets, primroses and pretty little wild flowers nestled in the moss were a sentimental offering.* This sweet bouquet of fragrant lilacs tucked inside a delicately hand stitched cone was a gift from a friend. It welcomes spring and announces the first of May. It is a simple pleasure.

*from Mrs. Reppert's TwelveMonth Herbal, 1996, Remembrance Press

The Royal Reception ~ A Gala Affair

It was a spectacular day culminated by a very special evening. Not enough pictures were taken and I'm not certain the pictures would have captured the festive feeling of the event anyway. The guests at the Royal Reception wore a marvelous variety of hats and fascinators. It was as exciting to see their head pieces as it was at the actual wedding. Fortunately, a few pictures of the evening tea were take, and I share both the menu and the pictures here. Enjoy!

The Menu ~ Spring Asparagus Soup with Fresh Dill; Mixed Salad Greens, Regal White Violets, Fresh Chive Cream Dressing, Herbed Croutons;Curried Chicken Pie, Ham & Dijon Puffs, Apple Rosemary Blue Cheese Knots, Sweet 'n Savory Strawberry Cheese, Toasted Pecan Crowns; Royal Tea Scones, Lemon Pecan Scones, True Devon Cream, Orange Curd, Lemon Verbena Jelly, Fresh Oranges, Strawberries, Kiwi; and A Match Made in Heaven:Will's Chocolate Biscuit Cake and Kate's Petite Raspberry Wedding Cake
Mimosas, to toast the happy couple ~ May they live happily ever after!

Note: Thank you to Marcella Farina, the Tea and Hat Lady, for granting permission to share her photos of the salad and the sandwich plate.

Quiet Anticipation

The Royal Reception ~ A Gala Affair at Sweet Remembrances takes place this evening. The beautiful blushing bride and gallant nervous groom softly spoke their vows, promises made, bells peeled, and pomp and circumstance capped the occasion. Tonight, we'll celebrate in our own special way. Can you see the sapphire and diamond ring mimicked in the centerpiece?
The tea room is dark now, the kitchen a hustle, the culmination to our Royal Week will begin in a few short hours. Hopefully, photos to share tomorrow!

Best Wishes and Congratulations to William and Kate!

May they continue to enjoy happiness from this day forth.

Ladies-in-Waiting Tea

SereniTea Wednesday was transformed into a Ladies-in-Waiting Tea to honor the upcoming Royal Wedding. Our guests received a printed menu that featured Wedding Herbs and their symbolism on the cover, a recommended tea list on the inside cover, and the menu for the day.

Windsor Castle Tea, Queen Catherine Tea (Kate will become the 6th Queen Catherine) and Chai Tea were our teas of choice. Chai was selected as it is the most popular beverage among Kenyans, and handsome William proposed to blushing Kate in Kenya.

Pear & Walnut Salad with

Parmesan Balsamic Dressing, Basil & Sweet Violets

Hot Artichoke and Marjoram Baguettes

Pimiento Cheese Royal Crowns

Sliced Turkey with Rosemary Biscuits

Cucumber with Herbed Butter

Kensington Palace Scones

Lavender Scones

Cream, Curd, Pineapple Sage Jelly

Orange Slices and Strawberries

Lady Di's Diamonds

Scottish Thistle Shortbread

Kate's Favorite Sticky Toffee Pudding

Much the way Kate's wedding cake is laden with symbolism using the Language of Flowers from the Victorian era, our menu also featured symbolism. Rosemary for remembrance, lavender for luck, basil signifies good wishes while sweet violets represent faithfulness. Kate's wedding cake will include the four flowers of the home nations, the English Rose (hope, prosperity and unity), the Welsh daffodil (chivalry and rebirth), the Scottish Thistle (bravery, courage, and loyalty) and the Irish Shamrock (unity and good luck). There will be 16 different blossoms that all have special meaning including the bridal rose for happiness, the acorn and oak symbolize strength and endurance, the lily of the valley for sweetness and humility, English Ivy for marriage, and of course Sweet Williams for perfection and gallantry. Although many of these plants and herbs are not edible, they are being made out of decorators icing and marzipan.

Bridal Vignettes

In anticipation of royal wedding week, decorative vignettes have been tucked throughout the tea room. When you first enter the main hallway, you encounter this collection of royal photos complemented with a wispy cloud of wedding veil.Photos of Wills and Kate are predominant, along with a copy of an oil painting by Sir James Gunn, completed in 1950, entitled Conversation Piece at The Royal Lodge. The original portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. It features King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II, seated) and her sister Princess Margaret during tea time. The small commemorative plate honors the Coronation of Elizabeth II on 2nd June 1953. It is a piece of Royal Albert bone china, crafted in England. In the main dining area is this wedding vignette that features portraits of Wills and Kate accompanied by assorted wedding memorabilia.
And of course, a pearl tiara is at the ready for the many royal celebrations taking place this week. Let the festivities begin!

Fairy Tales Do Come True

It started with a fairy tale, many years ago. We were fascinated then and entralled now with this new chapter. Royal Wedding Blends are popping up all over the place, as they did back then. All roads lead to Westminster Abbey.It's the place to be on Friday, April 29, 2011.
If you can't be there, will you join the millions that will be watching on TV? Over 750 million were tuned in for Charles and Diana when they wed at St. Paul's Cathedral. Will the number parallel or exceed that amount this year? Count us in among the millions!
The bells on Big Ben will toll at 11:00 am to signal the beginning of the Royal Procession. Commoner Catherine (Kate) Elizabeth Middleton will marry His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis)with all the pomp and circumstance a royal fairy tale wedding can include yet regal and romantic and perhaps overwhelming as well.
Truly, the stuff of which fairy tales are made.

Victorian Bridal Tea & Program

We are celebrating the Royal Wedding in several ways this month. Our kick-off event was this past Sunday and Monday, April 17th and 18th where we honored Queen Victoria and the devout love she shared with Prince Albert at our Victorian Bridal Tea.
It was our pleasure to welcome Victoriana Lady Lisa Lewis to Sweet Remembrances. Lady Lisa displayed a traveling museum of vintage bridal clothing that she has been collecting since she was 15 years old, with thanks to her Grandmother for providing her with the importance of sharing and caring for these historical treasures.
A Victorian Afternoon Tea was served and included Victorian Chutney with Cream Roses and Crackers, Olde English Sausage Rolls, The Royal Crown Salmon Pate, To the Queen's Taste Brie & Apple Crostini, The Duke of Orange Pecan Sandwich Rounds, Queen Adelaide Ham & Chicken Salad, The Earl of Sandwich Asparagus & Egg Yolk ButterTraditional English Cream Scones, Prince Albert's Apricot Coriander Tea Bread, Devon Cream, Lemon Curd, Raspberry Preserves, Orange Slices and Pineapple CubesThe Royal Ladies Fruit Cakelette, and Victorian Sponge Cake
White Wine Syllabub.

Following the Afternoon Tea, Lady Lisa presented an entertaining and informative program on the entire outfit that any fashionable Victorian Bride would include in her ensemble. Quite an amazing array of layers. For additional Victorian events, pictures and history, please visit Lady Lisa's blog.Thank you Lady Lisa, and also John Grant for joining us. We are pleased you were able to present another program at Sweet Remembrances, and look forward to your return visit next year.

Happy Easter!

Well pleaseth me the sweet time of Easter

That maketh the leaf and the flower come out.

~Bertran de Born

The Easter Ham

Our traditional Easter dinner highlights the ham.
Marj orders a double smoked ham from the Pocono area of PA. It's the best! Brother-in-law Phil, with the willing assistance of the two youngest in the family, studs it with cloves. It has become an annual ritual. Dandelion Salad, Steamed Asparagus, Baked Potatoes (sweet or white), Ham and Bunny Cake. Simply delicious. But oh,
what a ham!

Gather ye dandelions

while ye may.It's time to harvest the dandelions for the annual spring salad. Dandelion Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing is an Easter tradition in our household. When our Mother prepared the salad, she featured the dandelions as the centerpiece of the salad. However, over the years, we've increased the amount of bacon and eggs to top the salad, but still keep the requisite dandelions too. The virtues of Dandelion are many but we are sure the bacon dressing negates the benefits. Dandelion leaves are a fabulous diuretic. Dandelion is so rich in potassium that it ends up being a potassium sparing diuretic. In fact, many who use dandelion leaf as a diuretic end up with a net gain of potassium! Dandelion root is a bitter herb, that is often roasted and used as a coffee substitute. The root is also effective for making your digestive system work efficiently. When I think of how many millions of dollars have been spent to eradicate this amazingly useful plant it makes my head spin.

Hot Bacon Dressing

4 strips bacon (or more if desired), finely chopped

1 egg, well beaten

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. vinegar

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain fat. Mix egg, sugar, water and vinegar and add to bacon, cooking slowly and stirring constantly until thickened. Pour hot dressing over tender dandelion. Top with slice hard boiled eggs. Serve immediately.

Easter Time ~ Tea Time

This sweet little Easter collectionfeaturing bunnies taking tea was a window display in Fortnum & Masons in London. One afternoon, several years back, friend Linda of Friendship Tea, and I were walking the streets of London in pursuit of anything tea and happened upon this display. Isn't it a lovely composition? Wish I could pop in and order their Afternoon Tea.

Easter Ideas

It's time to think about Easter! And here's a basket full of Easter treats that would be enjoyed by the whole family.

Using the basic rice krispie and marshmallow recipe, shape the mixture into either nests or eggs. Fill the nest with green tinted coconut and spring colored candies or miniature jelly beans. Nestled in an Easter basket, these are fun for everyone.

For the egg shaped krispies, dip them halfway into melted chocolate and sprinkle with colorful jimmies. Allow the chocolate to firm, and nestle the eggs in another basket.

A very special thank you to niece Elizabeth for sharing these Easter treats with us.