Leaf Test ~ Answer Key!

 Left to Right we have  Catnip, Lemon Balm and Spearmint.

How did you do?

Leaf test

It is easy to tell the difference between the leaves when you can do the sniff test.  Or maybe you know the names of your plants by where they are located in your garden beds.  Here is a little test to see if you can recognize three herbs by their leaf characteristics simply by looking at them.  Can you guess?

Answers tomorrow!

Spice up Your Life!

We used this comic as a little ad for The Rosemary House, many many years ago.

Antique Tea Boxes

These two tea boxes are treasures that were acquired years ago. The larger tea box, on the bottom, held choicest Hoo Chow, a gunpowder tea from China. Gunpowder tea is a green tea that is rolled into small pellets that gives it the appearance of gunpowder. Hoo Chow must be a term no longer used, as it does not come up in an Internet search. Has anyone heard of Hoo Chow?
The smaller box is for Tulip Japan Tea. The box reads Choice Young Leaf Pan Fried. 

Inside the box, on the reverse side of the lid is this beautiful artwork depicting Japanese women plucking the tea leaves in the garden with Mt. Fuji in the background. Because it is on the inside of the box and not exposed to sunlight, the colors remain vibrant.

Tea Cup Thursday

Today, as we join Miss Spenser and others on Tea Cup Thursday, we are featuring this pretty collection of three delicate tea cups. The wispy garlands of petite pink roses mimic the ruffled edges of the tea cup base and saucer. They are simply marked 'Austria' on the bottom of the saucer.  While sipping tea from this pretty cup, one is surely transported to Austria, giving new meaning to the world in your teacup.

The World in Your Teacup

Spending time on Facebook can be rewarding! Some might consider it wasting time, but in this instance, I became the winner of a copy of this wonderful book The World in Your Teacup by Lisa Boalt Richardson, certified tea specialist. In this book, Lisa celebrates tea traditions, near and far.  She delves into the tea culture in China, England, Kenya, Russia, Iran, France, Morocco, and the United States.  Lisa provides a peek into the history of tea drinking in each of these countries and then discuses the present day importance of tea as it relates to each county.  She also includes the method of preparing tea, and of course some recipes that would be appropriate to serve.   Cultural tips are scattered throughout the book, and a resource guide is provided to help the reader find unusual items such as barberries or ethnic dinnerware.  The photography by Lauren Rubinstein is outstanding, the bold colors and food styling complement the recipes provided. 
How fortuitous it was that I happened to be perusing Facebook one day when Lisa posted a photograph of a location in London where she had enjoyed tea and queried whether anyone knew where she was.  My correct guess landed a copy of Lisa's book in my mailbox.  Lucky me!  Thank you Lisa!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A beautiful assortment of Valentine's Day cards have been arriving in my mailbox all week.  This sweet little handmade card is a photocopy of the old Victorian calling cards and although too small to read here, says 'With Love's Greetings'.  A comprehensive history and wonderful photographic assortment of calling cards can be enjoyed here at Days of Elegance.

This precious handmade teacup had a sample of tea tucked in the top of the cup.  Made by a friend, it will be saved and treasured.  Sweet words of love are written in script on the saucer, devotion, baby cakes, sweet, affection, etc.

And this lovely homemade card has a delicious recipe for Salted Chocolate Cookie Cups on the inside.  The teabag dangling in the colorful teacup announces 'You Are My Cup of Tea'

The wide variety of cards adorn my fridge during this frigid cold month of February, bringing added cheer to the kitchen and a little warmth to my heart.  Thank you to each and every friend that took the time to send a card, either via the postal service or the Internet, they are all appreciated and enjoyed! 

Happy Valentine's Day Friends!

A Valentine's Day Tea

A Valentine's Day celebration took place in Sweet Remembrances on Sunday.  To set the scene, the tables were decked out in red, white, and hearts.
First course, Mixed Salad Greens, Strawberries, and a Poppyseed Dressing.
The sandwich plate featured Blue Cheese, Walnut & Pear Triangle, a Cucumber Sandwich on Whole Wheat with Cranberry Hearts, Chicken Salad topped with Petite Hearts, a Zesty Mixed Cheese Sandwich, and Chocolate Bread with an Orange Cream Filling.

Oven fresh scones included Traditional English Cream and heart shaped Lemon Pecan, served with fresh fruit, mock clotted cream, lemon curd, and raspberry preserves.

The dessert trio included a chocolate dipped shortbread cookie, petite French Silk Pie, and a Razzleberry Cream Tartlet. Happy Valentine's Day!

Dessert!

And what to serve after such a fun meal? Cake! A white layer cake with a chocolate ganache (fudge) filling, fluffy white frosting, topped with a can of cherries. Oh yum! A Valentine's Day tradition! I'd love to share a piece with you!

and the main course

For our entree, we had taco chicken. A simple recipe, the boneless, skinless chicken breasts were coated with taco seasoning and then placed on a cookie tray. Each chicken breast was then topped with salsa. They were baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour, until done. When removed from the oven, shredded mozzarella cheese was sprinkled over each chicken breast, and a dollop of sour cream was added. Spicy, tender, and savory, it was a hearty serving. We also had heart shaped lemon chive pepper biscuits with individual heart shaped butter pats. Between the picante salsa and the peppery biscuits, it was a spicy but flavorful dinner!

the vegetable side dish...

Sliced onions, sweet red pepper hearts (cut with a cookie cutter), and brussel sprouts sauteed in olive oil until tender formed the basis for our side dish. A few (leftover) wide noodles were tossed into the mix at the very end of cooking along with a nice sprinkling of dried marjoram and veggie pepper seasoning. Colorful and tasty, not bad for my first attempt at preparing brussel sprouts!  We rarely had brussel sprouts in our home when we were growing up as our mother really didn't care for them. When my dad retired, he would do a lot of the cooking. Mom would tell my dad that he could serve brussel sprouts once a month. To which my dad teased that he would make them on the 30th of the month and again on the very next day, the 1st of the next month.

Let's celebrate!

We toasted each other at our (early) Valentine's Day Dinner with Shirley Temples ~ a favorite with the kids. The rims of the glasses were dipped in lemon juice and then dipped in large red sugar crystals to decorate the glasses. A mixture of lemon-lime soda and cherry juice filled the glasses as we celebrated our special dinner. To offset the sugary beginnings, a healthy salad accompanied the meal with fresh salad greens, assorted veggie toppings, and cherry tomato halves graced the top of the salad. As everyone sat down to dinner, I could hear them exclaim, 'there are hearts everywhere'!