Table Settings

During our visit to Camellia's Sin Tea Parlor, I snapped some pictures of the beautiful table settings in the tea room. Each table is decorated with a different theme or color or style, and each table is simply more beautiful than the previous one. It is a real study in design!

With coordinating chargers to match a round or square place setting, and then beautiful china dishes, one stacked upon the other to create an elegant layout of dishes and a promise of bountiful courses to be served, it was a feast for the eyes. This cheerful red place setting was our table for afternoon tea.

Matching napkin rings complete the service, and coordinated tea pots act as the centerpiece.

 Do you see a table setting where you would prefer to be seated? They are all so festive!

In the entryway, there is an assortment of hats in all shapes, sizes, and colors to entice you to wear a hat while taking tea. Always fun!

Football Widow's Tea - Camellia's Sin Tea Room

We journeyed to Carlisle, PA on a snowy Super Bowl Sunday for the featured Football Widow's Tea at Camellia's Sin Tea Parlor. The snow was pretty but slippery, traffic was light, the adventure enjoyable. 

If you so desire, you may choose a coordinating hat from the wide variety on the wall as you enter, 

All the tables are amazingly coordinated from chargers, to plates, napkins, and tea cups and pots. We were ushered to the glittery silver and red table. Quite festive!

For starters, we were offered a choice of soups. There was a butternut squash apple (shown here), a ham and bean soup, or a borscht type beet soup. Very thick, very hot, and deliciously flavorful, we enjoyed having soup on such a cold day.

 A lightly dressed salad was next that included spring greens, grapes, and topped with feta cheese.

Another decision was required with the scone course. There were three flavors offered, and since there were three of us, we took one of each and cut them into thirds to sample them all. No decision here! Served with soft cream, lemon curd, and a herbed butter, the flavors included savory cheddar rosemary, almond joy with chocolate drizzle, and white chocolate cranberry. Each one as tasty as the previous scone.

A tiered tray was next that included the sandwiches and desserts. On the bottom tier there was a yummy grilled cheese with a pesto filling on one side and sun dried tomato on the other side. A mini broccoli spinach quiche was served warm, and the cucumber radish sandwich with herbed cream cheese was heart shaped. A petite meat loaf sandwich filled out the variety of sandwiches. All very fun.

Desserts included  a sugar cookie, a miniature raspberry cheesecake, and a very moist chocolate cupcake.

We enjoyed a variety of hot tea with each course, but alas, after tea it was time to head back into the wintry scene, and head home, just in time to nestle in and nap during all the pregame hype.

A Sign for the Time

Established in 1968, The Rosemary House is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year! As part of our big 5-0 celebration we are taking a look back though the past five decades. Our first shingle, painted and hung by dear old dad was one part of his contribution to the new venture.

Fragrances, Flavors, and Remembrances  - significant since Rosemary is the symbol of Remembrance. 

Our next sign was very similar but we added the Herb and Spice Merchant sign on the side of the building easily seen when traveling on Market Street.

Still promoting fragrances, flavors and remembrances, we now added Garden to the name, and the year the business became incorporated.

The most recent update lays it on the line, Herbs, Teas and Spices.  New style sign, new tag line, and parking in the rear. The transition of the signage offers a study in design and change, and all of the signs feature an artistic interpretation of Rosemary.

Cha Cha Chocolate!

The Downtown Mechanicsburg Partnership is sponsoring this festive extravaganza to be held the first weekend of February. A wide variety of local businesses are participating, and attendees will be delighted with the amazing assortment of yummy chocolate treats that are being offered at each business. Held Friday, February 2nd and Saturday, February 3rd, tickets ($10.00/person) may be purchased at participating businesses. The Rosemary House and Sweet Remembrances are proud to participate in this inaugural event. The ticket is your tour map, so be sure to pick one up before the event begins. And don't worry, if you are concerned you won't be able to enjoy all the chocolate delights in one or two days, a 'to go' box will be available at a few locations. (One box per participant, please.)

Don QuixoTEA

And the tea, you ask? Settle in for a full bodied spicy black tea blended with generous pieces of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger root to create an invigorating Chai tea that any knight errant would enjoy after fighting windmills and aiding damsels in distress. The bold flavors of this spice laden tea accommodates the addition of milk and sugar if you so desire, adding a depth of sweetness and creaminess to an already tasty blend.  

Don Quijote-Don Quixote-Don Quixotea

Collections! Once the family knows you are collection something, suddenly the collection grows by leaps and bounds, and before you know it, you have a room totally decorated around the central theme of a knight errant (Don Quixote) and his ever faithful sidekick (Sancho Panza). The guest room houses a collection of Don Quixote statues, books, photos, clever artistic interpretations of the Spanish duo and their trusty steads, a thin old nag and a stubborn donkey.

Book ends hug Spanish and English versions of the novel penned by Cervantes.

 Wooden statuary hand carried from Spain, and large decorative pieces can be spotted all around the room. One overnight guest proudly announced that she had counted 52 pieces dedicated to my hero. The count has not been confirmed, but it sounds about right!

Windmills on the plains of Spain

And check out the newest addition to the collection. A large over sized red tin with the title of the novel, Don QuixoTea. Clever! And anyone who knows me, knows that this is the perfect gift, which explains why I received two at Christmas. Fortunately, niece Angelica is planning on taking a minor in Spanish, so she was happy to receive the tin.
Don QuixoTea is billed as a spicy Spanish adventure, or the Man of La ManChai. So clever! The packaging for this treasure included a bag of black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger root to add a depth of spiciness and warmth. A cute little bookmark was also included in the package.

I love the artistry of the tin and the packaging with Don Quijote pouring a cup of tea for Sancho with the windmills in the background.









So, whether you spell it Don Quijote (Spanish), or Don Quixote (English), or Don QuixoTea (noveltea), it's your choice.
This tin, and many other clever punny interpretations of literature can be found at Novelteas.

Collections!

The tea room is laden with collections and treasures to be discovered. Thanks to the handy work of dear old dad, there are shelves in every room, including some that are tucked above doorways. In the back room, nestled high above, there is a collection of pyrographic art, artistic bowls, hand turned saffron containers, and unique treasures acquired abroad alongside the newest holiday acquisition.

The little wooden teapot was a gift from the NY sister, most likely a yard sale treasure. If you notice, it is actually a puzzle! One of those abominable puzzles that, if taken apart, would quickly end up a pile of pieces never to be in the shape of a teapot again. It has been safely stowed, out of reach, in hopes that it will always remain a tea pot to admire!

Sweet Dreams of Banff

Family friends journeyed to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, and lucky for us, they gifted us with a package of herbal tea called Sweet Dreams of Banff from the Banff Tea Company, The tea company is known as the international tea store of the Rockies.





This delightfully fragrant relaxing blend includes rose petals, chamomile, lemongrass, lavender, and spearmint.
According to the website, it is the perfect antidote to a sleepless night. And having experienced several sleepless nights recently, I have turned to this blend, and successfully experienced a rest filled night after enjoying a mug of Sweet Dreams of Banff.



A caffeine free blend, it is impossible to over steep this brew. For a large 2 cup mug, toss 2 teaspoons of loose leaf tea into an infuser (we use a T-Sac), and allow to steep for 5 - 10 minutes. The liquor is delicate in color, the flavor intensifies the longer it steeps. To my palate, the chamomile, lemongrass and spearmint flavors release first, and the longer it steeps, the floral notes of the rose petals and lavender become predominant. The combination of herbs offers the perfect solution to avoiding a night full of tossing and turning.

Thank you for this yummy midnight lifesaver!

A New Year! A New Tea Pot!

Happy New Year! Out with the old, and in with the new. We warmly greet this new year, and National Hot Tea Month with a beautiful handcrafted pottery tea pot. Once again, Santa was good to me.

While vacationing out west this past summer, BIL David spotted this artfully crafted muted grayish green tea pot in a local artisan craft shop in Moab, UT.  Thinking he had my name for the holiday gift exchange, David purchased it for me, only to discover later on in the year he had someone else's name. Lucky for me! (Thank you, David!)

There are many little details associated with this pot. From the cut out spout, to the curlicue on the lid, it has definite personality. The gift shop Moab Made features an amazing variety of talented artwork by local residents.

On the handle there is a thumb rest that provides a perfect grip when pouring from this uniquely shaped pot. Can you spot the three little feet that support the pot? This artist from Desert Sun Ceramics had a fun time crafting this special pot. And it has found a loving home thousands of miles away in Pennsylvania!