Tree Up?

Cucumber Sandwiches served in the tea room today. Dill seasoned cream cheese spread on round slices of bread, topped with a thin slice of cucumber and sprinkled with fresh parsley. A petite tree topper added a festive touch to the sandwich. Pretty!

Holiday Decorating

The tea room has been decorated for the holiday season. Pretty silk poinsettias have been tucked here and there among the tea related 'stuff'. This hand painted Lefton china tea cup and saucer featuring a poinsettia and holly greens has been added to the decor. 
                                                        Deck the Halls! Tis the Season!

Dip Tree Ornament

These clever 'Dip Tree' ornaments are a perfect easy to 'make ahead' gift. They can be used as favors at a party, stocking stuffers, gift tie-ons, or thoughtful gifts for the neighbors. Supplies needed include clear cone shaped cake decorating bags, herbs and seasonings, a cinnamon stick for the tree trunk, some thin colorful glitzy ribbon and of course star anise for the top of the tree.
 

First, holding the bag upside down, fill it with the dried herbs. We started with one teaspoon of celery seed in the tip of the bag, one teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder for the middle layer with a little bit of dried red tomato for added color and one teaspoon each of Basil, Thyme and Parsley leaf for the largest bottom layer of the tree.
 







Next we poked the cinnamon stick tree trunk into the bottom layer of herbs, and secured it tightly with ribbon. Note; depending upon the size cake decorating bags you are working with you might need to cut it shorter.

Finally, we hot-glued the Star anise to the top of the ornament. If you are using these as ornaments, loop a thin piece of glitzy gold ribbon and attach it underneath the star anise with glue. Tie a perky bow at the base along with a label listing ingredients and the instructions to prepare the dip.

Attach an instruction card: 
Combine 1 C Mayonnaise and 1 C Sour cream. Add the contents of the dip tree.
Stir and chill overnight. Serve with veggies or chips.

These were easy to make, and are certainly festive and fun!

(This blog post is a reprise of a post from December 2007, edited slightly.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

#shopsmall

Small Business Saturday is right around the corner and a lot of our local downtown merchants are celebrating with special offers. We will be featuring all things rosemary, the herb symbolic for Christmas. The shop is well stocked, crammed full from floor to ceiling with all your favorites. Every nook and cranny has a treasure that someone will love! From Roastmary to Snowflake tea, from Artemesia to Zebrovka, we have all your herbal needs. 

Sausage Soup - a family tradition!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays in our homestead both feature the same delicious menu. The menu is written in stone, and may not be changed! It is okay to add to the menu, but don't attempt to omit any of the favorites! For as long as I can remember, the meal was prepared by my father Byron Reppert. Dad was a WW II Marine, member of Mechanicsburg’s Boro Council for 16 years and mayor of the town for 4 years. He was always one of our biggest supporters in any endeavor we attempted. Eventually, when he felt the big family meal might be too much for him to prepare by himself, his daughters apprenticed Thanksgiving Dinner. Our festivities begin with the family gathering on the eve of the holiday to savor our traditional Sausage Soup.This easy to make meal can be simmering on the stove top until all members of the family have arrived. To make this hearty soup, place sliced Smoked Sausage in a large sauce pan with water over medium heat and cook thoroughly. Add minced onion, diced celery and cubed potatoes to the pot. Toss in some parsley, too. Reduce the heat and simmer on the stove until the potatoes are tender. Just before serving add some milk, which gives the soup a creamy color and helps to cool the fat. We have always found the flavor of the smoked sausage offers enough seasoning to this soup. The senior members of our family would muse that they used to call this “poor man’s soup but with the price of sausage these days you can’t call it that anymore”. The annual tale continues with “and when we were really poor we made the soup with pretzels instead”. 

Flash Back Friday!

Circa 1990!

"Something Old, Something New" Tea & Program

Our afternoon adventure at the Fashion Archives & Museum in Shippensburg included a casual Afternoon Tea and program. The newly remodeled Davis House has a nice area for the Fashion Museum, a cozy little gift shop, and an educational area for programs where tables were set up to accommodate tea. We had name tags placed at our seats, and our group of 3 joined a group of 5 women that gathered from southern PA and northern MD. Once everyone was seated, several pots of tea were brought to each table.

A festive array of finger sandwiches were placed on each table. There was a plate of open faced chicken salad colorfully garnished with baby tomatoes, radishes and parsley. In addition, there were cucumber sandwiches sprinkled with pepper and pimento cheese on whole wheat bread. All the sandwiches were fresh and flavorful.

Such a pretty plate of sandwiches.

When our reservations for this wedding themed event were confirmed, we were encouraged to bring a sentimental cake topper or a wedding portrait. We were happy to bring the 1907 wedding portrait of our mother's parents. The sharing of the pictures helped guests intermingle at their tables.

Yummy golden raisin scones were served on a silver platter accompanied by tea cups full of cream and jelly. The jelly was 'High Dumpsie Dearie' a traditional English jelly made from apples, plums, and pears. What a fun name and such a fun presentation. Slices of pumpkin raisin bread were also offered.

The program, 'Something Old, Something New' was presented by Judy Larkin, The Tea Lady, representing The Larkin Tea Company. Traditions, superstitions, and symbolism associated with weddings were shared. In England, it's good luck to see a chimney sweep on your wedding day. And it's good luck to see black cats, not only on your wedding day, but any day. With regards to the height of a wedding cake, the higher the cake, the wealthier you are. And the wedding party was dressed similarly to confuse any evil spirits that might be around. Fun tidbits to learn! Guests in attendance were invited to share their wedding experiences and memories in this interactive program.

Fashion Archives and Museum - Shippensburg

A recent road trip took us to the Fashion Archives and Museum of Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, PA. The Fashion Archives has been in operation since 1980, but the museum, located in the newly remodeled Davis House on the college campus, opened in March of this year with their inaugural exhibit featuring Bridal Gowns through the centuries. 

The fashion library allows for study of all aspects of historic and contemporary dress. In addition, offering internship, work-study, and graduate opportunities, the Fashion Archives and Museum (FA&M) offers significant educational opportunities. Exhibits, programs, and publications available to the public provide a peek into the past.

The Bridal gown exhibit, titled "Walking the Aisle in the Latest Style: Wedding Fashions from the Eighteenth Century to Today" was well organized and well researched.
The gowns were assembled around the room advancing through the years. Descriptive cards included information about the bride, details about the gown, and other interesting tidbits.

This Roaring Twenties gown (to the right) was Angelica's favorite. The exhibit, with a nominal entrance fee of $5.00, is on display until mid-December. It will be packed away, and the museum will spend the next few months preparing for their next exhibit, opening in March. Can't visit in person? Check out their Facebook page.

Love! Shop Local!

Sharing some artwork that can be found on display at the front desk in the shop. 

and the unsolicited opinions from the great nieces in the family. 

Remember to Shop Local this holiday season!

The Tea Kettle

Teardrops of tea
glide down the kettle
Don't cry - 
we'll make each other feel better.

-Terri Guillemets

Happy Veterans Day!

Remembering our Veterans today - and every day. 

Thank you for your service to our country!


Rosemary (for Remembrance) surrounds one of Marj Reppert's artistic creations,
Remembrances (tm) of Rosemary Remembrances II Jim Thorpe, PA