Happy Halloween Afternoon Tea - 2021

The last two Sunday afternoons in October are dedicated to our annual hauntingly delightful Halloween Teas. The scene is set with a backdrop of ghouls and goblins in the garden, and a few themed decorations in the tea room. The tables are set with spider webs and bats flying from the centerpieces. Pumpkin decorated cookies smile at our guests as they are seated. The first course includes a Creamy Cabbage, Apple and Entrails Slaw. Sure to delight with a crisp crunch of entrails.

The sandwich plate included Warm and Cheesy Pumpkin Tartlet, Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog Savory Phyllo Cup, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & Olive Eyeball, Day of the Dead Chicken Salad and RIP Pimiento Cheese Pumpernickel Casket.

Oven fresh scones featured a triangular Pumpkin Pecan Scone, a Ghost of a Scone (the traditional English Cream Scone) served with Sweet Cream and Orange Marmalade. Sliced bananas, fresh strawberries and boo-berries with a Brown Sugar Cream rounded out the plate with a jelly pumpkin for a touch of whimsy

Dessert, served on a pumpkin napkin included our spicy Pumpkin Nut Roll and Matcha Ogre Eyes. 

Our guests are encouraged to stroll the haunted gardens, if they dare!

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Bats

We've been celebrating Halloween during teatime this month. A quick and easy teatime treat are these Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Bats. They feature Pumpkin Pie Spice (available at The Rosemary House) which adds a lovely spicy dimension to the cookies, which perfectly pairs with Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea or a plain black tea such as Queen Catherine (both available at the herb and spice gift shop). Quick and easy to make, you'll be sitting down to tea and brown bats in no time!

 

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread

1/2 c. butter (no substitutions)

1/4 c. brown sugar

 1 c. plus 2 T. flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Gradually stir in flour. When blended, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth, about 3 minutes. I like to use a rolling pin that flattens the dough into a perfect 3/8-inch thickness before cutting out the cookies with various cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet, prick with a fork, and bake for 25 minutes, just until bottoms are beginning to brown. Yields about 20 (2- to 3-inch) cookies. 

This recipe was originally shared by Angela McRae on her Tea With Friends blog. She has graciously permitted us to share her recipe here. If you want to see her original post (Angela made fall leaves), follow this Tea With Friends link. Thank you, Angela!

The tea room has been decorated all month with a Halloween theme. These are a few of our 'going batty' decor. The gardens are haunted as well. If you're in the area, stop and stroll the gardens, if you dare!

Hello, September! A month of festivals!

Farewell, August! Hello, September!

 September marks a month of festivals at The Rosemary House and Sweet Remembrances. In the early part of the month, we are celebrating our 27th Annual Fairy Festival on the weekend of September 11th and 12th from 10 am - 4 pm. Perhaps you can join us in the magical gardens for a day full of whimsical fun! Activities include Fairy Fashions, Ivy Fairy Halos, Magic Wands, Fairy Crafts, Pixie Face Paining, Fairy Food on the Fly, and much more! We are looking forward to hosting this festival again this year.

And, at the end of the month is the 4th Annual PA Tea Festival, also held outside in the fragrant herb gardens of The Rosemary House in charming downtown Mechanicsburg. Held of Friday, September 24 and Saturday, September 25 from 9 am - 4 pm, there is a variety of merchants and vendors, a wide range of teas and herbal tisanes to sample and purchase, tea tastings, informative programs, and musical entertainment. Admission is $15/person with additional fees for specific tea tasting sessions. 

We hope to see you this month! Dancing with fairies, and sipping tea. Won't you join us?

Teatotaller, Somersworth, NH

A quick sidetrip to Somersworth, NH took us to TeaTotaller, a funky, colorful cafe and tea shop where everyone is welcome, the staff is friendly, and service efficient. Cheerful and bright, this breakfast and lunch spot offers a chance to grab and go or to sit and dine in among the unique seating areas. Mixing and matching color is the theme here, and the possibilities are endless.

From BobaTea to Chai Latte to Hot Chocolate or Coffee, it's a wide ranging beverage menu coupled with food, drinks and pastries, made in-house using fresh, local ingredients and clever inspiration, it's a win-win.

The macarons were as boldly colorful as the establishment. Coupled with a pink lemonade, and we were happy to have discovered this fun stop. Hard to discern in this picture, but the macarons were huge!

We were on a tight schedule, so we opted for the grab and go. Here is the Avo Stack, yummy avocado, cream cheese, assorted chopped greens stacked between and atop an English muffin. Fresh, green, healthy, and delicious. It's a winner. If you're ever in the area, go treat yo'self.

Silver Fountain Inn & Tea Parlor, Dover, NH

Vacation travels always afford the opportunity to enjoy Afternoon Tea at a new-to-us location. A recent summer trip to New Hampshire included Afternoon Tea at the Silver Fountain Inn and Tea Parlor. This large stately Victorian home, built in 1871, houses a B & B and a very busy tea room on the main floor. Well manicured outside and elegant inside, we were looking forward to this special afternoon tea.

The menu offers a variety of options including The Duchess, The Hummingbird, or even The Chandelier which is an amazing presentation of twelve miniature desserts. You could also order sandwiches, wraps, soup and scones off an extensive menu. This option always works best for our family. The elegant place setting sets the scene for what is about to be enjoyed.

Cedar always has a smile on his face when hot chocolate is an option instead of tea. A turkey and cheese sandwich completed his selection.

The Duchess tiered tray was a feast. including sandwiches, scones, and assorted little desserts. The tea list is extensive with a wide variety of options.

A blueberry lavender scone with cream and curd was featured on the July menu along with a medley of desserts. Their menu changes monthly, all the more reason to return.

Yum!

Acadia National Park, ME - Jordan Pond House

Our summer vacation destination included hiking White Mountains in New Hampshire (Cedar and Angelica) and an adventure to Acadia National Park in Maine, known as the Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast. Hiking, camping, biking, or enjoying popovers at the Jordon Pond House, there's something for everyone. Early in the morning the kid's hiked the Beehive Trail, billed as a thrilling Acadia classic with challenging rungs and ladders but majestic views. Let's just say, don't read the reviews before the hike. Angelica and Cedar seemed to think it was a breeze, the reviews leave you trembling in your boots before you even attempt this must-do hike. They returned triumphant and hungry. Our next stop was at the only restaurant in Acadia National Park, the Jordan Pond House, where they are famous for their Popovers and Tea. With seating inside or outside overlooking the vast pond, we were excited to sit down to a plate of popovers. Nellie McIntire, the original proprietor started serving her now-famous popovers in 1893 and they never stopped. Served on a first-come-first-served basis, we were thrilled to be seated inside and equally as thrilled to find a parking spot. Acadia is one of the ten most visited National Parks, and attendance was high the day we were there.

We enjoyed a plate of cheese, fruit and toasted baguettes prior to the popovers. 

Waiters carrying large baskets full of popovers were flying out of the kitchen trying to keep up with the demand. Fresh, warm, and served with butter and strawberry jelly, they were delicious!

Once we had our fill of popovers and tea we piled in the van and headed up Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Eastern seaboard with its 1,530 foot peak.