A Valentine's Day Tea - 2022

Valentine's Day has come and gone, but not without a celebration in the tea room. Forever Yours Spritzer awaited the guests arrival. A strong brew of naturally caffeine free Forever Yours tea (available at The Rosemary House), chilled and mixed with your favorite lemon lime soda creates this colorful and refreshing punch.

Once everyone has selected their personal pot of tea, the salad is served. The "I Love You!" Salad included fresh Spring salad greens topped with plump raspberries, sweet raisins, pecans and feta crumbles and then dressed with a Love is... Raspberry Champagne Vinaigrette.

The sandwich plate included All you need is love Turkey & Havarti Cheese with Orange Cranberry Marmalade, Be Mine Valentine! Herbed Party Sandwich on Rye Bread topped with a heart, Spicy & Sassy Radish and Chive Sandwich on Pumpernickel with a petite heart on top, A Bushel and a Peck Ham Salad Heart open faced on white bread, Sweet Nothings Fruited Chicken salad with a pair of hearts, and my Heart's Delight Raspberry and Pecan Brie Tartlet completed the sextet of sandwiches.

The scone course featured our Love Me Tender Traditional English Cream Scone and a Love Me Sweet Double Chocolate heart shaped Scone with mini chocolate chips. Also on the plate were Love Me Dear sweet cream and raspberry preserves for the scones, and two 'stuffed' strawberries, one with Love Me True Sweet Mascarpone Cream and the other with I Love You so! Chocolate Cream.

For dessert, Hugs and Kisses Coconut & Pecan Petite Cake, Cutie Pie Raspberry Mousse Filled Chocolate Cup, Sweetheart Chocolate Cheese Cupcake, and Loves Me, Loves Me Not Raspberry Linzer Cookie.

Vintage Valentine candy boxes complete the holiday theme.

Pamela's Victorian Bell Mansion Afternoon Tea

A girl's excursion took us (Susanna and Nancy) north to Bellwood, PA via State College to pick up two college seniors (Angelica and Sara) for an early Valentine's Day tea party at Pamela's Victorian Bell Mansion. We have wanted to visit this tea room ever since Angelica started college, Pamela announced this may be her last month serving tea so we quickly made reservations. We were all thrilled to see that we had a Sunday free on a day she was serving.

The table was adorned to the max, festively set with matching Royal Albert china and coordinating cloth placemats. A delicate pedestaled cup of Raspberry Sorbet was waiting for our arrival and provided a refreshing start to our culinary adventure. A pot of Pamela's Personali-Tea was already on the table. A flavorful black tea with bold spicy notes was warming on this chilly Sunday afternoon.

The first course included a Strawberry Salad topped with your choice of feta cheese or cheddar. Tomatoes, strawberries, almonds, and fresh feta mixed with an assortment of spring greens provided a lovely start to our afternoon tea service.

Pamela presented each course with a flourish and a description of what in included. Here she is sharing the tiered tray of Afternoon Tea Sandwiches. Our pot of Pamela's Personali-Tea was empty so we ordered a pot of Raspberry Chocolate Tea. The other flavor option was Strawberry Chocolate which we enjoyed after our desserts arrived.

 On the top tier, there were cucumber squares and chicken salad in mini croissants, along with a ham sandwich with Dijon mustard. The bottom tier held a cranberry cream spread on cinnamon bread, and a walnut and cream cheese on a cinnamon swirl sweet bread. They were all very tasty.

The final presentation was served atop a pedestaled cake plate and that held the scones and Valentine sweets. Two large footed dishes graced the table with Pamela's sweet cream and strawberry preserves. The scones included a choice of English cream or chocolate chip. The sweets featured a crisp Italian cookie with a delicate anise flavor, and a chocolate truffle. 

There was a lot to look at around the tea room. Pianos, teapots, Victorian frou frou, and lovely decorations set the scene. The 1822 historic house is decorated from top to bottom. Here are just a few of the nooks and corners. Pamela told us that the house was just sold, so I'm not sure what that means for the tea room. She has been serving tea here for 20 years. We are so glad that we got to experience this beautiful destination.

Forney House Bed & Breakfast/Tea Room

The Royal Tea Club of York PA hosted a private event at the Forney House Bed & Breakfast and Tea Room in early November of last year. Susanna and I are members of the Royal Tea Club, and we try to attend an event or two during the year. We were thrilled that our calendar was open for this adventure and we journeyed south to Hanover, PA to join fellow members of the club for friendship and fun over a pot of tea.

The tea room is divided into several rooms, and we were seated in a parlor that held a large table set for eight.

Once we were seated, the wait staff offered an assortment of flavored teas. They carry 'True Honey' tea which features honey infused black flavored teas. There was a Ginger Lemon Zest and also Honey Almond black tea. Large pots were placed at each end of the table

The first course was a hearty butternut squash soup, their vegetarian option. Warming and flavorful, it was a good way to start our Afternoon Tea. They also offered a Chicken and Dumpling Soup which looked tasty, too.

A salad bowl with fresh mixed greens, craisins, pecans and a lovely light poppy seed dressing was offered next.

The tiered tray came laden with an assortment of delicious tea time treats. Sandwiches, scones, and desserts to be shared between four of us. It was a bountiful display of seasonal treats, all meant to be savored and enjoyed with hot tea.

The sandwiches included an Egg Salad (or chicken salad) Croissant, Veggie Spiral, Cucumber Tea Sandwich, and Pepper Jam with a Wheat Cracker.

The scone was a glazed Orange Scone with clotted cream and orange curd.

And dessert included Pumpkin Nut Roll, Italian wedding cookie and Spice Cupcake with ginger buttercream frosting.

This was their menu for November 2021. It looks like they change the menu monthly. 

We had a lovely visit here, and savored all the tea time treats with friends.

The tea room is lovingly appointed with treasures throughout the rooms. Here's a look at some of the tea time décor

National Hot Tea Month - January

We enjoy tea all year long, but we are quite happy to acknowledge and celebrate National Hot Tea Month in January. The bone chilling month of January is quite appropriate to be featured as hot tea month. 

Have you heard the old Chinese adage that muses that three cups of tea a day keeps the druggist away. Have you had your three cups today?

Tisane, or "herb tea," is not a true tea from the Camellia sinensis plant, but rather a blend of various herbs, flowers, or spices. Herbal teas have long been enjoyed for their healing and rejuvenating qualities. Ginger is said to be calming for digestive discomfort.

The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort, and refinement." -Arthur Gray

"Come along inside. . . we'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place." - The Wind in the Willows

"Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world." - Tien Yuheng

"Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea." -Reverend Sydney Smith

"If you are cold, tea will warm you; If you are too heated, it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are excited, it will calm you."  -William Gladstone

Happy National Hot Tea Month!

A Year in Review - 2021 - Happy New Year!

January is a cold month in Pennsylvania, with off and on snow, but the Camellia sinensis tea plant in the garden grows strong and tall through it all. January is also the planning month where Susanna and Nancy outline the next special events and activities for the new year.

February, the month where we highlight Valentine's Day, and showcase roses and chocolate and everything pink and red throughout the tea room. 

While March is of course for St. Patrick's Day and the luck of the Irish. This year we also included a program by Debbie Hartman of Thyme with Debbie featuring Flatbreads and Spreads. We will be contacting Debbie to see what she will offer in the new year. We enjoy her easygoing teaching style, her demonstration of special techniques, and of course the tasting of her delicious creations.

April marks the beginning of the growing season and a wide variety of herb plants line the porch waiting to be transported and transplanted to their new homes. It's always an exciting time when the plants arrive! In April, Susanna teaches a class on Herb Gardening, and there was a class on Springtime Tonics. Both educational and informative!

May Day is fun, secretly posting a basket of posies on the neighbor's door, waiting for them to be surprised with the colorful bouquet. Of course, Mother's Day Tea is another highlight for May. May is always a busy month as we celebrate National Herb Week. Parsley was the herb of the year for 2021. We are looking forward to celebrating the Viola, Violets, Pansy, and Pansies, the herb of the year for 2022.

We honor the Queen in June with our annual Queen's Tea celebrating her birthday, even though her true birthday is in April, the Queen deserves to celebrate twice! Weed walks, Making Herbal Medicine, and Growing a Healing Herb Garden were a few of the classes Susanna held during the busy month of June.

July was a family road trip to New England where we visited the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden and discovered the giant trolls, the keepers of the seeds constructed throughout the garden. Such fun! Trivia Night was popular in the tea room as an evening activity along with our Taking Tea and Tarot Reading.

August included a day trip to the Magic Garden in Philadelphia. Love the creativity found at this unique location on South Street. We're always on the lookout for sources of inspiration!

September is our festival month, first we celebrate the fairies, elves, wizards, and trolls that hide about the grounds. This is such fun, and you're invited to frolic with the fairies on September 10th and 11th, 2022. Check out the website closer to the date for a current list of activities.

The end of September we are the host site for the PA Tea Festival where all things tea are shared, from tea tastings to demonstrations, lectures, and small sessions, the world of tea offers much to discover. In 2022, we hope to see you Friday, Sept. 23rd and/or Saturday, Sept. 24th. Our tea festival website will keep you updates.

Halloween Teas are the theme in October. Spooky, and hauntingly delightful tea time treats are created for these special events. Of course, the gardens are decorated for the season, too.

The end of November is the beginning of the holiday tea time season with our annual holiday teas that kick off the day after Thanksgiving. Holiday tea cups, teapot napkin rings, and all things red and green make the tea room joyful and delightful until the end of the year.

December is a month of holiday teas in Sweet Remembrances, and plenty of shopping in the Rosemary House. At the end of the month, family and friends celebrated at a candlelight tea catered by Faith. Here's to a year of fabulous memories, and to another year of herbs and teas.

Thank you for all of our customers, friends really, that join in our activities at the tea room and in the gift shop. You inspire us to create more special events and 2022 promises to be a year full of unique opportunities! Happy New Year!