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Here at the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. And your post this week doesn’t have to be about tea, either, even though I chose to focus on that theme.If you want, you can simply list all the green food sitting in your fridge right now (lettuce, broccoli, pesto). You could even stage a still life photo to upload and share. Anyway, my point is that posts like that are as welcome as menus and recipes.When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button (the big one above or smaller option at the bottom) to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually.Then plug your name and link into Linky Tools.
Food on Fridays with Ann
Last week I proposed, well, a tea party.Not this kind, or that kind.My idea of a tea party was to join LL Barkat on her tea pilgrimage, if only for a day, and invite you to write posts about tea.I spent time with LL Barkat last weekend at a writers’ retreat held at Laity Lodge. We didn’t get much time together, but I was able to give her the gift I picked out for her.You see, Sam had the idea to honor a person by sharing an item. It could be anything from a Luke Skywalker action figure to a rock, as long as the item carried with it meaning or sentimental value that the giver could explain. It was a way to honor and thank the recipient…and express our love.After toying with several ideas, I landed on something I wanted to give LL, Managing Editor at The High Calling:A teacup.One of my daughters came with me to an antique store where I found two white Haviland teacups and saucers. Made in France.I wrapped one up and gave it to LL to accompany her on her tea pilgrimage.
I kept the other for myself.I could get sort of poetic and symbolic, explaining how she is tea to me. But I mostly envision her actually using it, sipping rooibos or green tea from that delicate porcelain cup, resting in the moment.And I kept the second cup so that we could enjoy virtual tea together.Did you make tea? Write about tea? Take pictures of tea?What are your tea stories? Share them in the comments or link to the carnival.
When I was little my grandma used to have “tea time.” She was British. She let me have tea with her too. I got my own little china tea cup and lots of milk and sugar went into it. I loved it and felt very grown up. For awhile I collected tea cups and while I don’t anymore I still love them and I am still a tea drinker over a coffee drinker. Good memories are made from tea!
Brilliant! I love that your British grandmother introduced you to tea time. Was it High Tea with substantial snacks, or just a pause in the day with your milk-and-sugar-filled tea?
“Good memories are made from tea!”
I like that! Does Lipton need a new slogan?
I did not write about tea this week though I have been consuming it in large quatities! My favorite energy booster is to make a cup of tea with one bag of Morning Thunder by Celestial Seasoning (it has Mate) and one bag of cinnamon or chai tea. Gives me a lift without the jitters. 🙂
Yum–I am intrigued by “Morning Thunder” spiced up with cinnamon (or chai). Tea people are *creative* people, aren’t they/we? 🙂
Hi Ann! Tea has always been a huge part of my life (although I love a nice cup of coffee from time to time too!) and I have really enjoyed writing my post this week. It’s about tea, memories and traditions. Have a great weekend!
I can’t wait to click over and read your post, April! I’m going to pause from this comment and read it now.
“Tea was comfort, it was time spent with my Mom – just us two – and it was fun.”
Tea is far more than a beverage, isn’t it? I love how your reflections flow from your childhood, sipping tea with your mom and telling stories that connected you to grandparents and England…and then you passed on the tradition. Tea ties us together.
I promise I will make my cup of tea and post it to have tea with you. I love the cup. Such a beautiful gift.
Since we are in launch stage over at the HighCalling, the rockets are still engaging and it’s a bit noisy and bumpy over here for tea today. So I’ll post next week if that’s okay! 🙂
Love you.
Of course it’s okay–tea is timeless!
Ignoring my comments from last week, I would say that right now, drinking tea helps me to feel close to my mom. The day before she died, I raided her tea stash, taking four bags of this or six bags of that. I didn’t want to take too much, just in case she pulled through, and I had to ‘fess up. I am now on my last bag of her tea–Christmas black tea. I drink it hot every morning, while I’m ferrying the kids to school.
Even when you finish that last bag, you still have the act of making and drinking tea, which is also a kind of connection with your mom…with LL…with April@The21stCenturyHousewife…with me.
I’m sure your mom is delighted that you raided her tea stash, and I believe this is another illustration of how tea ties us together.
I’m a coffee drinker, but I use tea a lot for medicinal purposes. My mom passed along non-caffeinated teas for me to try in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. I’m working my way through them, and enjoying them very much.
Yummy–which ones pick-you-up best?
Coffee is really my thing, but in recent years it has become a tradition for several of us ladies to celebrate our togetherness, our prayerfulness, our celebrations with a trip to a local tea house or restaurant devoted to serving the finery of tea and finger sandwiches. All things feminine. We have a local retreat known as “Chantilly”–and it is ultra feminine–floral baskets, long pink tablecloths, a variety of china teapots and exotic teas, a gift shop with sparkling tea accessories, floral notes, sterling silver pie servers, and more.
On a recent “Girls’ Weekend” trip to California, we had the pleasure of soaking in the luxurious greenery and tailored flower beds of the Huntington Library Gardens in Pasadena. And, of course, we had to have lunch at the tea house. If you haven’t been there, it is a must stop!
I just realized that the buffet in my dining room is graced by elegant teacups and a teapot–all bought by friends.
Maybe I have to rethink the place of tea in my life~maybe I have to do my own post about it. Thank you, Ann and L.L.
Blessings,
Janis
I do believe that though you are thinking of yourself as coffee girl, you are in fact steeped in tea! What a delightful story of memories shared over tea with friends in sumptuous settings. Thank you for the recommendations, Janis!