Transferware Teapot

A while back I mentioned a pattern that I admired in Just CrossStitch magazine that I asked hubby to stitch for me.

It is a lovely red transferware teapot that is the first in a six part series.  The designer of this elegant pattern is Donna Giampa.

After completing an adorable “baby's first lock of hair” keepsake piece for my daughter, hubby has begun work on my transferware teapot pattern choice.

I can see already that this will be one of my favorites - it will be gorgeous.  Then I’ll have the challenge of choosing the right frame and mat, a task my hubby always assigns to me.  A fair trade off, don’t you think?

And just in case you wanted to see the piece he did for our new granddaughter, I’ve shown a section of it above.  It is quite cute with the garland held by two birds (you can see where it has a little space in the center for the lock of hair) and the bunny wielding a pair of scissors.  It also includes her name and birth date.  Now all we need is the lock of hair.  ☺

True Honey Teas

For all of you that love your Keurig machines and also drink tea, this honey enhanced K-Cup tea is a terrific idea.  I like to add honey to my tea occasionally as a special treat.

From the True Honey Teas website:

K-Cups have been around for years now, becoming an easy and convenient addition to millions of kitchens around the country. While it has made it easier to make a cup of coffee or tea, one thing still alludes this 'all in one' device: the fact that you still have to add creamer or sweeteners afterward.

After getting my first Keurig machine 8 months ago (and falling in love with it!), I grew tired of this extra step. One day, I was looking at a jar of honey next to my Keurig machine and it occurred to me, "why can't the sweetener just be added into the K-Cup?"

I’m looking forward to learning which teas with honey will be offered in these new Keurig K-Cups.

From Yucky to Yummy

One of my favorite series of cookbooks is Company's Coming by Jean Paré.  I’ve been using her recipe for banana bread for years now. 

It is quick and easy to put together and the results are consistently good.  My eldest grandson loves this bread (without nuts) and warns everyone not to eat any more bananas once there are only three left in the bowl. The bananas can be really ripe and black - as long as they aren’t fermenting, they’re good to go.  ☺

Banana Bread

½    cup butter   
1     cup sugar   
2     eggs   
3     mashed ripe bananas   
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1     tsp. baking soda
½    tsp. baking powder
½    tsp. salt
1     cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add mashed bananas and blend in.

In second bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Add to banana mixture and stir till just moistened.  Transfer batter to a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. 

Bake at 350° for about an hour until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a rack to cool. 

This bread is yummy with a nice cup of strong black tea.

 

Sweet New Grandbaby

We welcomed another precious granddaughter to our family yesterday.  This is my younger daughter’s first child.  It was such a blessing to be a part of her labor and delivery.  She did an amazing job.   Mom and baby are doing really well.

Now I have two sweet little granddaughters to have tea parties with.  What fun for Nana. ☺  Of course, there is no reason I can’t instill a love of tea in my two grandsons either. 

 

Tea Theme Clothing

These Tea Time pajamas are really cute and comfortable for the warmer weather.

The colors are bright and cheerful and the fabric is easy care.  You can find them at Walmart.

For those of you that shop at Sam’s Club, they have a nice skort named Green Tea Active Skort.  I picked up a pair in the knit fabric and liked them so much that I’m going back to get a pair in the other lighter weight fabric.

These should be great for vacation.  They look like a little skirt, but with the attached shorts they’ll be comfortable for lots of activities where a skirt wouldn’t be practical.  They are available in several colors and you can find them online here.  The $13.98 price tag is nice too. 

Happy Mother’s Day

Charleston, SC trip

Just returned from a short trip to Charleston.  This is one of my favorite cities to visit in the South.  The first day was spent relaxing at the Residence Inn near the airport, while hubby attended a conference.  Then it was off to The Lodge Alley Inn (East Bay Street) in the historic district for a couple of nights. 

We had a very large loft room on the second floor.  I liked the exposed brick walls, wood floors, classic furnishings, full kitchen and dining room.  My only complaint was………

stairs more suited for athletic types and daredevils.  Of course, with the bathroom, bedroom and our luggage up there, I made far more dizzying trips up and down than I care to remember.

We strolled through the grounds of the Circular Congregational Church, with its very interesting tombs and markers.  Studied the paintings at the Gibbes Museum of Art and did a little shopping. 

The weather was not what we expected – it was extremely windy and quite cool.  The shorts never made it out of the suitcase and my hair was pulled back to prevent it from whipping around in my face while we walked.  But, that didn’t stop us from enjoying some of the wonderful restaurants that this city is known for. 

I can’t imagine not enjoying at least one meal of shrimp and grits while in Charleston.  This lunch from the Dixie Supply Bakery & Cafe had the creamiest cheesy grits, tender shrimp and applewood smoked bacon – yummy.

We also had dinner at Poogan's Porch on Queen Street. 

I wasn’t adventurous enough to try the Fried Alligator appetizer, but the She Crab Soup was quite good.

 

This fried chicken stuffed with collard greens and served with whipped potatoes, green beans and spicy gravy was delicious.

This really is a great city to visit – so much history.  Many of the locals told us that tourism has increased dramatically in the last little while.  Maybe being named the No. 1 city to visit in the United States by Conde Nast Readers Choice Awards has something to do with it.