Tea Time–Blue & White Issue

If you love tea time and blue and white china, then you won’t want to miss the latest issue of Tea Time Magazine.

The July/August 2013 issue is filled with great features, articles, recipes and photos. 

I’ve always been a predominantly black tea drinker, so this page featuring teas from several companies and the beautiful blue & white china cups and saucers was great.

The photos are lovely and there are lots of ideas for birthday teas, tea on the porch and much more.

Many of the recipes in this issue appealed to me, including Chilled Succotash Salad and Tomato-Feta Tarts.  There were lots of recipes for yummy sweets like Key Lime Shortbread Tarts, Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies and Strawberries and Cream Scones.

If you relish learning about the history of tea, you’ll  enjoy the article by Jane Pettigrew on the British tea-dance revival.

I’m thoroughly enjoying this issue of one of my “favorite” magazines.  Hopefully, things will settle down for a while (no vacations, family weddings or health issues) and I can get back to visiting all my blogger friends.  ☺

Sweet Tea Revenge

Just finished reading the latest book (14th) in one of my favorite series – A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs.  The lovely city of Charleston, SC is the location for these mysteries and Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop, is the main character (along with co-workers Drayton and Haley). 

In this installment, Theo’s flighty friend Delaine Dish is left at the alter when her groom to be is found dead in his suite at the Ravenscrest Inn just minutes before their wedding.  So begins another murder investigation for Theodosia, this time at the request of the bereaved bride.

I love how the daily workings of the Tea Shop are intertwined with her ongoing investigation.  One of my favorites this time was Drayton’s Scottish Tea for the Highlanders’ Club.  It included a great menu with cock-a-leekie soup, smoked salmon tea sandwiches, shortbread, scones and more.  He even convinced Haley to prepare cupcakes with tartan designs.

There are always lots of ideas for teatime table  settings and menus, along with recipes and tea resources at the back of the book (including Peach Scones, Drayton’s Cock-a-Leekie Soup and Haley’s Espresso Bars).  I’d definitely go broke eating lunch at the Indigo Tea Shop everyday if it was a real place.  ☺

The murder mystery itself is exciting and entertaining, although I’m never as concerned with “who done it” as I am with just relaxing into the story with its great location and characters.

You might enjoy watching a Sweet Tea Revenge trailer and exploring the Tea Shop Mystery series, if you aren’t already a big fan like me.  I should also mention that Laura Childs has a couple of other book series – Cackleberry Club Mysteries and Scrapbooking Mysteries.