Mrs. Hardesty’s Tea Room

One of the highlights of our trip to Massenutten was a visit to Mrs. Hardesty’s Tea Room in the Hardesty-Higgins House in Harrisonburg, VA.  This tea room is housed in the Hardesty-Higgins House Visitor Center.  Construction on the building was completed in 1853 and it was home to Harrisonburg’s first mayor, Isaac Hardesty who lived in the house with his family during the early years of the Civil War.

The city of Harrisonburg purchased the building in 2001 and began renovating and restoring it in 2003.  It now houses Mrs. Hardesty’s Tea Room, a gift shop and the Valley Turnpike Museum, as well as the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Civil War Orientation Center.

We arrived after our 3 o’clock time slot for our afternoon tea.  Lunch is served until 2, then afternoon tea from 3 till 5.  The space is cozy and inviting and very welcome after rushing several blocks along Main Street in a cold blustery wind.  We had been visiting Harrisonburg’s excellent Fire Museum down the street and the time got away from us.  We shouldn’t have worried – the Lieutenant at the Museum called ahead and told them we were on our way.   

 

We made our tea selection from an extensive menu of over 65 loose leaf teas.  Don chose Angel’s Dream and I had Keemun Panda.  Christian had a pot of the European drinking chocolate.

His children’s platter looked lovely on a cake stand and offered several of the afternoon tea selections that we also enjoyed.  His special scone was chocolate chip.

Our three tiered tray had a selection of nine or ten wonderful sandwiches for each of us.  They included chicken salad in a phyllo cup, a delicious pimento cheese, tomato spread on pumpernickel roll ups, cheese scone with ham, cucumber, egg salad, veggie spread (with tomato garnish), turkey & Swiss and a wonderful melted Gouda cheese with apple slices on raisin bread.

The scones were delicious too – cranberry orange flavor served with thick Devonshire cream and marmalade. 

The sweets were hard to resist –  we polished off the plate.  I was going to leave the dark cookie with the icing, until Don reminded me that it was made with Earl Grey tea.  We very much enjoyed the Battenberg lace squares, sugar cookies, lavender fairy cakes, cinnamon bread, cream puffs and shortbread. 

I’m sorry that I didn’t take a photo of the cute little tea cozies that were snipped off across the corners, instead of rounded.  I’ll be keeping them in mind for a future sewing project.  I also forgot to make note of the maker of my teacup which was lovely.  Of course Christian was in some of the pictures, but he was having one of those days and pulling such faces, well I’ll spare you.

There were many beautiful cups on the tables and I was shocked to learn that they go into the dishwasher, are sometimes bleached and often are accidentally broken. 

Too bad Mrs. Hardesty’s Tea Room is so far away from my home (about a ten hour drive), it’s definitely worth a return visit.

Teacup Tuesday–Royal Albert

Returned from Virginia to find daffodils blooming in the yard.  I’ve been feeling under the weather, so this was a pleasant surprise.

This is a cup that I’ve shown before by Royal Albert.  I thought the pretty colors and floral pattern would make a fitting container for the daffodils.

This bone china teacup is the Byron pattern from the Sonnet Series.

Be sure to visit Terri and Martha for more Teacup Tuesday.

Massanutten Ski Holiday

This time of year I’m ready to go and lie on a beach somewhere, but…..

hubby decided that he wants to go skiing one more time - before he gets too old.  I’m not talking cross-country good for all age groups skiing, but the (for the brave of heart only) downhill kind.

So we’re off to the Summit at Massanutten in McGaheysville, VA.  Other than the traveling, I don’t mind since there are many activities at this resort for the non skier.  My grandson is looking forward to snow tubing with Grandma and the indoor water park.

 

Grandma is looking forward to a gourmet dinner, digital photography class, and Zumba.  Maybe I’ll even visit the spa with my daughter.

We plan to stop overnight in Charlotte, NC.  Have any of you had afternoon tea at the Ballantyne Hotel?   I’m also planning to visit Mrs. Hardesty’s Tea Room in Harrisonburg, VA.

I’ll miss all your wonderful blog posts while I’m gone, but the catching up part when I get home is something to look forward to.

Time To Share A Cup Of Tea

This little Fisher Price tea set has been so much fun for my grandbaby Madison and Nana too.  We love the songs it plays.  One of my favorites says – Time to share a cup of tea, some for you, some for me.  Lets pretend and always say, please and thank you.

 

There are two cups and a plate of cakes too.  The teapot makes a cute pouring noise when you tip it up.  We like to play hide and seek with the little cakes that fit inside the teapot.  This is a great baby's first tea set – lots of fun and educational.  

Of course, I really just wanted to show off Nana’s little sweetie.

Happy Valentine’s Day

A bell is no bell 'til you ring it,
A song is no song 'til you sing it,
And love in your heart
Wasn’t put there to stay -
Love isn’t love
'Til you give it away.

- Oscar Hammerstein (The Sound of Music)

There were some interesting facts about chocolate on the about.com site. 

• In the 1800’s physicians commonly advised their lovelorn patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining.
• As an elixir for love, chocolate has been believed throughout history to bring smiles to the broken-hearted and to prompt amorous feelings in both men and women. It is believed that Madame Du Barry served it to all her suitors; Casanova consumed chocolate instead of champagne to induce romance; and Montezuma, the king of the ancient Aztecs, believed chocolate would make him virile.
• At one time, conversation candies were made into shapes including horseshoes, baseballs and watches.

Happy Valentine’s Day

I’m A Little Teapot

I was searching for a board book for my little grandbaby for Valentine’s Day and was delighted when I came across I’m A Little Teapot by Iza Trapani.  I can’t wait to read it to her, although it is for ages 4 to 8 and a little advanced for her yet.  The little teapot in this book has lots of fun travels and adventures.

Like traveling to another planet.

Or riding to hounds on a fox hunt.

The little teapot as a pirate ship is a cute page.  I love that there is even a figurehead on the spout.

The trip to the opera page is adorable with the little teapot playing the saxophone.

The colorful illustrations and rhyming verses make this book interesting and fun to read.  It will be a nice addition to her growing collection of tea theme children's books from Nana.

It’s available at Amazon new for $7.95 and used starting as low as one cent.

Teacup Tuesday

Just then the door opened and Deborah returned, bearing a tray that must have weighed an hundredweight, loaded with bread and butter and small cakes and sandwiches and pots of tea and little dishes of jam.  It looked hearty and comforting like a nursery tea, and I would have been thoroughly pleased had Deborah not interrupted her mother just when she had seen fit to drop such an interesting titbit into conversation.     - from Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

 

It seems that all my teacups have now made an appearance on Teacup Tuesday posts.  There hasn’t been time lately to comb thrift and antique stores to find any new ones.  Traveling three or four days a week to watch my sweet grandbaby really cuts down on available computer time.  Perhaps you won’t mind if I show some of my cups again – this time filled with tea.

This bone china cup is made in England by Windsor.  It was a birthday gift from my friend Angela at Tea With Friends.

This black and white teacup is from the Spode Blue Room Collection in the Geranium pattern.  This collection also has some beautiful pieces in blue and yellow, which is a favorite color combination of mine. 

This pretty cup is made in England bone china from Royal Albert.  It is the Moss Rose pattern.  I’m not sure what kind of tea is in the cup, but for some reason it makes me want a nice cup of Dragon Eye oolong.

To see lots of wonderful Teacup Tuesday posts please visit Terri and Martha at their beautiful blogs.