Teacup Tuesday–Royal Albert “Regina” Series

Today I’m showing a recent estate sale find.  This is a Royal Albert bone china teacup that was made in England.

This pattern comes in six different colors – aquamarine, black diamond, emerald, opal, ruby and sapphire. 

 It has a lovely shaped handle and an intricate floral swag design in gold.

This was the only teacup I purchased, but I did find some very pretty sugar tongs featuring an acanthus leaf design.

This makes three now, so I have another collection to add to. 

Please visit Terri and Martha for lots more Teacup Tuesday posts.  Also Wanda Lee and Pam of Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday.

Friendship Tea giveaway win

I was the winner of another lovely giveaway at Linda’s Friendship Tea blog.  This time my box arrived unscathed.

What fun to unpack all the lovely tea items.

It was an extra treat to find that Linda had included the program and her table favors from the recent Berea Health Ministry Tea.  You can visit her blog and see all the wonderfully decorated tables, each with a special theme.  This annual tea is a great way to raise funds for the Berea Health Ministry Rural Health Clinic.

Isn’t this a pretty tea mug?  And the English Tea Store Darjeeling tea is delicious. 

This is now the cutest tea towel I own.  Don’t fellow tea enthusiasts have the best giveaways!

Teacup Tuesday–Old British Castles

Today I’m sharing a teacup that I received at the “Teacup Exchange” event I attended last week.  It is a Johnson Brothers cup that was made in England in the popular Old British Castles pattern.

This pattern also comes in blue, but I think it is very pretty in pink.

This Johnson Brothers pattern has been in production since 1930.

It was created in 1928 by Miss Fennel, the daughter of a master engraver.  There are 45 different castles depicted on the various pieces.  One side of the teacup shows Stratford on Avon and the other has Penshurst Kenton depicted in 1792.

This saucer shows Kenilworth Castle in 1792.

Now I’m off to enjoy a cup of tea and a mincemeat square for tea break.

For those who haven’t tried mincemeat squares – they are basically the same recipe as date squares and are made with an oatmeal crust.  The mincemeat is smoothed in the blender.  I was pleased with the results using Borden “Nonesuch” brandy and rum mincemeat.

Don’t forget to visit the lovely Teacup Tuesday blogs of hostesses Terri and Martha.  You can also visit  Wanda Lee at Tuesday Tea for Two.

A “Teacup Exchange” Tea

Yesterday I attended a fun event at Holly Cottage Tearoom in Newnan, Georgia.  I met Angela of Tea With Friends, Teresa of Southern Touch Catering and Deberah of Everyday Finesse for a two o’clock teatime.

From the left is Teresa, Angela, me and Deberah.  We each have a pot of tea with a cute tea cozy.  They are available in many fabric choices and are one of the items for sale at the tearoom.

This was not only a teacup exchange event, but also a fundraiser for Coweta Pregnancy Services.

We all enjoyed a well brewed pot of tea, as well as a fresh fruit cup and scone with lemon curd, cream and jam.

It was funny that I had been admiring the mismatched saucer and  opened my package to find the same Johnson Brothers pattern “Old British Castles”.  It is such a pretty pattern (especially in pink) with over 45 English castles represented on the various pieces.  My saucer shows Kenilworth Castle in 1792 with two others represented on the cup.  I’ll show you a photo one Teacup Tuesday. 

You can see the other lovely cups on Angela's post about our tea.   

Teacup Tuesday–Royal Stafford & Homer Laughlin

It’s Teacup Tuesday again and I believe this is week sixteen for me.  Today I have a favorite cup that has been on my blog before, but perhaps you haven’t seen it. 

I’ve had this teacup for several years and it was a yard sale find.  It is a pretty pale blue with a lovely single rose pattern.

It has lots of pretty gilding on the foot and around the scalloped edges.  It is bone china made in England.

The teapot is by Homer Laughlin in the Skytone pattern.  I purchased it in Paducah, KY when I was there in 2000 for the American Quilter’s Society show.

Today I’m having a cup of Harney & Sons Citrus Green tea with a chocolate chip cookie.  This sounds like an odd combination, but it was good.

Please join Terri and Martha for Teacup Tuesday and Wanda Lee and Pam for Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday.

A Moment With Melanie

Last Saturday I had the privilege of joining some friends for our monthly meeting and luncheon at the beautiful home of one very talented lady.  Melanie McClelland is an artist and baker extraordinaire. 

It was a lovely day, so we headed outside to a patio to enjoy our refreshments.  Melanie had placed four large round concrete tables, with matching benches, along the length of the patio.  Here’s where it gets interesting.  Three of the tabletops had wonderful mosaic designs that she had handcrafted herself. 

The first one has a lot of blue and white in a pretty and casual design. 

This one has a wonderful flower type design.  I love all that brown with the blue and white. 

This last one is a cheerful radiating sun pattern.

Whatever motif Melanie chooses for the last table, it is sure to be great.

It was so much fun to tour her home where each room had special hand painted walls in a variety of colors and patterns.  You could see her style and artists touch everywhere.  I was excited to find two china cabinets packed full of miniature tea sets (a kindred spirit). 

You can see her fabulous made to order cakes and confectionary by visiting her website “Melanie’s Moments” here.    And let me tell you – they are delicious.

Tipu’s Authentic Indian Chai

I’ve always enjoyed Indian spiced tea and was happy to receive a sample of Tipu’s instant chai.

Tipu’s instant chai surprised me from the moment I opened the package.  A very spicy, rich aroma was the first thing I noticed, followed by the appearance of the powder, which was much darker and finer than the other chai mixes I’ve used.

After a quick glance at the preparation instructions, I added a heaping spoonful of the powder and some amber sugar to a large mug, then filled it halfway full with boiling water.  After stirring long enough to dissolve the sugar, I topped up the mug with milk.  Well, suffice it to say the first sip from this mug was also my last.  Wow, it was spicy.So, after reading some materials that were enclosed with the sample, I discovered that this is a potent mix of pure organic tea and spices, without the usual powdered milk and sweeteners that are contained in most chai mixes.   Once again I prepared the chai, this time using my baking measuring spoon to measure a level teaspoon of powder into the mug.   This serving was pure enjoyment and probably the best and most authentic instant chai that I’ve ever tasted.

Now I understand why the company claims that this is an economical way to make great tasting chai.  It doesn’t take much powder to make a wonderful, spicy and authentic tasting Indian chai.  There is even a spice residue left in the bottom of the cup, just like when I prepare it from scratch.

Bipin Patel, president of Tipu’s, says that this recipe was passed from his grandmother to his mother and then to him.  It has traveled from Gujarat in India to Africa, England, Montana and now to your very own cup. 

If you’d like more info you can visit Tipu’s website here .