Tea Time Tuesday

"It's the month of June,
the month of leaves and roses,
when pleasant sights salute the eyes
and pleasant scents the noses." ~ Nathaniel Parker Willis

Hello dear friends and welcome to Tea Time Tuesday ~
This is my first tea party in the month of June. I hope we all enjoy this delightful month and the coming season!

It's lilac time at Rose Chintz Cottage. Soon my roses will be blooming too....

Whenever I see lilacs, I think of my grandmother....
Tomorrow, June 5th, is the date my beloved grandmother passed away. Although it was many years ago, I still miss her even after all these years.

When I was born, we lived on my grandparents' farm which was the hub of the community at the time. Now known as Riverview, New Brunswick, my grandparents owned the largest farm in the neighborhood and everyone knew who my grandparents were.
My grandmother was an outstanding cook and home maker and no one ever showed up on her doorstep that they didn't get fed.
Her hands were never idle and she was always available to lend a helping hand to her friends and neighbors. I adored her!

"I am thinking of the lilac-trees,
that shook their purple plumes,
And when the sash was open,
Shed fragrance through the room." ~
Mrs. Anna S. Stephens "The Old Apple-Tree"


I know some of you ladies appreciate old recipe books. This is my grandmother's recipe book from her school girl days which makes it almost a hundred years old. Her maiden name was Downing. Does the name sound familiar? It is the most famous street in England.

The pages which are in her own handwriting, are yellowed and very fragile. Most are soiled from the many years of baking and cooking her wonderful meals.

...a precious keepsake of a dearly beloved lady!

Thank you for the wonderful memories, Granny. I miss you!

I was going to bake her Scotch Scones for our tea but one of the ingredients was not clear and I dare not try to bake them without the correct amount. So, I made my own tea biscuits.



It's also rhubarb season on the Island....

I have some rhubarb fresh from my DIL's garden and so I made up a batch of sauce to go with the biscuits. I always add just a bit of orange juice to the sauce to give it a wee bit more zing.

Rhubarb Sauce

Combine in saucepan:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water with about 1 tbsp. orange juice

{OPT. 2 tsp. red jello powder to add colour}

Dissolve sugar in liquids, then bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and add 4 cups rhubarb cut into 1 inch pieces.

Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Doesn't it look scrumptious in the JB Rose Chintz fruit nappie which is one of the many pieces given to me by my Auntie P.

Rhubarb sauce is lovely on its own, on biscuits or scones, toast, and cake, or poured over ice cream.
Our rhubarb season is very short so we Islanders make up as much of the lovely fruit as we can!

I found this pretty Johnson Bros. square plate on eBay a few years ago and I am serving my tea biscuits on it.

Can you smell the lilacs?

"Usefulness is not impaired by imperfection. You can drink from a chipped cup." ~ Unknown

I also have some warm rhubarb crisp with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Mmm....

The pink depression glass bowl was a gift from my cousin Val.

Today I am drinking my tea from Deb's teacup which she sent me a few weeks ago. It is very dainty and made by Jason china. Decorated with what appears to be hydrangeas, it is a gently scalloped cup and saucer set with gold trim on both pieces.

Isn't it sweet? I had shared about this dainty cup on Pink Saturday a couple of weeks ago but some of you may not have seen it. Thank you Deb for your kindness. You may visit Deb here at her home in blogland, Just Cats.

Tea sure tastes better in a pretty china teacup, doesn't it?

A lovely Twinings Black tea with Orange, my favourite at the moment, and biscuits fresh from the oven. As well as rhubarb sauce with a hint of orange for tea today. I hope you enjoy!

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

As I mentioned last week, I am planning another seasonal Tea Party on June 18. My "Savour the Summer" Tea promises to usher in the lazy hazy days of Summer with a Dessert Tea and a couple of new teacups I found just recently.

I hope you will plan to join me. Just share your favourite Summer inspired tea things and create a post around them. Perhaps you would like to serve a special dessert as well that week with your tea. There are any number of goodies you might delight us with such as: a lovely Trifle, a cake, a favourite square, brownie bites, macaroons, lady fingers, lemon bars, or perhaps your favourite cookie recipe. Maybe something as simple as a fruit cup or ice cream; the list is endless.

I am so looking forward to your tea posts!

The tea button is available for you to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish.

I bid you a beautiful day and lovely memories.

"...The grass withers, and the flower falls off.
But the word of the Lord abides forever." ~ 1 Peter 1:24-25

I am happy to see all your tea things, whether you have shared them before or not. This tea party is all about sharing your joy of tea time and any thoughts you might have on the subject. And for the summer months, I would love to see your teacups and teapots indoors as well as out in the garden, at the beach, on a park bench, etc... Also I would enjoy seeing your teacup and teapot crafts as well as recipes and any stories you might have to share about tea time. So, let's have fun this summer with our teas. Get out there and be as creative, fancy, or as laid back as you wish!

"The earth laughs in flowers." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am so happy you have stopped by for a visit today. Your presence always make my tea party that much more special! Do you have a favourite teacup/teapot or mug that you would like to share with us today? I would love to see it and I'm sure others would too!

If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too:
Hot Apple cider
Hot Chocolate
Iced Tea or iced coffee
Punch in a lovely bowl.
No alcoholic beverages please.

The Tea Time Tuesday button on my sidebar is available for you to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be more than welcome!

To be sure everyone has a visit, it would be nice if you visited the participant before and after your name.

Inlinkz is available below for you to sign up for my tea party.

As a courtesy, please link back to me so your visitors may find their way here to visit with all my lovely participants.

I am joining the following parties as well~

Tea Cup Thursday~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Sherry's Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Thrifty Things Friday~ http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home ~ http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Table Top Tuesday~ http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tea in the Garden~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi