Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Monday 22 September 2014

An Autumn Tea


“Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they're falling like they're falling in love with the ground." ~ Andrea Gibson


Welcome to my Autumn Tea, dear friends!

The leaves are changing and many have already dried up and fallen to the ground thanks to Hurricane Arthur back in the summertime. 


The word is that the trees won't be as pretty this year because of the damage done. The photo above was taken last year on one of the trails not far from our home. 

I have set my Tea out on the dining room table and I have layered a pale peach tablecloth beneath a lace one. A few pumpkins decorate the table instead of the usual floral arrangement. 



These little pumpkins I have added some gold metallic paint to as well as some glitter and rhinestones. 



The table is set with a mix of patterns which is how I envision this new season. The teapot is made by Ganz called Bella Casa.



The plate on which the teapot rests is The Friendly Village made by Johnson Bros. of England.

My pretty peach teacup is Royal Chelsea bone china made in England.



This teacup is brown transferware made by J&G Meakin of England called Romantic England which I found at a second hand shop this summer. Have I ever told you how much I love transferware?? I adore the pastoral scenes found on transferware and china! It suits this old-fashioned girl to a T-ea as I find them simply charming.



The matching bowl is also Romantic England by J&G Meakin which I found years ago at a thrift shop. Now I have a set. I think the bowl cost me something like a dollar. It will hold the whipped cream today.



And this is a set of two bowls made by Johnson Bros. called The Road Home. They too were found at an antique shop.


Muted coloured leaves as well as golden hues mixed with a little frost because Jack Frost has been paying us a visit overnight more often now.



"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life." ~ PD James {Victoria magazine}

Gingerbread cake is my tea treat today. It smelled so good coming out of the oven and filled my home with a spicy scent. There is a bowl of whipped cream and a jug of Vinegar Sauce to have with your cake if you wish. I don't have it on the table but a nice home made apple sauce would be lovely with your gingerbread too.



The vinegar sauce is my grandmother's recipe and this is her recipe book which she started in school when she was just a girl. It's almost 100 years old. 


I shared her recipe book once before here. It is very fragile having been used many times over the years and I am thankful to have it! You can see the pages are all soiled and very delicate from her many years of baking. She was a fabulous cook!  

This is my Granny's own handwriting.



This is the sauce my mother always served on her gingerbread when I was growing up. It may not sound very appealing, but believe me when I say, it really is delicious! It adds a sweet zip to your dessert. I hope you will try it and let me know what you think.

Here is the recipe:

Vinegar Sauce
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
vinegar to taste; I use about 3 Tbsp.
1 Tbsp flour with 1 Tbsp melted butter mixed together.
Method
Boil 1-1/2 cups of water. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the flour to make a roux. Add the sugar and boiling water a little at a time while stirring constantly. Add the vinegar and then boil. Serve over hot gingerbread.

Cuppa tea anyone?



Whipped cream or Vinegar Sauce?




Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. Okakura Kakuzō



It's always such a pleasure to have you join me for Tea Time. I would love to see your teacups or coffee cups, your teapots or coffee pots, tablescapes, visits to a tea room, or a new tea you may have discovered. I welcome recipes too. Please link up below and I will be happy to visit you. Have a beautiful day, dear friends.


You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! ~ Isaiah 26:3 


I am joining the following parties as well~

A Return to Loveliness
 Tea Cup Tuesday
Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

37 comments :

  1. Hi Sandi. Thanks for hosting your Autumn Tea. I love all your decorated pumpkins. How cute! I am just getting out my fall decor. The gingerbread cake looks wonderful, and I love all the fall hued china. Have a great week!
    Ruth

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  2. A lovely "autumn" tea, I joined you today. That gingerbread cake looks so good!!!

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  3. What a FABULOUS Autumn Tea! The pictures of fall on PEI, your embellished pumpkins, china, and Gingerbread Cake are awesome! It's always a pleasure to visit your blog.

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  4. Hi Sandi,
    Happy Fall! I love your pumpkins and the transferware. I think Johnson Bros made/makes some wonderful patterns ... they can't be beat! The teacup you found at the thrift shop is just perfect for your Autumn tea. Gingerbread -- my mouth is watering. Happy Tea Day and thanks so much for hosting.

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  5. Hi Sandi,
    Your pumpkins are so beautiful today. I love all the glitter and gems. Your
    Meakin teacup is perfect for fall but the coral one is my favourite. Your new transferware is very pretty too. I think I would prefer whip cream with my gingerbread cake but I am sure the vinegar sauce is delicious. Thank you for hosting An Autumn Tea today. Happy Fall! Karen

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  6. From the picture of the fall leaves to the quote about tea beginning as medicine, everything is lovely!

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  7. Sandi, The leaves from last fall are beautiful - love the transferware and little blingy gold pumpkins. Gingerbread cake looks delicious! I've joined the party today with some rather unique tea ware. Thanks for hosting Tea Time Tuesday!
    Beth

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  8. Gorgeous autumn tea....thank you so much for having us! Hugs, Penny

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  9. Beautiful Sandi. I love the peach teacup and the brown transferware. The gingerbread looks delicious. I just made some with a lemon sauce; I'll have to try it with the vinegar sauce. Love those little sparkly pumpkins! Have a wonderful week, and thank you for hosting.

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  10. Am so loving seeing everyone's fall teawares show up on blogs -- surprised how many different color palettes (peach, metallic gold, etc.) can be included in fall. I LOVE that image of the handwritten recipe -- how fortunate that you have it! Now, if only I had a piece of that gingerbread cake my afternoon would be complete! ;)

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  11. Hi Sandi
    I already missed taking part in Tea Time Tuesday...
    Thanks for hosting this lovely Autumn Tea. You picked beautiful china and decorations and the gingerbread cake looks delicious.
    Happy Fall!
    Hugs from Portugal

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  12. Very lovely posting...that gingerbread looks sooo good! I have never heard of vinegar sauce, but I am sure it would be similar to a lemon sauce. it always amazes me to think of the frugal ways our ancestors came up with tasty food.

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  13. Very lovely posting...that gingerbread looks sooo good! I have never heard of vinegar sauce, but I am sure it would be similar to a lemon sauce. it always amazes me to think of the frugal ways our ancestors came up with tasty food.

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  14. Hello Sandi
    I like how you decorated more pumpkins this year although the pink from last year was my favourite. I was even inspired at that time to create a lavender pumpkin which I'm sure I shared at tea.
    This is my favourite season and I see we both were craving gingerbread cake - mine a couple of weeks ago and now yours. I've never heard of the sweet vinegar sauce before and love seeing the recipe in your grandmother's handwriting.
    I'll link my tea post as soon as MM closes so I don't add any confusion to readers. (again:-)
    Happy Autumn my friend.

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  15. I do love the change of the seasons, even though we don't experience it here in Florida. But the colors and the warmth radiate everything that signifies Autumn. Beautiful

    Jocelyn @ http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  16. Thank you for posting the recipe for the Vinegar sauce -- I've never heard of it -- your gingerbread made me drool!

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  17. Aww Sandi, I love your sweet Autumn tea with your pretty pumpkins are embellished with flair. Your gingerbread cake with vinegar sauce sounds wonderful and I would love to try it. I'm like you, in lovng transferware with cottage scenes.
    I was visiting my Mom and sister, in Ohio, and just got back. I haven't had time to do a pretty tea, although I'm sipping some right now. Hopefully I can join next week. Autumn Blessings to you, sweet friend. xo

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  18. Sandi! How I have missed you and our lovely tea ladies!! I drank up every word and image in your teatime today. That gingerbread cake is epic - I miss the one my mom used to make. Fall hadn't arrived unless she was making that cake and I could have eaten the whole thing. Never had Vinegar Sauce before, though . . . I shall have to try that. I bet it would be lovely over bread pudding, too. It's lovely to get back into teatime after such a busy summer - and the excitement isn't over yet. I've included the details in today's post!
    Joy!
    Kathy

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  19. Hi Sandi! Happy fall :) Your tea looks so pretty. I was especially impressed with the pumpkins that you embellished--what a great way to "bling" them out. Your cake looks delicious and that vinegar sauce is intriguing--I have definitely never heard of that. The handwritten recipe is such a wonderful keepsake. Have a great week, and I hope the leaves do better than expected this season!

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  20. Pumpkins with bling are the in thing. It is a blessing to have your grandmother's cookbook. Royal Chelsea is a perfect fall color. Thank you for having us over!

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  21. Happy Fall Sandi... Your tea settings are so very lovely and really put me in the spirit of the season...I can't wait to try your Grandmother's recipe... Fabulicious !!! Thanks for sharing.

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  22. OMGoodness Sandi, you have me in the mood for Gingerbread Cake. We had spice cookies for our "autumn tea". The next cooler day I need to make Gingerbread.

    Thank you for sharing the lovely transferware. Delightful!

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  23. Sandi, I love your Grandmother's recipe book! What a treasure! I have pinned that sauce. It sounds perfect with gingerbread! Thanks for hosting!
    Sherry

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  24. Thanks for the lovely autumn tea, Sandi.

    And yes, I'm looking forward to trying the vinegar sauce. It certainly sounds interesting and I love that it was your grandmother's. Vintage.

    Happy Day.....
    Brenda
    xox

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  25. Autumn Greetings. Blessing of the Season to you. The cake looks lovely, and I would have to try the vinegar sauce as I love old homey recipes, but make it a sliver please, as I'll probably be greedy and want a second slice with whipped cream. The pieces you have put together make me think of that feeling of welcome when coming in from a walk on a damp Autumn day.
    Your gilded pumpkins are a wonderful bit of whimsy. I love the rhinestones glittering like dew. It is always a pleasure to visit, and thank you for hosting another lovely party.

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  26. Avery lovely autumn tea! Pretty china and adorable pumpkins
    Kisses
    Alessandra

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  27. Hello dear Sandi!
    Beautiful tea for Fall, my fave time of year. The gingerbread cakes looks yummy!
    Thanks for hosting this lovely party.
    Hugs,
    FABBY

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  28. Beautiful ❤ This is my first time visiting Sandi...Helena from Petal & Lace Cottage

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  29. What a pretty post, Sandi, and all your dishes are gorgeous! I like your gourd and pumpkin arrangement and the sweet little pumpkins you decorated. Your dessert looks yummy. Thanks for hosting your lovely tea party and for your nice comment on my post. Enjoy your week! Blessings, Bess

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  30. Hello Sandi
    What a wonderful Fall tea post... I can't wait to try your recipe.... looks so yummy!

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  31. Dear Sandi,
    you combined on your table all, what I love on fall season. I am sorry, that the hurricane damaged so much. But inside you have your cozy home with so wonderful china and decoration. And this cake looks delicious. Your Grandmas cookbook touched my heart. Don't you feel her close beside you, when you touch those lines withe her handwritings? All the memories to many feasts and dinners, cooked by her, are in this book like in a treasure chest. Thank you for sharing this wonderful tea time and for hosting this sweet event.
    Best greetings, Johanna

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  32. Oh, that gingerbread cakes sounds wonderful. You've created such a beautiful tea; how lucky any friends of yours must be to share it with you, Sandi! I do love autumn.

    Karen

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  33. Hi Sandi, I love everything about Fall, the changing leaves are eye candy and the temps are just right and I love the feel of leaves crunching under my feet. It's also the beginning of the Jewish new year so it always feels to me like the start of something new. Have a great weekend. :)

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  34. Hi Sandi,

    You've created a cozy, autumnal ambiance today, so fitting for this first week of fall. Your china, gingerbread cake, and pretty pumpkins are perfect for the season, whereas your grandmother's recipe book is timeless. Thank you for sharing your most elegant Autumn Tea.

    Have a lovely weekend!
    Poppy

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  35. Good morning Sandi...everything looks so beautiful and yummy! I have had company and have been babysitting and our weather is just now turning to fall, so am a bit behind this year.
    I am a total Johnson Brothers nut, but have never seen the pattern you shared. I love it.
    Have a great weekend.
    Linda

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  36. Hello Sandi. What a lovely autumn tea. I love the bling on the pumpkins. They are dressed for the Plaza. I always love the recipes you share. They are all wonderful.

    Wishing you a lovely Sunday.

    Janet

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  37. Sandi, I'll take both whipped seam and vinegar sauce, please! lol! The vinegar sauce is so interesting. Love that it's your grannies recipe! Both of your teacups are gorgeous and the display of pumpkins are perfect for a Fall tea! Darn, I forgot I was wanting to do a post and join. Hopefully next year. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

Also, due to the amount of spam I've been getting, I have had to set Comment Moderation. ~ Sandi

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