Sweet Violets and Pansies for Tea Time

I'm so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much.~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Avonlea 

Hello friends and welcome to the last Tea Time Tuesday in February! 

I must admit I'm glad this month is coming to an end because the weather has been simply atrocious here on Prince Edward Island. The schools have been closed for over a week because of the mountains of snow we have. Thankfully, Spring is less than a month away. Yay!!

That is one good thing about this world...there are always sure to be more springs. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Avonlea

And since it is still February, I am using my Royal Albert Flower of the Month ~ February Violets teacup for tea today. 

This beautiful teacup was a house warming gift from Hubby's aunt many years ago. I cherish it as she is no longer with us.

Do you think amethysts can be the souls of 

good violets? ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

This teacup sprinkled with violets is made by Grace China.

The vintage spoon below was a gift from a dear blogger friend. It has the letter 'S' engraved on the handle and she thought I would like it. She was right!

My Purple Pansy teapot.

If a kiss could be seen I think it would look like a violet.~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Avonlea

I do love lace and so I am using a Battenburg lace table topper beneath it all. 

I visited Martha's blog Lines from Linderhof the other day and she had mentioned they had a bread pudding at the Tea she had attended. I have been craving bread pudding ever since so naturally I had to make some. 

This bread pudding is made with raisin bread and cream cheese; comfort food for these cold February days. 

Served warm with maple syrup from my little French white pitcher, it is a real treat.

A view of the table. The sun streaming in made it very pretty and my camera doesn't do it justice.

Thank you for stopping by for Tea Time today. I hope your day is special and your dreams are filled with violets. The Lord bless you!

I am joining the following parties as well~

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

An InLinkz Link-up

 Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

A Romantic After Valentines Day Tea

Oh, for the gentleness of old Romance ~ Keats


Hello friends ~ Valentines Day is past however February is a month when many of us keep the romance going all month long. 

A romantic bouquet of carnations and roses. Sweet pink velvet petals of luscious roses and frilly spicy carnations; my favourite. 

A little lace, some chocolate, and hearts linger about our homes as we curl up in front of the fire and sip a cup of tea with someone we love; be it your spouse, a family member, or a beloved friend.

Tea served in a pretty chintz teapot.

The matching teacup.

Another chintz teacup.

A pair of birdies. See the heart cut outs?

Love is in the air.

When it's cold outside, wrapping one's hands around a cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea warms our spirits and we draw comfort from that first sip to the last. 

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary journey. ~ Catherine Douzel

Join me, won't you, for a hot cup of cinnamon vanilla tea and some chocolate. Chocolate being some fudge I made. It's the five minute variety but Hubby loves it! 


A little cheese cake drizzled with chocolate and caramel.

Or perhaps a valentine cupcake. Hubby brought two of these home from the bakery for a treat. 

HAPPY are they who take life day by day, complain very little,
and are thankful for the little things. ~ Unknown

And so, I have lit the fire and I am savouring my tea as I watch the flames dance among themselves, spreading warmth throughout the room.

Evening has fallen and candlelight makes it cozy. 

The candle sticks are a perfect match to the china. They were a Mothers Day gift from my son several years ago.

Winter is the time for comfort - it is the time for home. ~ Edith Sitwell


Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.... We have had a blizzard going on since early yesterday morning and even though I am cozy and warm in my little cottage, I am dreaming of springtime. 

This is the snowbank outside my front window at 4:00 Sunday afternoon. You can barely see the maple tree out front. Since I took the picture, more snow has accumulated. As of right now, our whole Island has been shut down. Hubby will have to jump off our back deck to get out because we can't open our doors. I saw two gold finches out in the tree earlier looking for seed but the bird feeder is plugged with snow.

The good news is Spring is only a few weeks away. I know you gardeners are anxious to get your hands into the soil. Me, I'm dreaming of bright green lacy trees and walking on the sand at one of our beaches.

What are you dreaming about today?

Thank you for visiting. I wish you joy and may all your dreams come true!


I am joining the following parties as well~

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

An InLinkz Link-up

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day!

I couldn't resist sharing this beautiful heart of rose petals with you which I found on the 'Net. 

Valentines Day is one of those special days when cupid is very busy. A friend of ours who works at a flower shop claims this is the busiest day of the year for him. I think that's marvelous!

Valentines Day isn't just for lovers however. It's for sons who want to bless their moms with something special just to let her know she's special. It's for children who exchange valentine cards at parties and it's for those who want to do a little something extra for those they love.

I know Valentines Day can be a lonely day for those who have lost someone important to them. I have a friend who lost his wife to cancer and I know she is always close in his thoughts on this day. 

I also know there are shut-ins who have nobody. No family or friends close by to share the day with them. If you know someone like that then do something nice and bless one of them with a card or a flower. Who says Valentines Day is just for lovers?

Every year I get my mom a Valentine card and a bouquet of flowers and it makes her day. She is in a Home now and my father as well as all of her friends are gone. 

The Home is filled with folks who are lonely and my heart breaks for them. 

Have you watched the movie, The Notebook? It is a wonderful story about young love in which the young couple grows old together and eventually she gets lost except for glimpses of the past which come back to her when he reads their story to her. 

Keep in mind the old folks of today. They were once young and vibrant and full of life and vigor. 

Love is in the air and it is for everyone!

Have a lovely Valentines Day weekend dear friends and remember to thank God for His extravagant love for you.  

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 

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Recipe for Cranberry Muffins

Good afternoon my dear friends! Today's recipe is: 

Cranberry Muffins

I think some of you were under the impression that I was having my kitchen renovated. I wish! Rather, I had some cabinets come loose from the wall and just about crashed holding my everyday china as well as one of my good sets. My two Royal Albert teapots were also displayed above those cabinets so it gave us a bit of a fright when there was a loud crack very early one morning. 

I was somewhat dismayed having my dishes spread out on every surface in the kitchen. I am thankful however that the dishes were not broken. 
We managed until a friend came over and put the cabinets back together again and affixed them to the wall so they will stay put. I did get some spring cleaning done too in the process.

I have been planning to paint my cabinets white but my back just won't allow me to do that so for the time being they will remain oak.

Now, on to the recipe. As I mentioned in my tea post, this is an old recipe. Not sure where I found it, perhaps an old TV Guide, remember those?

Anyway, these muffins are the best I've eaten. They are moist and buttery with the tang of orange in them. My father loved them and so does my hubby. Don't be fooled by their flat tops. They resemble home made crumpets.

Early North American settlers called the bitter red fruit "crane berries" because the cranes feasted on them. Slightly sweetened and folded into a buttery muffin batter, they become a breakfast feast for modern celebrants.

CRANBERRY MUFFINS
2 cups cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups sifted flour
2 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP grated orange or tangerine rind
2 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter

Combine the chopped berries with the 1/2 cup of sugar. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar. Combine the rind, eggs, milk and melted butter. Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, blending just until dry ingredients are thoroughly dampened. Stir in cranberries. Fill buttered muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen muffins 

These muffins are lovely for breakfast, tea time, or a snack. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Have a lovely Valentines Day!

Sharing with these lovely parties:

Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

A Valentines Tea

Welcome to my Valentines Day Tea!

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give. ~ George MacDonald

Hello lovely friends ~ 
I have been waiting for a special occasion to share what my dear friend had gifted me with for my birthday last month and today is the day.

I only had about an hour to set my tea up because I had someone coming to fix my kitchen cabinets. As soon as I finished taking my pictures I had to clear it all away and everything in my pantry and on top of the pantry was loaded on to the table. This past week my kitchen looks as though a cyclone had hit it. A story I won't go into just now.
Because of my hurried tea time, I wasn't able to take my time and do the lovely affair I had planned, so please bear with me.

On to my delightful gift....
Two matching cups and saucers; one for me and one for my little granddaughter, Jenna-Lynn. One is a regular size cup and saucer and the other is a miniature set, just perfect for little hands.

Both of these sets are made by Masons and are they not adorable? I was elated when I opened the gift box and found these!


My teacup....

Red is perfect for Valentines Day, don't you think?

Jenna-Lynn's teacup.

Charming red transferware, which you know I love, and when my little lambie comes to visit, we will sip our tea from these teacups. 

This is my little lambie a few months ago watching her brother play soccer. She was mimicking her mom sitting like that with her legs crossed; so cute!

It may be a while before she and I can actually enjoy having a tea party together because she lives on the west coast. But Tea will be so much fun when we do finally get together.

The daintiness and yet elegance of a china teacup focuses one to be gentle, to think warmly and to feel close. ~ Carol and Malcolm Cohen 
 
For those of you who like hearts, I have set out my heart teacup too. This pretty set is from Gracie Bone China. I have tucked in a rose from last week's bouquet just for fun. 

And just to mix things up a bit and keep it interesting, I am also using my red Felicity set made by Burleigh of England.

Which teacup would you like to choose today?

The teapot is Victorian Bird made by Gracie China.

The pink iridescent tree was a Christmas gift from Hubby and I have kept it out for this special occasion. I had hoped to get it decorated beautifully for today's tea but it was a crazy week what with my kitchen in shambles and two major snow storms so I didn't get out to Michaels.

So I just used what I had on hand; a few hearts and pink roses. 

"Life is a journey, and love is what makes that journey worthwhile."

Chocolate anyone?

Now let's gather around my table and we'll have a wee tea party. 

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

I have cranberry muffins, which resemble homemade crumpets, and chocolate hearts to enjoy with our tea. The plate is Vista, just like the teacups, made by Masons of England.

These are the best cranberry muffins! My father really loved them and so does my hubby. They don't look very fancy with their flat tops but believe me when I tell you they are scrumptious! 

It's an old recipe and there is no need for butter because they are rich and buttery all on their own. They have a sweet and tangy taste to them thanks to the orange zest folded into the batter. They are simply wonderful for breakfast, tea time, or a snack. I will share the recipe on Thursday for those of you who would like to try them.

One thing I should mention to inject a little romance into my post is that it was on this date, February 9th, Hubby and I had our first date and our first kiss. It was the beginning of a life long romance with the one I love. Life is sweet!

Thank you for visiting today. If you have some tea wares, a coffee or chocolate pot, a collection of creamers or sugar bowls, please share with us. A tea time recipe, a tablescape, or a visit to a Tea Shop would be welcome too.

Happy Valentines Day and big hugs to you all! 

I am joining the following parties as well~ 

A Return to Loveliness
Tea Cup Tuesday
 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Friends Sharing Tea
 Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home
Pink Saturday

An InLinkz Link-up

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi