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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, 15 March 2021

A Dessert for St Patrick's Day

May joy and peace surround you,

Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now,
And bless you evermore. ~ An Irish Blessing

Hello dear friends and welcome back to Rose Chintz Cottage! With St Patrick's Day happening this week, I thought I would share a recipe which I plan to make. I had shared this recipe years ago and I thought it the perfect dessert for St Patrick's Day. 


There are one of two different bottom crusts  you can make for this dessert. I am making the shortbread bottom myself but the graham crumb bottom is the original crust and it is good too. I will share both crust recipes and you can choose the one you please.

Striped Delight Dessert 

Graham Cracker Crumb Crust

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press firmly into a 13x9 inch pan.


Shortbread Crust 

1 cup butter, softened
4 TBSP icing sugar
2 cups flour
Cream together butter and icing sugar. Beat in flour until blended. Dump mixture into the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan and using a sheet of plastic wrap, press into the pan until flat and even. 




Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Don't allow it to bake too much. You are looking for a nice golden colour. Cool.




Filling

8 oz pkg Philly cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP milk
1 small container Cool Whip, thawed {I used the large one because I like lots of whipped topping.}
2 pkgs {4 serving size} Jello instant pudding 
3-1/2 cups cold milk.

NOTE: You may use chocolate, butterscotch, lemon, or pistachio instant pudding. I used the pistachio for St Patrick's Day.

Beat cream cheese with sugar and 2 TBSP milk until smooth.



Fold in half the Cool Whip if using the small container and spread over the crust.






Refrigerate while making the pudding layer.
Using 3-1/2 cups cold milk, prepare pudding according to directions on package.




Pour over the cream cheese layer.
Chill over night or for several hours. 


Spread remaining Cool Whip over pudding and garnish if you wish. Makes 12-15 servings.




NOTE: You may use 1 package {6 serving size} pudding mix and 2-1/2 cups cold milk. Enjoy!



Enjoy with a nice hot beverage. This recipe makes enough for a pot luck or dinner with your family and friends.

I will be back later this week with another posting. See you then and have a wonderful day!

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Wednesday, 17 February 2021

A Late Valentine's Tea.

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. ~ Victor Hugo

Hello my dear friends and welcome once again to my humble little blog! I had meant to have a Valentine Tea on Monday but we had a holiday here and Hubby and I were busy putting away Christmas decorations. We kept our tree up for Valentine's Day. Then yesterday, we had an ice storm.

In winter we live a more inward life.
Our hearts are warm and cheery, like cottages under drifts. ~ Henry David Thoreau

So, today is a new day, and perhaps today would be better for a tea since I have a little more time.


My Valentines roses. I love creamy white roses!

My tea treats today.


I have brought out my etagere and arranged some tea sandwiches and sweets on it. For Valentine's Day of course I wanted to use my red transfer ware. So everything is set. Won't you join me?

I want to share with you a sweet little Mason's Vista mug a friend had gifted me with for my birthday before we have our tea. 

I do not have many pieces of Mason's as it is fairly scarce around these parts but the pieces I do have I enjoy using from time to time; especially at Christmas and Valentine's Day.



My friend had found three of these mugs and she gifted one each to me and another friend, and kept one herself. I love it!

It's not the tea that makes teatime special, it's the spirit of the tea party. ~ Emily Barnes

So, here we have some egg salad and chicken salad tea sandwiches, as well as Valentine cupcakes and chocolate raspberry truffles.

It is best to cut the crusts off your sandwiches as it makes a nicer presentation. Also, your sandwiches should be cut into smaller sizes. Tea sandwiches are meant to be dainty. 

 
My favourite red transfer ware teapot. 

The pretty handmade heart was a gift from a blogger friend a while ago and I always have it on the tree, but today it is for the tea table.



I asked Hubby to get some Valentine treats from the bakery and this is what he brought home.

I would prefer this lovely cake I baked for one other Valentine's day but I'm not doing much baking these days.





My teacups are Burleigh Felicity and Mason's Vista.

The little creamer has the same mark on it as the teapot. I have another teapot with the same mark and it is Valencia. So, I presume these pieces are also Valencia.

It has been an unusual week. I had hoped to set up a tea/home party, but nothing has gone according to plan. I guess we all have weeks like that. The trick is to accept it and make the most of it. Go with the flow, as they say.

Thank you for visiting me today and I hope your week is going well. Stay safe, stay warm, and enjoy your day!

Whatever the shape of your teapot,
Whatever the flavour of your tea,
God can still mightily pour you out
To refresh another in need. ~ unknown



Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi