Peace! Love! Joy!

T he wind is mischievously blowing the fluffy flakes of snow about this afternoon. Hither and yon like a game of tag they float gently almost settling on the ground only to be swept up by a jovial gust of wind to touch the top of a tree. Up and down, around and around they go to eventually settle with their friends who have been sidelined on the ground.

   
This playfulness reminds me of the child-like awe that I sometimes struggle to bring to this season of joy. You may have some memories in the distant past that some how take on a new sting, or be missing a loved, this time of year, too. Then now would be a good time to sit with a cuppa of your favorite tea, hot chocolate or latte and share the memories and the truths that you know in your heart and pause to savour them, nuture them lovingly like a child, so they will grow and heal that corner of your heart.

Please feel welcome to join the party at silkenpurse.blogspot.com for "Wednesday Tea for Me and Thee," and bring a friend. The more the joy!!

Isaiah 66:13    As a mother comforts her child,    so will I comfort you;

Luke 2:10     But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

My Pleasure to Meet You

My Pleasure to Meet You!

I am so glad to sit a spell with a fragrant cup of tea. I have missed my writing time the last few weeks, which surprises me, since this is very new to me. Once time permits I will be more diligent to post on a consistant basis and to drop in on you as well. What surprises me even more and encourages me more than I can say is to have comments from such wonderful, talented bloggers.

I am thankful to my dear friend, Silken Purse, from "Tuesday Tea for Two" and "Wednesday Tea for Me and Thee ", for her patient encouraging words that have given me the confidence to try to blog. A true friend, indeed. I know you enjoy her creativity as much as I do!

I hope you enjoy the couple of pictures I have taken and forgive my quick retreat as things need to be tended to. I am going to be testing a couple of recipes soon and will let you know the results.

I look forward to getting to know you better. Do drop in again!

Ready and waiting...

A little angel dropped in to
wish you Merry Christmas!

Tuesday Tea for Two

Thank you once again to Silken Purse www.plumedpen.blogspot for inviting me to tea. Lovely to be back and I hope you enjoy your time and tea with me.


Twice Baked Apple Crisp With a Cup of Tea


I t was a splendid autumn day. The air was crisp like the apples we were about to pick and the sun that had ripened them felt warm while the strong wind blew heartily. We were protected in the shelter of the rows of trees in the apple orchard. We were together, each with his own basket to fill with our choice of apples.

L ater in the kitchen with mountains of apples, each of us took his or her station and the fun began. The apples were peeled, sliced, and gathered into several bowls waiting for their deployment into either pie crusts or casseroles. The appropriate toppings were set aside. By the time the last core was tossed there were 3 apple pies and 4 apple crisps and some very hungry workers. The rest of the meal was completed as our “just desserts” were baking.

I t was a great feast. The turkey was proclaimed to be the best of my accomplishments to date,(thanks to Martha’s recipe) potatoes fluffy and buttery and the desserts grand! As we reclined, our appetites satisfied and us feeling satisfied with ourselves, I could smell something burning. When I entered the kitchen what did I find but an unattended apple crisp with a rather charcoal-ly extra crisp topping. Such horror and disappointment!

W ell, I just could not throw out all our hard work!! I popped it all in the fridge and wondered what to do. The next day, I knew what had to be done! Gingerly, I dissected the black topping from the still juicy apples. Then I mixed up a new batch of topping, spread it evenly onto parchment paper and baked it for 10 -12 minutes at 350 F and before it cooled placed it on top of the already baked apples that had come to room temperature.. Then I slowly re-warmed the apple crisp. Twice Baked Apple Crisp!! Yummy the second time around! Just add a cup of tea and some ice cream.

L ife can be a little like that don’t you think? Burnt toppings of our human frailties can be redeemed by God’s grace and change our lives back into something sweet.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

T ip:
My best pastry recipe: A trip to the Mennonite market an hour away from our house and buy their fresh pastry shells, store in the freezer until I want to spoil my loved ones. Perfect pie crust every time!

Tuesday Tea for Two for Comfort

TUESDAY TEA FOR TWO FOR COMFORT

M y first “Thank You”, is to Silken Purse, http://www.plumedpen.blogspot.com/ who nominated my blog for Kreativ Blogger Award. My schedule has been such that I have not been able to acknowledge this gracious honour or reciprocate. Hopefully, I will be able to make amends in the next few days. How encouraged I am to be included in this creatively gifted sisterhood. I am always cheered and inspired when I immerse myself in this new world. (I am taking baby steps in my techno learning, so I appreciate your patience, more than you know!)

T hank you,for dropping by for tea on this grey autumn day. It is a perfect day for a cup of comfort. I find these days have an affect on my attitude towards the challenging events of my everyday life. That is when I turn to my books for comforting thoughts, inspiring photos and tummy warming recipes, some of which I prepare.

I will share a new recipe with you for a wonderful comfort food:


Grandmother’s Favorite Oatmeal Cookies. from The Eat-Clean Diet by Tosca Reno

Makes 24 LARGE cookies
INGREDIENTS
2 2/3 cups unsalted olive-oil based margarine, or
2 cups margarine and 2/3 cups applesauce (lighter choice)
2 cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 TBSP honey
1 TBSP vanilla
1 ½ tsp sea salt
8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
8 oz dark raisins (optional)
8 oz coarsely chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350’. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the margarine and sugar in a very large bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs, honey, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy. Use a large wooden spatula or your hands to work in the flour and oats until well combined. Add raisins and walnuts if desired and mix until evenly distributed. Shape dough into large, 3 inch balls and flatten into five or six inch flat cookies on baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until as brown as you desire. Cool on wire racks. Make cookies smaller if you like. I use a small ice cream scoop to measure batter.

Tuesday Tea for Two

O DDS AND E NDS

I have a friend who enjoys her cup of tea every afternoon. Whether she is alone or with some friends she places her creamer and sugar bowl with her teapot, on a tray to serve tea. A little ceremony to make the simple act of taking tea, special. I thought this was a wonderful practice and always take the time to fill the creamer and sugar bowl when I serve coffee or tea. By my friends’ response, I know they are pleasantly surprised. I think our creamer and sugar bowls are meant to be used and enjoyed and not hidden in a corner cupboard to collect dust.

I love browsing, and scrounging for china. The treasures I find often are more numerous than the coins in my purse. But I take such pleasure in the hunt that I won’t be deterred by my lack of funds. In some ways, it is more fun to find something dear to my heart for a wee price. I sometimes pick a theme, like something with roses or pansies or butterflies. Other times I look for a lonely sugar bowl or a creamer or pitcher without its mate.

Y ou may wonder what would I want with miss matched pieces. Over time I find pieces that complement each other and make a charming eclectic set. Other sweet pieces are repurposed into useful containers for all sorts of sundry items: from pens and scissors to makeup brushes and lipstick or a holder for teaspoons. Some stand at attention on the window sill to add whimsy on a dull day.

T raditional or unusual I give all my precious finds a purpose and a personality. I think it is a lesson we can apply to the people we meet. Conversations can be more stimulating, when we join in with someone who is not quite our match. We can learn a new perspective on a mundane topic and be the richer for it. Whether it is china or friends, the variety they bring is what gives depth and dimesion to our lives.


Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own. The question, therefore, is not "How can we make community?" but "How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?"
~ Henri Nouwen

Tuesday Tea for Two to Share

Tuesday Tea for Two to Share

W elcome to my cozy corner. It is a blustery and very cool day. With each gust of wind a few more leaves swirl, curtsey, and bow to the ground. A reminder that the summer has past and the winds of change are blowing. But the sun is shining so brightly, I am determined to focus on the wonder of the c o l o u r s before me. It is a great day for a steaming cup of tea. I think a cup of chai will be perfect as I sit by the fireplace.

I have been feeling the burden of half completed projects and miscellaneous things to-do. I have been carrying this list around in my head for several days. Other things have taken priority but now is the time to write a list and complete each task one by one. I love the feeling when I put a check mark beside an item on my list! I feel such …..satisfaction.

O f course, having my cup of tea really is a priority. A short respite from the chaos of daily events is good for the soul. So today I will share my cup of tea with you and a couple of dear people that I would like to voice my appreciation to, with a note of thanks.

W hile I put the kettle on to boil I will find the appropriate cards and my address book, that I store in a unique place. I have re-purposed a set of luggage that belonged to my dear Aunt. Stacking the luggage has created a small table for a favorite lamp and inside the makeup case I store all things necessary to compose a note, write a letter and decorate the envelope. (More creative ideas are in an earlier blog) The easier it is to organize myself the more apt I am to succeed in this task.

A cup of tea, is a fragrant plant(s) steeping in boiling water or it is the beginning of a connection with one who yearns for a relationship with you. Take the time and settle down with your cup of tea and write a note to some one who needs to know you care for them. Or chat on the phone to some one far away. You both will be glad you did.

T he deepest urge in every human heart is to be in relationship with someone who absolutely delights in us.
~ Larry Crabb, Psychologis

L et some one know that you delight in them as the heavenly Father delights in you. Tea is a time for sharing. It is good for the soul. Let’s invite someone else to our tea party!

"Count Your Blessings One By One"

M y dear friend, Silken Purse, has encouraged me to resume my blogging. I love to read her blog. She composes with an artistic flair and passion that you get a glimpse of her beautiful spirit and her designs are truly whimsical and romantic. So I will take inspiration from her creativity and passion and commit some time to writing at least once a week.


T his week I have decided to combine two themes from http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ -"Tuesday Tea for Two" and from http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/ - "Thankful Thursdays". With Thanksgiving only a few days away it only seems appropriate to be thinking about what I am thankful for. Life is full of wonderful things and may I say, small miracles if you look for them. I invite you to join in the fun!

I am thankful for:

1. God’s unending grace in my life
2. Opportunities that challenge me to give my utmost
3. The smell of fragrant tea steeping
4. The warmth my hands feel holding a cup of tea on a cool autumn day
5. Friends that share a cup of tea with me, and warm my heart
6. I am thankful for the many friendships as unique as my teacups and always room for more
7. I am thankful for the many colours of each season that Nature brings
8. I am thankful for my family, with their big hearts and all of their wonderful quirks
9. I am thankful for the good health we are blessed with
10. I am thankful for each new day, so that I may see and experience God’s blessings as I try to walk with Him.

M y creative contribution is my centre piece for the dining room table. My life has been overflowing with projects of late, but I always can find the time to set the table according to the season. My friends are curious, when they come for tea to see what I have come up with next. I love to draw my inspiration from events that happen is my life.

W e were at a wedding a couple of weeks ago and the bridesmaids’ bouquets of autumnal flowers were edged with feathers. Very unique but understated and elegant. I loved the look! So when I arranged my silk flowers in a cream pitcher I added 3 feathers for interest and dimension.

T ake a moment to "count your blessings one by one". You'll feel the richer in spirit for it.