The Tearoom

Hello all, It's March, but where I live it's really still winter and I have begun to feel the midwinter blues, as I'm sure many of us have, so I must needs do something to put the magic back into winter. ''Magic,'' you say, "why magic, what magic?" Well, you have to admit that the first frost and the first snowfall draping delicate tendrils of cold lace over the tree boughs has some magic in it. Or this time of year, melting, dripping icicles and shimmering, crystalline ice formations in the damp snow {I still think they must be fairy palaces} are certainly magic. Therefore, that magic must still be there, it just gets hidden under layers of despair, colds, and cabin fever. "So," you say, "what can we do about it?" Have tea of course! But not just any tea, something floral and lovely to lift the dullness. There's almost nothing better than a story to lift the darkness, especially a story with magic in it....

Hello, I am participating in a beautiful blog party, hosted by Hamlette at The Edge of the Precipice , which she has been hosting for seven years! This year, in addition to the games and general fun of the occasion, she has invited anyone who wants to to contribute their own posts on anything Tolkien, please explore everyone else's posts, which are linked  here . So, without further ado, here are the basics of a perfect hobbit tea. 1. The Tea, itself. For hobbits you must have a basic, warm breakfast tea, something that milk and sugar turn into a little cup of simple happiness. Breakfast (and second breakfast) teas usually compliment both sweet and savory food, which is essential for a hobbit tea.  2. The Victuals. Tea, like all hobbit meals, is well-rounded, with some prominent features being: Cheese and Cold Meats Sliced Fruit Brown Bread Scones and Jam with Clotted Cream Pie and Cake You'll note that I have not included sandwiches, but...

Hello, This is the first of my 'Tea of the Month' posts, and a lovely month for it, yet, it may prompt the question: Why would you drink tea in July? Well, I will give you a double-barreled answer: 1. In India, and other countries where tea is crop and culture, the climate is rather on the warm side, and yet, tea is drunk hot, just as in the countries of Europe, from which the modern world was introduced to tea. In a warm climate drinking hot beverages is actually better for you than drinking cold ones because your body can more easily process it. Your body is warmer on the inside than you think, and if it doesn't have to warm up the fluid before it starts to use it it takes less energy and effort. 2. Who said tea has to be hot? July: Strawberry Iced Tea What you will need: 1 pot of tea, steeped and allowed to cool until just warm. Strawberries, more than you think you will need, you can always eat the extras. Sugar, to taste. Mint, if desired. Starting wit...

Dear Friends, Today we're celebrating some people who are very important to all of us, people who have shaped us, encouraged us, and raised us up to what we are today. Happy Mother's Day everyone, I'm sure that you all have someone special who you're thinking about today, and that you're each finding your own way of celebrating.       Sometimes, what with caring for babies, chasing after young children, and offering emotional support even to fully-grown children, the mothers in our lives don't get to experience the simple, elegant things, so today we would like to give them a little gentility, in the form of flowers, a break from the tedious household chores, a dinner prepared especially for them, or, in this case the most genteel thing I can think of, a Mother's Day Tea.      Here are the basic components of a genteel Mother's Day tea: Cucumber Sandwiches The classic tea sandwich, with a simple ingredient list: White Bread 1 Cucumber Butter...