4/29/08

A few of my favorite Teas....


April 27 - May 3
The White, Green, Black, and Herb of Tea



Tell about your favorite tea. How do you prepare it and serve it? Milk and sugar? Plain? What are some of your best memories of serving or sipping on this tea? Share a picture if you can. Tell the health benefits of the tea(s) you prefer. Where do you purchase your tea? Is there someplace you enjoying purchasing tea from? Who from and where?



Living in the Northwest the winters are long and dark and you can find a little coffe hut on almost every other corner. We like our coffee up here. But I have become so fond of tea that I hardly miss the coffee. My Daughter in love and I enjoyed much tea sharing the memories of her trip to England. I like my tea with evaporated milk, although I do serve it with many of the trimmings when it's time for tea with guests, such as lemon, honey and tea time sandwhiches and goodies. Of course coming from a German background I still like my coffee, and I like it strong! Here are a few of my tea favorites....they go great with Pumpkin Squares



Yorkshire Tea~



A missionary brought back a box of Yourkshire Tea from his trip to England for me and I found it was one of the most wonderfully smooth teas I've tasted. It was delicious hot as well as Iced. It was even more special since I knew it came directly from England as a gift for me.


Good Earth Tea~



This is my all time favorite tea! It is great hot or cold, in summer in winter, plain or "loaded". It rarely if ever gets bitter, even if I get busy and forget and steep it too long. I like the sweet and savory oirginal decafinated. It gets cold living in the Northwest and we like our coffee, but this tea allows me a healthy alternative to drink hot anytime to take the chill off. It can get quite warm here as well since most of us don't have airconditioning for those few extreme days of temperature, and the Good Earth Original is wonderful just over ice with a fresh sprig of mint from the herb garden on a warm sunny afternoon out on the front porch.



4/23/08

German Recipes




I've been asked for a few recipes of the German sort, the most frequently asked for one being... Potato Salad (Kartofel Salat) Here are two varitations of the wonderful side dish. Mom usually served it on Christmas Eve with Knack Wurst (Hot dogs that go Knack when you bite into them.) That way we could prepare it in advance and we could go to church and then come home and eat dinner without alot of work, and then as the German tradition, open our gifts on Christmas Eve. I serve it in the summer time now with Hamburgers, and open gifts on Christmas Morn, I must be Americanized :)

Our Families German Potato Salad Recipe

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped bread and butter chips
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peeled and cut potatoes; boil until tender but still firm.
Drain, and place in a large mixing bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Gently stir in the potatoes, eggs and onion, and pickles. Serve warm. Goes great with Knackwurst or even Hamburgers.

I taught German a few years to Homeschool Highschoolers, and one of them brought in this delicious variation of their families recipe.
German Potato Salad (served hot)
• 20 medium-size red skin potatoes
• 3/4 pound bacon (21 slices)
• 3/4 cup wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups thinly sliced scallions or green onions
In a heavy pot, cover the potatoes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the potatoes. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into H-inch cubes. Return the potatoes to the pot.
Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan, reserving the bacon grease. Drain the bacon, then crumble. To the bacon grease in the pan, add the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Remove from the heat.
Pour the dressing over the potatoes. Reserve some scallions or green onions and bacon for a garnish and add the remainder to the potatoes. Toss lightly to mix. Cover and let stand for 45 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
Just before serving, set the pot over moderate heat and heat for about 10 minutes. Turn out into a serving bowl. Top with the reserved bacon and scallions and serve.

4/18/08

Tea Time Recipes



Week #6 April 20 - April 26
The-Sweet-and-Savory-of-Yummy
Here it is April 21st, and we are still getting snow! So it will be a pleasure to look at the recipes posted from this weeks tea event. It would be nice to turn on the oven and try some new recipes and warm up the house too!
Here are some of my favorite recipes for tea time treats. I have put them in a collection to make it easy to share with friends. Email makes it so easy to share recipes with people all over. So feel free to print them out and enjoy.


Lovely Tea Time Recipes
to enjoy with a friend or two, or three…



Chocolate Chip Toffee Scones
(I cannot remember where I got this wonderful recipe)

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup chocolate-covered English toffee baking bits
2 cups cold whipping cream

For Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
granulated sugar

Preheat oven 375 degrees and lightly butter two large baking sheets. In large bowl,combine the flour,1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and toffee. Beat the cream in separate large bowl until stiff peaks form, fold into dry ingredients. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, knead lightly until a soft dough forms. Gently shape into a circle and with serrated knife cut into wedges. Place on baking sheets a few inches apart. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.



Clotted Cream

(Recipe from a friend)
It goes well with tea and scones.

6 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and salt.
Beat in cream until stiff peaks form.
Can be made up to 24 hours before serving and kept cold in the refrigerator.



Lemon curd is a thick, soft and creamy, spreadable cream that has a wonderful tart yet sweet flavor. Lemon curd is another popular topping for scones. This recipe is from Joy of Baking


Pumpkin Biscotti
I wrote the original recipe to be made with chocolate chips OR raisins, and have come to prefer raisins, although others have tried it and liked the chocolate chips better and some like it better with both.
This recipe is one of my favorite tea time and coffee time goodies to have on hand for those who drop by.
I have already posted my recipe on my site at the following link…Pumpkin Biscotti

Movie Review on... EXPELLED


Movie Review EXPELLED

My parents immigrated to the United States in the late 50’s from Germany. All during my life I heard stories of WWII that made impressions on their lives that they wanted to instill in me. I have shared them with our own sons, and to this day I find few people who recognize History repeating itself. A common comment during news broadcasts growing up was, So faegnt es an…This is how it begins. It would be stated with disbelief in the American people and how easily they gave up their freedoms. My family recognized it because they lived through the era of Hitler. They were not Jews that were being persecuted, no... they were “blue blooded German aristocracy” however they were not blond haired and blue eyed, of course neither was Hitler.
Herr Hitler was implementing the inevitable socialistic acts upon an inferior race from the world view of the scientists of the early ninteen hundreds. Eugenics, and selective breeding was being used to create a “master race.”
The worst part of this era was that many of the people of Germany agreed with this way of thinking and were willingly giving up their freedoms to be protected and supported by the Reich, by the Government. The people followed blindly without a thought, they were indoctrinated right down to "Hitlers Jugend"..."the youth", and supported Hitler’s cleansing of the Jews, for “it was not their fight” at the time, but by the time the government was cleansing the German race of “inferiors” it was too late, there was no one to fight for them. The dangerous Darwinist beliefs of the early century scientists had cleansed the thoughts of much of mankind of an Almighty God. Such a powerful Deity would not fit into the mold of the world view which they had created.

Modern day United States… On a side note, this film is rated PG however there are some disturbing war images, so use discretion.

EXPELLED is a documentary that does an excellent job of showing us “So faengt es an"…."This is how it begins”…but in America. Ben Stein seeks to expose what looks like an agenda against the Scientists that make even mere mention of “Intelligent Design.” The documentary also exposes the “evil scientists” who believe in Darwins Origin of the Species, and by their own admission, come to the conclusion that if you believe in Darwinism, you must abandon your thoughts of there being a God... any god, because the two cannot co-exist, (which makes me wonder why some Christians are trying to make evolution and the Bible co-habitate in their minds.)

Nevertheless, there were some interesting statements made in regards to Intelligent Design. In the Christian community we find this to be an excellent way to open the door to teaching the word of God and many scientists on the “other side” are attacking Intelligent Design for this very reason. However with the New Age movement becoming stronger, and many being deceived by false teachers of religious things, I ask you... might “Intelligent Design” be used to describe another agenda?

With the masses of people tuning in on the internet and TV for New Age lessons with Oprah and a down and out Guru who thinks he got a calling to hook up with her and deceive many, it makes me wonder if all this might meet in the end. The New Agers will come to a point where they must "evolve", but low and behold, us lower vibration earth forms, namely Christians, will be holding them back and in their view must be eliminated, all in the name of their pantheistic religion of course. Talk about culture wars! But remember as beleivers we do not fight against flesh and blood, but that doesn't mean the culture war isn't out there. The enemy wants control.

I can’t help but wonder if the newly “evolved” will come to worship the “Intelligent Designer” not the Almighty God that we know and love as followers of the Real Jesus, but the office of the Christ consciousness that will come upon the “anti Christ” ready and waiting to deceive many more.

“We the people”, who once believed in a “Creator”, namely the Hebrew God of the Bible, may be systematically being indoctrinated by mass media into believing in an “Intelligent Designer” as they call it in the movie, possibly an alien, from another planet.

I must mention that the movie began with opening scenes from Germany and the Berlin Wall. The lack of open discussion and freedom of speech and study in science was equated with the wall. It is a wall in the mind of mankind that will not allow the freedom of speech and religion and the questioning of a world view that another may or may not hold. Many have died fighting for this freedom, and today here sit many of us taking this freedom for granted. Without the choice to look into Intelligent Design as a scientist or blog about it… it is not freedom. Without the hope that Almighty God offers us through His Son Jesus Christ and the finished work of yes... The Old Rugged Cross, people will come to understand there is no hope, that being born and dying are just processes that can be controlled, and timed, and why not act like animals while we are here because it just doesn't matter anyway.


Since I still have the freedom to share these things, the following are verses that came to mind during the movie….



For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. Psalm 14:1
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. II Thessalonians 2:7 -12

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Romans 1:18-23

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:19

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:11 -12


If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1John 1:8-10

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3:16-19

4/15/08

WEEK #5 Tea Blog-A-Thon


Hmmm....what to wear to tea...that is the question.

Whether to dress in finery and pearls, with heels and fur, hat and gloves, fine linen and lace, or to come to tea as you are.

There is a place and a season

under the sun for all things,

and yet remember

vanity, vanity,

all is vanity.




One might think it better to be on the front porch

with Tea in a tumbler

filled with ice and a sprig of fresh mint,

sipping away with a friend who has just stopped by

on a warm summer afternoon.

Though one may have been working in the garden in frock and sturdy apron donned with a straw hat, there is always time for tea with a friend. Come one come all, leave none out for it is not the tea that dictates the garb, but the fellowship with a friend that dictates tea time pleasures!

A friend loveth at all times!

4/12/08

The One Thousandth visitor


I've been enjoying the Tea Blog-A-Thon lately and have nearly missed noticing that the next visitor to this site will be the 1,000th visitor! If you would like, please leave a comment so I can come visit your site. Enjoy, and thanks for dropping by.

Post Script:
Thanks to all of you who commented on your way through here at this time. The 1,ooth visitor was from Spain and didn't leave a message. Possibly because they spoke... Spanish. It's just a joy to see you all here and get a chance to visit your sites as well. Sunday Blessings in Jesus to you and yours!
Take a moment to visit these honored guests at their own little cozy corner of the internet world...

Quiet Pleasures of Home
A Haven for Vee
Gracious Hospitality
Oak Rise Cottage
From Bear Creek
Quill Cottage

4/10/08

A Stitch in Time...



Week #4 In Gracious Hospitalitea Blog-A-Thon

...Saves nine! Beautiful Tea stitches help set the table nicely for a cozy cup of tea. This stitched table cloth was at a friends house who helped me host the bridal shower of my Daughter-in-love. She brings me much joy after only raising boys and on top of that she and our son blessed us with another tiny little female blessing not to long ago. Oh, what a wonderful thing to be an Omi. ( German Granny)










I have a Quilted Pillow hanging in the kitchen along with the aprons. I found it on one of my many trips to a local second hand shop and it seemed appropriate to snatch it at the time. Life had been particularly rough these past few years but I have a Savior who watches over me He bought me with His precious blood. Which means I am His and I am expensive, and He loves ME...ME...very much and I don't go through anything unless it passes His desk first! So when I look at this each day it reminds me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.


The pillow reads..."A woman is like a tea bag, You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt
But my strength comes from Jesus :)

4/4/08

All Things Tea



I've been extrememly busy these past few months but have been wanting to share "Gracious Hospitality Blog-A-Thon"with you.
I learned of it from a "Kindred spirit" over at "The Quiet Pleasures of Home". Both of these sites as well as many others are sharing All things Tea to beautify the home and share their stories of frineds and family.

This weeks Theme is Decor-a-Tea


The title of the print is "Suspense".
I picked up this print in a second hand shop and have it hanging in my kitchen. It reminds me to be thankful for the things God provides for me each and everday, and to live simply and to be content with such things as He has provided. Great Grandma my MIL) has been staying with us and has found great pleasure in the print as well. She has Alzheimers so each morning the print was a pleasant surprise to her. She especially liked the cat and dog waiting for the little girl to finish praying so that they might receive a bit of toast.


The print "Suspense" inspired me to make some homemade bread and hard boiled eggs and enjoy a breakfast with a friend. The tea pot was a gift from a family member many years ago. I spotted it in a local tea shop at the time and added it to my Christmas wish list. I posted the recipe for the bread at my other website "Ladybug's Garden"



This was the beginning of my tea cup collection a few years ago after our sons moved out of the house. I sure enjoyed raising boys, but with three men in the house and only I who appreciated "fu" as they called it, it was better not to display such things. The boys are grown now and we joke now about the times when "we just couldn't have nice things." The Cukoo clock is from a trip to Europe a few years back. I picked it up at a castle in Switzerland along the Rhine River at the Falls.A most beautiful place! As for the prints, I made them after I finished a Bible College class on I Corintihans to remind me...Faith will come to an end. Hope will be fullfilled. Love will endure forever!

4/3/08

Favorite Quotes




Some of my favorite quotes...

So when my latest breath shall rend the veil in twain
By death I shall excape from death,
and life eternal gain. ~anonymus

The heart that is love with Jesus must sing! ~anonymus

Isn't it wonderful when you come across some poetry or story someone has written and their words jump out at you? They speak to your heart and fill your head with memories or ignite your heart with a passion to write or live or sing! It's been a while since I have picked up the old classic poets of England but those that have written concerning Jesus bring light into a dark winter day. They weren't standing on a street corner, or shouting from a pulpit, but the truths they speak of in regards to Almighty God transcend time and generations.
Just as the Psalmist writes "What is man that you are mindful of him?" So to an anonymous poet in the 1600's wrote...

Thus if a king were coming, would we do
and 'twere good reason too
For is a duteous thing
To show all honor to an earthly king
And after all our travail and our cost
So he be pleased, to think no labor lost.

But at the coming of the King of Heaven
All's set at six and seven
We wallow in our sin,
Christ cannot find a chamber in the inn.
We entertain Him always like a stranger
And, as at first, still lodge Him in the manger.


The Spirit of God has influenced many of our mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers to take care of and remain in the home. It gave them time to reflect on their own hearts and where they stand or fall before the Lord.
Too much business and flittering about keeps a heart numb, but not open to the calling of God. Some of us can be so thick headed that it takes God a few times to call before we listen.
Do you remember Samuel? He was sleeping when God called and it took him three times before he realized it was the voice of God. Thankfully many that have gone on before us have bowed at the feet of our King, and we can blissfullly learn from their experience if we are willing.

Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life! Proverbs 4:23

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