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HOW TO CHOOSE A TEA INFUSER

March 9, 2020
So what’s the big deal…why not just use a tea bag and be done with it?! You could and that would be completely fine. But if you were wanting to learn how to brew tea with loose leaves and you’re just not sure how to go about it, this post will help you start out. In this post, I will talk about the critical piece of equipment that you will need to have for brewing loose leaf tea and that is an infuser! Based on my experience, here is some information on tea infusers and guides on how to choose one.

What is an infuser? By definition, a tea infuser is a device in which loose dried tea leaves are placed for steeping or brewing a cup or pot of tea. The popularity of the infuser is noted in the first half of the 19th century. Early on, the tea strainer was the only option leaving stray leaves in the tea. The tea ball was one of the first infusers and became an integral part of tea preparation. Today, an infuser is still the choice of loose leaf tea enthusiasts but has taken on many different shapes since its earlier days.

To use an infuser, you place your tea into the infuser and submerge it in hot water, allowing the tea to infuse or steep into a delicious cup of tea!

There are many types and styles to choose from, so its important to choose the right infuser for the right cup or right pot.
- The infuser you choose needs to give your tea enough room to steep. The tea leaves will expand during the steeping process and if there is not enough room, the brew will not be correct. You will want to keep this in mind when selecting the style of infuser you want to use.
- You should only fill the infuser half with your tea leaves, so it needs to accommodate this expansion.
- It should also be easy to use – fitting into either the cup or the pot.
- And last but not least, it should be easy for you to clean.
Let’s go through some of them and I will share some pros and cons and what has worked best for me.

Single Cup Infusers

I call this section Single Cup Infusers because I use them mainly to steep a single cup of tea. Hear is some detail on each one. And remember, your tea needs to have enough room to be bathed by the hot water and expand. When steeping a single cup of tea, you want 1 tsp of loose leaf tea per 6 ounce cup (normal size for a teacup). These infusers can hold 1 tsp of loose leaf tea and allow for reasonable blooming of the tea when using it for a single cup.

Several Single Cup Tea Infusers

Tea ball Infuser

This is a Ball Infuser. You place 1 tsp of loose leaf tea in one side of the infuser, close and lock the ball, and place it in your cup. The chain allows you to secure it and lift it out of your teacup when its time. I don’t use this infuser for a pot of tea because it doesn’t fit enough tea for a full pot and also doesn’t allow enough room for the tea to expand.

The next two types of infusers are referred to as Tea Sticks. They have a long handle with the infuser on the end. You squeeze the handle to open the infuser and load your 1 tsp of tea, close the infuser and place it in your cup. These can be a challenge to clean but are great for a loose leaf cup of tea on the go!
- Tea Stick with Ball Style Infuser
- Tea Stick with Spoon Style Infuser
Two Types of Tea Stick Infusers
Tea Egg Infuser

The next infuser is similar to the ball infuser and is sometimes called the Egg Infuser because of its shape. You place your tea leaves in the bottom and then secure the cap. As with the Ball Infuser, you can hang this infuser in your cup or pot and remove it by its chain. This infuser is not quite enough for a full pot of tea and is a bit clumsy for a cup of tea. These are also a challenge to clean as well but it is another option for you.

Tea Strainers

This next type is a Tea Strainer. This strainer would be used when brewing a pot of tea. The loose leaf tea is placed in the bottom of your teapot and then your boiling water is poured into the pot to begin the steeping. To serve, you place the strainer on the cup, pour the hot tea through the strainer and any leaves are caught in the strainer or remain in the pot. Though I am charmed by how they look in the cup, I do not personally use tea strainers often or at all. Once you pour a cup out of the pot, the leaves remain in the pot and continue to steep making the tea very strong and sometimes bitter. So this is not my preference.
- Tea Strainer
- Tea Strainer in Teacup
Tea Filters

I am however a big fan of using paper Tea Filters. These are fine paper bags that you fill with your loose leaf tea and then simply brew with them and then discard when done. They allow for perfect expansion of the tea and steeping through the paper material. There are several different products available. I am showing you the brand that I have used for years.

Tea Filters – 3 sizes

These are called T-Sac Tea Filters and are a fine mesh paper. They come in several sizes – I always have them on hand.

The largest size is best for a large teapot. I use this size when I serve tea for guests or family. I also use this for an afternoon tea where I will be serving several pots of tea. I take the largest size and make up several bags to be ready for steeping several pots at one time. The middle size is perfect for a smaller pot of tea which holds 3-4 cups. And if I want just a cup for myself, I will use the small size and have that perfect cup of tea. I also use this size to prepare several small size tea bags ahead of time so I can gift them to friends.

Filling a medium Tea Filter for brewing small teapot

Here is how you use them – you simply put the desired amount of tea in the bag and secure it. Remember, 1 tsp of loose leaf per cup. I use a little clothespin or a business clip to close the bag. I have also just stapled them shut when I am preparing several in a row. Securing the top ensures that none of the leaves will come out if the bag inadvertently falls into the teacup or teapot.

Securing the tea filter

Once you have filled your tea bag, simply lay it in your cup or tuck it into the teapot and hang it over the side. Pour in your water and allow the steeping to commence. Once done, remove and just throw away. These are that simple. But don’t squeeze the bag (or any tea bag for that matter), it leaves tea dust in your cup and that doesn’t taste good!

Tea Filter positioned in teapot

Tea Infuser Baskets

Tea Infuser Baskets or Tea Brewing Baskets are my favorite way to steep a full pot of tea. A Tea Infuser Basket is a stainless steel mesh basket that is inserted into the tea pot. You put your tea in the basket and pour your water in, allowing the tea to steep. When ready, just remove the basket and discard the tea leaves. You can easily clean the basket – toss it in the dishwasher and use it over and over again. These are very durable. The basket allows the tea to fully expand and appropriately steeps.

I have two sizes that I am fond of and always have them ready for that pot of tea.

Tea Infusers Baskets

Two teapots – hold the same amount of tea but would use two different sizes of tea basket infuser.

Above you can see two different sizes of tea pot openings. They each have hold the same amount of tea but would need different size of a Tea Basket Infuser.

Teapot with Tea Basket Infuser in place

Tea Infusers have taken on some creative styles. Here are some that are fun and very functional.
To Summarize…

Choosing a tea infuser depends on your preference and what amount of tea you are trying to steep. You have many options. Here are some guides to help you along the way –
- The infuser you choose needs to give your tea enough room to steep. The tea leaves will expand during the steeping process and if there is not enough room, the brew will not be correct. You will want to keep this in mind when selecting the style of infuser you want to use.
- You should only fill the infuser half with your tea leaves, so it needs to accommodate this expansion.
- It should also be easy to use – fitting into either the cup or the pot.
- And last but not least, it should be easy for you to clean.
There are several options for the single cup. My ultimate preference for the single cup would be either the Tea Stick with Ball or the Tea Filter. For steeping a tea pot, it would definitely be the Tea Infuser Basket for either small or large teapot. For large groups, I would go for the Tea Filter large size and make them ahead.

Please say “yes” to brewing with loose leaf tea. It’s the best cup of tea you will ever have. So now that you’re ready to brew that perfect cup of tea….put the water on, grab your tea and your infuser, pick out a special cup….and don’t forget the scones!

Tea Stick with Ball Infuser
Served with Currant Scone and Strawberry Cream Scone

The tea pictured here is Monks Grenadine Black Tea from New Mexico Tea Company https://www.nmteaco.com/

Check out these other posts from Teas The Season on Tea Tasting – Tea Tastings – An Adventure in Teas https://teastheseason3.com/tea-tastings-an-adventure-in-teas/ and Tea Tastings 2 – The Adventure Continues https://teastheseason3.com/tea-tasting-2-the-adventure-continues/

The following products were used in the preparation of this post

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you Look through the products and enjoy!
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Beth 72 Comments
Recipes, Uncategorized

Bittersweet Chocolate Quick Bread

March 7, 2020
Do you ever have a craving for something chocolate but maybe not overly rich? This quick bread offers a bittersweet chocolate taste that is hearty and not overly sweet. And it creates a great platform for other toppings. Its simple to put together.

Ingredients
- Flour
- Bittersweet cocoa powder
- Sugar in the raw
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Egg
- Greek Yogurt
- Melted Unsalted Butter
- Buttermilk
Let’s talk buttermilk

I love baking with buttermilk but I don’t drink buttermilk. Generally, my recipes don’t call for a large amount, maybe a cup or more at the most. So what do you with the leftover buttermilk? I freeze it! I also have made my own by using vinegar or lemon. And I have used the powdered buttermilk. However, I prefer the fresh buttermilk and its thickness, so I have taken to freezing it in ice cube trays. I find that one standard ice cube tray will hold 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. If I need 1 cup, I just thaw 10 cubes and save the rest. And wait for it, I thaw it in the microwave. I find that it helps to get that thick quality back. So just some tidbits of information that you might find helpful. Now on to the recipe.

Buttermilk and alternatives when you don’t have any!

Preparing the wet ingredients

Prepare your liquid ingredients first. This will make sense as the recipe progresses but in short, it allows your liquids time to come to room temperature.

Begin by melting 1/4 cup of unsalted butter. Set this aside and let that cool while you prepare the rest of the liquid ingredients.

Getting ready to melt butter in microwave

Measure out 1 cup of buttermilk and 1/2 cup Greek yogurt. Let this mixture come to room temperature.

Combining Greek Yogurt, buttermilk and egg. Allowing to come to room temperature.

Once the liquids have come to room temperature, mix them all together. Why is it so important to let the liquids come to room temperature? Well adding warm melted butter to cold liquids causes it to become solid again and your batter and ultimately your bread will be full of holes and not smooth.

Assembling the dry ingredients

You will need 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup bittersweet cocoa powder, and 3/4 cup sugar in the raw. The sugar in the raw has a molasses undertone that accents the chocolate taste.

Dry ingredients – bittersweet cocoa, flour, and sugar in the raw

Get ready to add your leavening ingredients. Like most quick breads – baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Leavening agents ready for mixing – baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Mix all the dry ingredients together. I use a whisk to make sure that everything is fully mixed.

Mixing dry ingredients.

Combining to make the batter

Once you have the dry ingredients completely mixed and your liquid ingredients are at room temperature, combine the two. I like to fold the liquids into the dry ingredients. This is a stiff batter.

Liquid and dry ingredients combined

Completed batter.

Your oven should be preheated to 350 degrees. You will need a 9×5 prepared loaf pan. I like to spray with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spread the batter in the pan. An off-set spatula is very helpful here.

The loaf will bake for 40 – 45 minutes. I start checking at 40 minutes. Your loaf should be well rounded. Mmmm you can smell this bittersweet chocolate quick bread.

Out of the oven. 1 loaf of Bittersweet Chocolate Quick Bread.

Allow the bread to cool for 20 minutes, remove from the pan and continue cooling before you slice. This bread freezes well.

How to serve your Bittersweet Chocolate Quick Bread

There are many ways you can serve this bread. One favorite of mine is to serve a nice hearty slice with some flavored whipped cream. Since this is not an overly sweet bread, I like to add some liquor to the whipped cream. Scotch or Brandy are nice and pair well with the heartiness of this bread. If you do not imbibe in alcohol, a rum flavoring will work well also or just plain whipped cream.

A nice tea to serve is Lapsong Souchong, a smokey black tea. If that is too strong, Sweet Souchong is a black tea that has a slight smokiness with an hint of sweetness and again pairs well with this combination. But a nice cup of coffee would do just fine as well.
Tea Suggestions – Courtesy of New Mexico Tea Company
Though elegant in presentation, this hearty bittersweet chocolate quick bread is a nice dessert for any occasion. Enjoy!

Ready for serving…slice of Bittersweet Chocolate Quick Bread
with Scotch Infused Whipped Cream

These products were used in the making of this recipe

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you Look through the products and enjoy!
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Bittersweet Chocolate Quick Bread

A bittersweet chocolate quick bread, not overly sweet.

Course quick bread
Cuisine American
Keyword bittersweet chocolate, buttermilk, chocolate, quick bread

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients
1½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup bittersweet cocoa powder
¾ cup sugar in the raw This sugar has a molasses undertone that accents the chocolate taste.
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup Greek Yogurt
¼ cup melted unsalted butter

Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°. Prepare 9×5 baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the buttermilk, yogurt and melted butter and stir to combine. NOTE: Make sure your buttermilk is at room temperature. If cold, it will start to firm up the butter and it causes lumps in the batter.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together. Set aside.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix together until just combined. Do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Leave for 20 minutes to cool. Then remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

Notes
This bread freezes well.
I like to prepare a thick slice of 1- 1.5 inch thick, served with a dollop of whiskey infused whipped cream.

This recipe was adapted from Chocolate Buttermilk Bread http://atreatsaffair.com/chocolate-buttermilk-bread-recipe/
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Beth 2 Comments
Recipes, Uncategorized

Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stacks

March 2, 2020
Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stacks are a bite size mouthful of rich creamy goodness. They look elegant but are simple to make. The fresh thyme and the cream marry the cheesy ham and potatoes in this delightful recipe. This is one of my favorite savories for an afternoon tea but also can be served on a platter for a group, appetizer or dinner!

Here’s the instructions on how to make these savory packages.

Ingredients for the recipe

Here are the ingredients that you will need to make the Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stacks. 3 pounds of yellow or golden potatoes (Yukon Gold work well), cream, unsalted butter, grated Gruyere (or any melting cheese), fresh thyme, Canadian Bacon finely chopped, garlic, salt and pepper.

Ingredients for Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stacks

Preparing the potatoes

This recipe calls for little stacks of thinly sliced potatoes. For that task, the best kitchen tool is the mandolin. If you have never used one, it is a kitchen utensil that has a flat platform with a slicing blade on it. Primarily used for vegetables, the blade adjusts to cut to the desired thickness. Make sure you use the vegetable holder so you don’t slice your fingers. For me, this is a must kitchen tool and makes this recipe so much easier to make. And of course, if you don’t have a mandolin, you can certainly slice with a knife.

Mandolin slicer

Slice the potatoes to approximately 1/8th inch thickness. You can adjust your blade to this thickness.
- Mandolin ready to slice potatoes
- Sliced potatoes
Prepping the potatoes
Next you will want to create little round disks for the stacks. To do this, take a 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter and cut the potato slices into these little disks. You can get up to two disks out of each slice depending on how big your potatoes are. And don’t worry about the leftover potatoes – you can bake them up like fries, put them in a casserole and pour the remaining cream mixture over them or cook them for a rustic mashed potato. No wasting here!

NOTE: If you are looking for a more substantial serving size, use a larger cookie cutter like 2 inch or 3 inch. I am showing you an appetizer or afternoon tea savory size.

Potatoes sliced and cut into small disks with 1 1/2 inch cutter

Preparing the cream mixture

To prepare the cream mixture for the Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stacks, melt the butter garlic in a microwave bowl in 30 second bursts until the butter is completely melted.

While the butter is melting, chop up your fresh thyme. Strip the leaves from the stems for 2 tbsp of chopped thyme. Discard the stems. The chopped thyme will be added to your cream mixture as well as in the layers of the potatoes. Reserve some fresh sprigs for decoration when complete.

Fresh time – sprigs, chopped, twigs

Add the cream, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper stirring to combine. Set aside.
- Butter and Garlic ready for microwave
- Cream mixture put together
Putting the stacks together

Prepare the cheese by grating it. I like to use Gruyere – its salty but buttery taste is rich in this recipe. But you can use any melting cheese – cheddar and Havarti work well and are easily accessible at your grocery store.

Prepare the Canadian Bacon. Take 6 slices and finely chop them.
- Grated Gruyere Cheese
- Chopped Canadian Bacon
Line up your ingredients and equipment

You will need your muffin tins, potatoes, cream sauce, cheese, Canadian bacon, fresh thyme.

You should have 2 – 12 cup standard size muffin tins or 1 – 24 cup standard size muffin tin. You might think that it would be best to go with a mini-muffin tin, but the stacks exceed the height of the mini muffin tin and will slide off during the baking process. So go with the standard muffin size. The muffin tins should be sprayed with cookie spray. No butter needed – there is enough in the sauce.

Preparing the muffin tins

Next get the potatoes ready. You have already cut them into little disks. Stack 5 slices in each muffin cup.

Ready to assemble

Take your cream mixture and pour 1/2 tsp of the mixture over the top of the stack. Place a sprinkle of cheese, chopped Canadian bacon, and fresh thyme on the stack. Do this on all 24 stacks. Top each stack with the remaining 5 slices and repeat the sauce and toppings.

Baking

Once you have assembled all the potato stacks, you want to bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven. Cover the stacks with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for the remaining 10 minutes. You may need to take a knife or spoon to straighten up the stacks.

Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stacks ready for the oven

When the stacks are done, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then remove to another container. Take a butter knife and loosen the stack carefully lifting out – they will still be warm. I will store my stacks in a mini muffin tin but not until they are completely cooled.

These stacks are obviously delicious right out of the oven (after cooling of course). But you can make them ahead as well. Here’s the guidelines for cooking and reheating:
- Freeze them unbaked. To prepare, just defrost and bake in a 350 degree oven. Cover with foil as in the recipe and bake for 35 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes.
- Freeze them baked. To prepare, just defrost and reheat for 10 minutes or until warm in a 350 degree oven.
- Refrigerated completely baked. To prepare, just reheat for 10 minutes or until warm in a 350 degree oven.
Serving

When ready to serve, plate a single Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stack with a sprig of fresh thyme. If you are serving many guests, then plate on a serving platter and top with thyme. Either way they are rich and delicious.

Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stacks – ready to enjoy!

These products were used in the making of this recipe

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you . Look through the products and enjoy!
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5 from 6 votes

Cheesy Thyme and Ham Potato Gratin Stacks

This is a delicious stack of yellow potatoes, layered with Gruyere cheese and Canadian Bacon, covered in a rich cream sauce and seasoned with fresh thyme

Course afternoon tea, Appetizer
Keyword cream sauce, gratin, potato, stacks, thyme

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 24 stacks

Ingredients
Oil spray
3 lbs yellow or golden potatoes
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp crushed garlic
¼ cup cream
½ tsp kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyere Cheese can use other melting cheeses or combination
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves removed from stems and chopped
24 small thyme stems for embellishment
6 slices Canadian Bacon finely chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°
Spray standard muffin tin – use 2 – 12 cup or one 24 cup muffin tin. Do not use mini-muffin tins. The stacks exceed the height of a mini-muffin tin and will slide.
Slice potatoes using a Mandolin. Slice to ⅙ inch thickness.
Using a small 1½ inch cookie cutter, cut circles out of potato slices. Set aside. You will want to create stacks of 10 slices. The stack will be approximately 1¾-2 inches high. These will cook down. Set aside until assembly.
Prepare the cream sauce
Place butter and garlic in a microwave proof bowl. Melt in 30 second burst until completely melted.
Add cream, 1 tbsp of the chopped fresh thyme, salt and pepper to butter and garlic. Stir to combine.
Assembling
Place 5 potato slices into the muffin tin. They will go approximately halfway up the tin.
Drizzle each potato stack with ½ tsp of cream mixture. Then sprinkle with fresh thyme
Sprinkle HALF the cheese, Canadian Bacon and chopped fresh thyme on the potato stack.
Top with remaining 5 slices and repeat cream, cheese, Canadian Bacon and thyme process.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for remaining 10 minutes. You will want to straighten up the stacks with a spoon.
Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin. Use a butter knife to go around stack to help remove
Once cool, you can transfer to a mini muffin tin for storage. Ensure the stacks are cool as the potatoes will slip.
Serving Instructions
If plating for single serving, place potato stack on plate and top with sprig of fresh thyme
If plating for group, place in serving platter and top with sprigs of fresh thyme

Notes

You will want to use a yellow or golden potato, like Yukon Gold. You want the creaminess of these potatoes.

These can be made ahead and frozen unbaked or baked.

If frozen unbaked – defrost before baking. Bake at 350 degree covered with foil for 35 minutes, uncover for the remaining 10.

If frozen baked – defrost before baking and heat through in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

If just refrigerated, heat through for 10 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Take the leftover potatoes once the disks are cut out, bake in oven or top with remaining cream for potato casserole!

NOTE: You can make larger serving sizes by increasing the size of the cookie cutter, like 2 inch or 3 inch. This recipe outlines an appetizer or afternoon tea savory size.

This recipe was adapted from Cheesy Potato Gratin Stacks https://www.soune.me/2019/01/cheesy-mini-potato-gratin-stacks-muffin.html

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Beth 60 Comments
Cups, Cozies and China, Enjoying Together, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tea In A Box – put together a special gift

February 24, 2020
Ever want to share a special gift with someone special? A friend, a family member, or maybe someone just needing to be cheered up. Tea In A Box can be that special gift.

I love to share tea with folks but if they are not able to attend a tea, then I will send them a Tea In A Box – a special gift. I have gifted friends, family, co-worker and others just to treat them, cheer them up, or even just to say thank you. In this post, I will outline how to put together what I call A Tea In A Box . Its a special gift and here is how you put it together.

What goes in a Tea In A Box?

When I started putting together Tea In A Box gifts, it was with the idea of equipping the recipient to have all the things needed to have their very own personal tea.
- Scones
- Lemon Curd
- Jam
- Utentils – knives, spoons
- Napkins
- Seasonal items
- Of course…TEA!
Tea In A Box can certainly contains the complete array of a full tea – scones, savories and sweets. Your ability to keep things fresh and the delivery time will impact this. I have done full teas this way and they are delightful. For this post, I have chosen to stick with a Tea In A Box theme with scones only.

Tea In A Box – a sweet thank you for one

Of course, this can be adjusted to what your reason for the Tea In A Box is. The above list is perfect for a single gift like a thank you. Here is an example of a single Tea In A Box. I was gifted a sweet tea cup holder by a friend who wouldn’t take any compensation. I gifted her a small bag of scones, curd and jam, and tea as a thank you. Tied up with a little tulle bow and she was delighted. Simple but special.

Single Tea In A Box as a Thank you

Group Tea In A Box

If I am doing a group gift, I will increase the number but be pretty consistent with the contents. Here for instance is a group box of scones, curd and jam, utensils, paper linens and of course tea. This was a seasonal tea with spices and was for Christmas. I tied the bow up with some green twine (from my tool box) and attached a small decorative pine cone. I like to include a menu along with instructions for preparing and storing the pastries and curd – that is if there are any leftover!
- Contents for Holiday Tea In A Box
- Holiday Tea In A Box wrapped up
Holiday Tea In A Box
Special Occasion Tea In A Box

At times I have been requested to put together a special occasion Tea In A Box. This year, I put together a Tea for Two package. This was a bit more elaborate and included special items. The Tea In A Box was being raffled off to two deserving employees as part of a Valentine’s recognition. But you could do this for any special occasion – a wedding, baby shower, birthday surprise or Springtime! So I wanted to step up the contents a bit. Here’s what was in the box:
- Strawberry Cream Scones
- Toffee Scones
- Currant Scones
- Bittersweet Chocolate Quick Bread
- Curd and Jam for all
- Knives
- 2 Vintage Teacups with tasting spoons
- Chocolates
- Napkins
- Of course….TEA!
Once I knew the contents, I wanted to make sure the guests understood the Tea In A Box and everything contained within. So I prepared explanations and well wishes, labels about the food items, steeping instructions for the tea, and even history about their teacups.

Tea In A Box documents
- Prepping the documents
- Cutting out the documents
Building the Tea In A Box documents
Tea In A Box Documents – welcome, menu, pastry information

Vintage Teacups – a sweet keepsake

Next I started pulling all the contents together. I decided to include teacups as special keepsakes for this basket. I went to one of my usual antique stores, Legacy Antiques https://legacyantiques.wordpress.com/, and purchased two vintage teacups. Now that was fun for sure.

Here is how I packaged the teacups so they would be protected. You can see that the tasting spoon is included for each cup. I also included care of the cup and the history of the cup.
- Two vintage teacups
- Wrapping teacup
- Single cup wrapped
Two wrapped vintage teacups with history

The Curd and Jam

For the curd and jam, I purchased single servings for the Tea In A Box. Though I delivered the Tea In A Box as close to presentation as I could, I wanted to ensure that the curd and jam would be properly sealed for safety. These were very inexpensive and are easily found online.

NOTE: I have placed the links below – however the single 1 ounce sizes are not available for individual purchase only in bulk. I have both of these in bulk but use them quite a bit. I have also included a larger size but you may want to check out your local World Market or import stores who frequently has small serving items available. These are 1 ounce servings and provide just enough for 1 maybe 2 scones. So I included enough for ample topping.

Black Currant Jam and Lemon Curd – ready to be eaten!

The Pastries

The scones and bread were prepared ahead of time. I packed them in cellophane bags, included the ingredients, shelf life guidelines, and how to prepare and store (if there are any leftovers).
- Scones ready for packaging
- Scones being packaged
Toffee Scone packaged, sealed and with label

The Tea!

And what about the tea? I selected a well known tea brand, supplied tea bags, and gave several servings of 2 different teas. I also included background on the tea and how to steep it.

Tea in bags with information and steeping instructions

Putting it altogether

With everything prepared, it was time to put everything together for delivery. I opted to use a basket but you could use any number of containers, depending on the occasion.
- Tea in a box items ready for packaging
- Basket for Tea In A Box
Tea In A Box packaged but not wrapped

Ready for awarding
Tea In A Box -a special gift

The final Tea In A Box put together and ready for delivery. I am sure that the recipients will enjoy the treats, the keepsake vintage teacups, and the lavishing. Put your feet up, enjoy the moment before getting back into that busy schedule….this is Valentine’s and a time to remember that you are cared for.

These instructions will help you put your own Tea In A Box together for any occasion and for anyone special. Have fun with it and know that you are giving someone a very special treat.

The following products were used in this post

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you Look through the products and enjoy!
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Beth 72 Comments
Recipes, Uncategorized

Goat Cheese and Olive Crostini Appetizer

February 17, 2020
If you are in need of an easy appetizer, then Goat Cheese and Olive Crostini Appetizer will be a great choice. I put this together when I needed a quick and easy appetizer for a party. I have used this for both parties as well as a savory for afternoon tea. You will be amazed at how simple this is. Let me walk you through the steps.

Ingredients for Goat Cheese and Olive Crostini

3 Simple Ingredient – Goat Cheese, Kalamata Olives and Crostini

You will need 1 jar of kalamata olives – pitted, 1- 8 ounce log of goat cheese, and crostini. I keep all of these ingredients in my freezer and pantry. The goat cheese in in the freezer and waiting to be used – it freezes well. I make my own crostini and also freeze them.

Making the Crostini

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take one baguette and using a serrated knife, slice at an angle into 1/2 to 1 inch slices. The angled cut allows for a larger surface area. A 12 inch baguette will produce at least 12 and upwards of 24 crostini when cut in 1/2 to 1 inch slices. Lay the bread slices out on a cooking sheet. Brush a small amount of olive oil on each slice, both sides. Preheat your oven to 350. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature, then bag and place in the freezer for future use.
- Baguette cut and ready for the oven
- Baguette brushed with olive oil prior to baking
Preparing the Crostini
Preparing the Olives

This is so simple, anyone can do this. I use Kalamata Olives. I like the briny taste of the olives – it matches perfectly with the goat cheese. Drain the olives and place in a mini-chopper. Pulse until small pieces. You can do this step well in advance and have in the refrigerator or use immediately. No other additives to the processed olives.

Kalamata Olives chopped and ready for the crostini.

Assembling the Goat Cheese and Olive Crostini

Again, this Olive and Goat Cheese Crostini is so simple. Have your goat cheese at room temperature. If your crostini are in the freezer, bring to room temperature as well. To assemble you simply take a crostini, spread 1-2 tsp of room temperature goat cheese, top with1 tsp of the chopped olives and that’s it!

Goat Cheese, Olives and Crostini ready for assembling appetizer.
- Goat Cheese spread on Crostini
- Olives on Goat Cheese Crostini
Preparing the Appetizer
Storing the Prepared Appetizer

Goat Cheese and Olive Crostini ready for storage

Once prepared, you can store the appetizer in the refrigerator the day of your party or function. If you have a large party, you can also just serve the crostini in a basket and place the goat cheese and olives in separate bowls and allow your guests to prepare their own.

Final Presentation

Prepared Goat Cheese and Olive Crostini on plate

Presented at a party on a platter or individually for an afternoon tea savory, these little Goat Cheese and Olive Crostinis will delight your guests and yourself. They won’t last so savor and enjoy!

These product were used in the making of this recipe:

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you Look through the products and enjoy!
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5 from 8 votes

Goat Cheese and Olive Crostini

A simple appetizer of Goat Cheese and Chopped Kalamata Olives on a crostini

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
8 ounce goat cheese at room temperature
1 baguette made into crostini. A 12 inch baguette will make 12 or more slices when cut into 1 inch slices.
1 kalamata olives

Instructions
Drain olives and place in mini-chopper. Pulse to small pieces. Set aside.
Spread 1-2 tsp of room temperature goat cheese on crostini.
Take 1 tsp of chopped olives and spread on top of goat cheese.
Store in covered container until you will be serving.
Preparing Crostini
Preheat oven to 350°
Using a serrated knife, at an angle cut 1/2 – 1 inch slices
Lay sliced baguette on baking sheet. No need to prepare baking sheet. You want the crostini to toast.
Brush each slice, on both sides, with olive oil. Don't drench the slice.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

The olives can be pulsed and prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator like any other olive product.

The crostini can be used immediately or frozen and then thawed to room temperature before preparing.

The goat cheese needs to be at room temperature to spread evenly. This too can be frozen until you are ready to use.

Serve plated for a party, individually for a savory at afternoon tea, or allow your guests to put their own together with the crostini in a basket and the goat cheese and kalamata olives in bowls.
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Beth 90 Comments
Cups, Cozies and China, Enjoying Together, Memories, Recipes, Uncategorized

How to have a Valentine’s Tea Party

February 10, 2020
Ready to serve you!

This is a special time of year and having a Valentine’s Tea Party can show your friends just how much they mean to you. In this post I will outline the steps that I use in putting a Valentine’s Tea Party together and just what it looks like when put it altogether. Included are some free planning tools for you to use. These are hints, helps and steps that I have developed. You will find them helpful for your Valentine’s tea and any afternoon tea that you hold.

How to begin the planning

Once you have decided that you want to have a Valentine’s Tea Party, there are some simple questions you will want to ask to determine how the party will go. These are guidelines and considerations for you. Most importantly, you want to make your Valentine’s Tea party special for both you and your guests.
- Pick the day and time of day you want to have your tea party. If you are having an afternoon tea, this will include savories, scones and sweets. So your guests will want to come prepared to enjoy a full serving of treats. The time of day helps to determine your tea choices. Frequently, late teas include decaffeinated teas.
- Determine how long your tea party will be. My tea parties are generally 2 hours long. This gives each course about 30 minutes to enjoy and then some time for guests to settle in and service to begin.
- Determine how many guests will be coming to your party. This will impact your location and your menu development. I will address the menu development later in the post. Afternoon teas are generally fancy but you can make the menu to reflect your style. You will want to make sure you understand your guests’ food needs – are there any allergies or food preferences that you need to address?
- Pick out your invitations. Will you use email? Text? General mail? I generally use either email or text and there are many vendors that can provide you with easy electronic invitations such as Smile Box http://www.smilebox.com or Evite http://www.evite.com. You will want to send out your invitations 2-3 weeks ahead of the party. This is not only for your guests but also for your planning. Make sure to have an RSVP and ask if there are any food allergies or food preferences (gluten free for example).
- Outline if you are going to have any activities. There are several tea party games that you can use. My guests generally are just full of conversation and we don’t have games. But I have attended many teas that do, so choose what works for you and your guests.
Planning for the Valentine’s Tea Party

Menu Development

I like to do a traditional afternoon tea. This includes 3 courses – savories, scones and sweets. The courses are presented in that order.

The savory course consists of individual servings or “finger food”. I like to have 4-5 savories during this course. The savories can be cold or hot. I usually have a combination of both. I love to serve a Spinach Ball with Marinara Sauce. This recipe can be made well in advance, easy to put together and freezes well. The link to this recipe is at the end of this post.

Champagne Glass Tipped with Red Crystal Sugar

I will frequently offer a champagne cocktail with my special teas. So check with your guests if this would be acceptable. I like to serve this with the savory course.

Here you can see that I chose to dip the edge of the champagne flute with red crystal sugar – just an added touch of specialness!

The scone course consists of breads or scones. You can serve one scone or two. I like to serve 2 and have one reflect the season or event. For the Valentine Tea Party, I serve a Strawberry Cream Scone. I also serve a Currant Scone at all my teas (just a little tradition I like to have). Its during this course that you would serve a curd and cream. I like to serve Lemon Curd and Devonshire Cream. The scone and curd recipes are listed below.

The sweet or dessert course is the final course. I like to have 4 items for this course and similar to the savories, are small servings.

Part of my menu development is also the tea pairing. What teas will go best with what course? There are guidelines that help you select appropriate teas but to me, bottom line is what tastes best and what you and your guests like. But no tea bags – only use loose leaf tea in tea pots.

Valentine’s Tea Party Menu

Here is the menu. You can see all the items listed along with the tea that has been chosen for the course.

Preparing Ahead

Critical for your tea party is to plan ahead. I develop the menu with this in mind. A lot of the items on the menu can be prepared in advance and put in the freezer (one of my favorite kitchen tools). For example, all my scones are prepared and frozen unbaked, just waiting to be baked the day of the tea. In this particular Valentine’s Tea Party menu, 8 of these items can be made ahead and in the freezer just waiting to be baked or reheated for service. That’s a huge time saver. So planning out your schedule is critical.

Getting the other tea party items together can also be done ahead of time. Menus printed off, teapots and teacups pulled. I even make up tea bags ahead of time so I can steep the pot and not make my guests wait.

This can seem overwhelming and that’s why using planning tools is so important. Download my Teas The Season Tea Party Planning Toolkit .

Tea-Party-Planning-ToolkitDownload

Setting the Stage

Setting the stage for you Valentine’s Tea Party is part of the experience. It makes your guests feel pampered and very special. Valentine’s provides the perfect venue for this. You can go all in from an expense perspective or on a budget as well. With little effort and resources,, you and your guests will feel special. Just let your creative talents flow!

Putting it Altogether

I recently had the opportunity to host a Valentine’s Tea Party for 6 ladies. It was delightful. Here is what it looked like when put altogether.

Entering and Greeting the Guests
- Entry table greeting guests
- Another greeting for my guests
Setting the stage for my guests. Valentine Themed Vignettes
You can make your guests feel special by having little vignettes around your home. I like to have something at the entrance to my home that highlights the theme. I will find quotes on-line and incorporate them into frames. These frames were simple Dollar Store frames that I burnished with gold to give a vintage look. I will use inexpensive tulle to help embellish the tables and LED lights to help set the stage.

Valentine quote in frame greeting my guests

Place Setting

Each place setting has a plate, silverware, napkin and cup. For this Valentine’s Tea Party, I used a red napkin and a ceramic bow napkin holder (a gift from one of my sisters). Instead of going with red cups, I went with floral and pink cups for the table setting.

For the silverware, I used a small demitasse spoon for the tea, a small cocktail fork and then a small butter knife. Both the spoons and folks can be purchased in many places. World Market carries both the spoons and forks for a reasonable price. You can also find them at your local restaurant supply store. I have listed these in the product selections at the end of this post. These particular knives I have collected over the years from different vintage stores. Each place setting has a menu. The menu becomes a nice keepsake for your guests to remember how you gifted them with such a great tea party.

Valentine Tea Party Place Setting

Table Setting

This is a setting for 6 people. I have carried the theme in through the table using the same tulle and lights. You can see the different cups and the food tiers. Each chair is adorned with a red ribbon to add to the flair. I like to have a center runner of color for the table. Here I have used red for that Valentine’s theme along with tulle, little lights, and fabric rose petals. The flowers, lights and rose petals I purchased at my local Dollar Store. I have the food tiers on the table and test how they sit in line with the decorations, but nothing else higher so that my guests can have great conversation.

You can see that I like to use the black metal tiers but you can use whatever presentation you like and what fits your guests. I also make sure to have plenty of creamers and sugars available. For the lemon curd and the Devonshire cream, I am using Moonstone vintage china – an inheritance from my mom. Always a sweet memory.

Finishing up…..

The party was a success! The hostess and guests were pleased with their Valentine’ Tea Party. They were able to step back from the stress of life and enjoy each other’s company. Along with their empty plates and cups, the ooohs and aaahs intermixed with their constant conversation were the measurements of my success. They felt lavished and refreshed….and I was blessed! Cleanup was done, I finished the champagne and put my feet up!
- Stacked and ready for cleanup
- Cleanup done!
Feet up!

Tools and Recipes

Here again are the FREE tools for you to download. These are guidelines to help you have a successful tea party and can be used for really any function. I have used these for simple 4-6 people as well as upwards of over 20 guests, so they have been well tested.

Tea-Party-Planning-ToolkitDownload

Here are some of the recipes listed on the Valentine’s Tea Party menu. These have been published in my previous posts. There will be several additional recipes in future posts highlighting other items off this menu.

Lemon Curd https://teastheseason3.com/lemon-curd-its-all-about-the-curd/

Spinach Balls with Marinara Sauce https://teastheseason3.com/spinach-balls-an-easy-savory-treat/

Strawberry Cream Scones https://teastheseason3.com/strawberry-cream-scones/

These products were used in this post:

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. Look at the products and enjoy!
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Beth 22 Comments
Enjoying Together, Memories, Uncategorized

Planning a Little Girls’ Cocoa Tea Party

February 5, 2020
The envelope arrives and their little hearts leap with excitement. Its a Tea Party – A Cocoa Tea Party! What a precious time for a little girl. Little girls getting together and enjoying each other’s company, the treats, and all the embellishments. Let’s talk about planning your little girl’s first cocoa tea party!

So how do you bring together all the pieces of a tea party for little girls and with little stress? Here’s some how-to’s and helpful hints to entertaining on a shoestring and yet sure to bring all the enjoyment to your little girls.

Checklist on how to put Cocoa Tea Party together:

To help the process, here is a checklist to put your little girl’s party together.
1. Determine the when, time, where and how many will you want at the party.
  - When is important to consider for days available. Holidays are fun but can be tough. Schedules are busy. Invite early to make sure your guests availability.
  - Time will determine food choices for your guests and how long. Adult teas generally are 2 hours long.
  - Where and how many help to determine location of your tea party
  - Are you going to invite parents or just the girls? Sometimes parents will be fine with a drop-off but if they are not familiar with you, they might want to stay around.
  - Remember that these are littles…so there attention span is limited. Activities indoors and outdoors will be helpful.
2. Once you have the pieces of #1 identified, there are some things you will want to consider –
  - Will you have games, crafts or activities?
  - Its a tea party – will the girls wear hats or dress up?
3. Menu preparation
  - Check on allergies for your guests and adjust as necessary.
  - Keep in mind the time of day you are having this and any seasonal preferences. If in the afternoon, your guests may have already eaten – so a light menu might be appropriate.
  - What equipment will you need – how will you set the table and present the food. It’s a tea party! Have fun with it!
4. Putting the invites together
  - Choose an invite that is friendly and inviting
  - Determine when the invites need to go out
  - Be sure to include RSVP
  - Include the parents to make sure those invites get home if delivered to school
  - Here’s some examples of printable invites
5. Setup and Cleanup
  - Make sure you have a plan around your setup. Give yourself enough time to take a deep breath before all the fun starts.
  - And include your daughter in the prepping! She will love being a part of the whole process.
For a great tool, CLICK DOWNLOAD for my free Checklist For Little Girls’ Tea Party

CHECKLIST-FOR-LITTLE-GIRLS-1Download

So here are some examples for you to consider – invites that can be colored in, simple hats made by your guests, Tea Party Bingo and coloring pages. I have included some Pinterest links for you to browse.
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/61854194857011850/
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/47780446034771463/
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/603763893780657438/
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/644929609122803552/
And Christmas games…..so many to choose from, but the infamous “Would You Rather Christmas Game” is here for you to have fun with. I know the girls did at this party.
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/404198135309752862/
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/781726447800245536/
So here is what it looks like put together!

We had the perfect opportunity this season to have a first cocoa tea. And it was delightful.

All the details were worked out and everything was planned. The excitement was more than a little girl could hold in – squeals were everywhere.

Once the details were outlined, the invitations were selected. A black and white invite was selected and the little hostess was in charge of coloring in the details and making the invitation personal to her guests.

The menu was developed and our little hostess was set to making sure items were getting prepared and ready for her guests.

Perfect Party Planner –
Checking off the menu to make sure everything is ready

About the cocoa cups!

To make this a special treat for the party, mom opted to purchase some little sweet tea cups. The beverage of choice was going to be cocoa but the little cups would be perfect. So off to the local vintage antique shop to select some cups. Its how some of us get started in our teacup journey and brings a lot of joy when you find these treasures. Little expense but pure luxury for the little girls. If you aren’t able to find a vintage or antique store, there are plenty of alternatives. Just look for demitasse cups or espresso cups. These are small little cups perfect for little hands. I have listed some below in the products section.

Little cups in a row ready for the guests

About the table setting!

Now for the table setting. This was a cocoa tea and had a seasonal Christmas theme to it. The tablecloth was purchased at a discount store and was vinyl – just perfect for little ladies and their table skills with hot cocoa. This was also going to be great for any crafts that were planned. You can find these tablecloths online – I have posted one in the product section. They are easy to clean and if you can’t find the size you want, just trim to fit. Now this was for Christmas, but the options are endless.
- Vinyl tablecloth
- Table set for Cocoa Tea Party guests
Each place setting had a plate, the special cup paired with a small spoon and topped with the menu for the day. Those little spoons are called Demitasse spoons or coffee spoons – sometimes hard to find but easy online. When mine aren’t being used for a cocoa tea, they are my tasting spoons when I am cooking. The link is included below in the product section.

The menu was developed with little palates in mind, along with the ease of preparation and in tune with a budget friendly approach.

About the food!

Here is the menu that was developed ~
- Emma’s Tea Sandwich
- Cheese and Salami Skewers
- Christmas Colored Veggies
- Mandarin Orange
- Present Petit Fours
- Glazed Spritz Cookies
- Hot Cocoa and Marshmallows
The food could all be prepared ahead of time – a great option for mom. Like these Present Petit Fours – done and waiting to be served.

Make ahead Christmas Present Petit Fours – ready for service

And here’s the recipe for the Petit Fours….so easy to adapt to any party and only limited by your imagination. Made from store-bought pound cake, these are easy to put together.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/100768110390976982/

And for the hot cocoa, a warm sweet treat for the girls. Prepared by mom, served in her teapot and accompanied by marshmallows. Here’s an easy recipe to follow. And remember to save yourself a cup to enjoy.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/107945722304467041/

The food was served on plastic food tiers. These are economically friendly and reusable. Some of the crudites are cut out using shapes to add whimsy to the snacks.
- Savories
- Sweets
About the fun!

Soon the guests were arriving and the party was in full swing. The girls enjoyed themselves dressing up in hats and gowns. Food was served in their full regalia. Oooohs and ahhs and giggles were all around. The hostess chose to play a fun word game with her guests – asking questions like “Would you rather sing Christmas Carols for a month or laugh like Santa?” And yes, there was a craft – something the girls could do and then take home for their own enjoyment. Small fabric bags, puff paint and all sorts of decorations was just the ticket.

The girls played dressup, dined on the delights, played a few games and completed their craft bags. Then to the outside for some outdoor play and run off some of that delightful energy.

The cocoa tea party was a success! All enjoyed the party and left full in their tummies and in their hearts as little girls do.

Here is my Little Girls’ Tea Party Planning List and Tools

These products were used for this Cocoa Tea:

This post contains affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. Look through the products and enjoy!
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Beth No Comments
Enjoying Together, Recipes, Uncategorized

Cream of Broccoli and Spinach Soup – a surprising treat

January 27, 2020
Looking for a healthy cream soup? With sauteed chicken and thickened with avocado, this is exactly the soup for you. I developed this recipe to fill my cravings for a thick and creamy soup but also to meet my need for healthy fats. I also had many vegetables and quickly ripening avocados that I needed to use up. Cream of broccoli and Spinach soup is the perfect answer.

This soup can be served as an entree for your meal, add a crusty baguette and it will warm you and fill you up. You can also serve this as an appetizer or part of the savory course for an afternoon tea. In a shooter style glass, this cream of broccoli and spinach soup is a flavorful and surprising addition.

This recipe is very versatile and easy to prepare, so let’s go through the steps. Once you get the basic soup down, be creative and use up those vegetables and change up the toppings. There’s no limit.

Fresh broccoli cut in small pieces

Take 2 cups of fresh spinach and 1 large bunch of fresh broccoli. Chop up the broccoli into small pieces. You will be simmering this to a soft texture that will allow you to puree it.

Fresh spinach and broccoli in cooking pot

Place the spinach and broccoli in a large pot. Add 1 – 1 1/2 quarts of chicken broth. I like to use the unsalted version. Add 1 tsp of salt to the mixture. Cover your pan and turn on the heat bringing the mixture to a low simmer. You will want both the spinach and the broccoli to be well cooked.

Avocados seeded and ready to be chopped

While the spinach and broccoli are cooking, prepare the avocados. Seed and cut into small pieces. Remember, the avocado will be used for thickening the soup. You won’t taste the avocado, its natural fattiness will thicken without flavoring the soup. You can use 3 small avocados or 2 large ones. And use up those ripened ones – they will be easier to blend. Once prepared, set them aside.

To prepare the chicken, cut it into small pieces. Using the 1 tbsp of olive oil, brown and crisp up the chicken. I like to use chicken that I already have cooked. You can use rotisserie chicken or even cook up some fresh chicken. Whatever you have available. Once done, set aside.

Chicken browning for the soup

With the vegetables done, put in the avocado and grab your immersion blender. Another one of my favorite kitchen tools, then I use my immersion blender for soups, smashed vegetables, gravies, sauces and even smoothies, just to name a few items. Blend the soup until its creamy. You can also use a blender but you may need to do this in batches and remember that the soup is hot – don’t over fill your blender with this hot liquid.
- Immersion blending the soup
- Blended soup thickened
Once the soup is blended, add the chicken and gently stir. Add the ground pepper. Taste for seasonings but I rarely have to add anything. Ladle into your serving bowls and top with fresh parsley and goat cheese. You can serve the goat cheese as a medallion or crumbled. It will melt into this amazing bright taste and pairs very well with this rich thick soup. And yes, its thickened with avocados.

Incorporating chicken into soup

You can substitute the parsley for fresh cilantro. Top with a few slices of radishes and you have another variation to this delightful soup. Change out the chicken for sausage and you have yet another delicious option. On a chilly day when the wind is blowing and you are snuggled up inside your home, this soup brings a delightful and healthy version of a creamed soup. And its thickened with avocado – have a second bowl!

Spinach and Avocado Soup with Chicken and topped with goat cheese and parsley

Products used in this recipe –

This post contains affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. Look at the products and enjoy!
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5 from 1 vote

Spinach and Broccoli Cream Soup

A spinach and broccoli cream soup thickened with avocados, served with sauteed chicken and topped with goat cheese.

Course Main Course
Keyword avocado, broccoli, chicken, goat cheese, keto, spinach

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken Can use precooked or rotisserie chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups fresh spinach
1 bunch fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 ½ quarts chicken broth
3 Small ripe avocados Can use 2 large ones
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
8 tbsp goat cheese
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions
Chop fresh broccoli into small pieces – so to speed up the cooking process.
Place fresh broccoli, fresh spinach, and chicken broth in large cooking pot. Add salt. Turn on to low simmer in order to cook the vegetables.
Cut chicken up in small pieces. Put olive oil in frying pan. Brown chicken pieces. Set aside.
Cut the avocados up into small pieces. These are the thickener for the soup – so they need to be reasonable small pieces.
Add the avocados to the cooked vegetables. Using an immersion blender, puree soup. You can use a blender as well if you like.
Once completed smooth, add chicken to soup. Stir to mix.
Serve hot. Top with 1 tbsp of goat cheese, either in a medallion or crumbled.

Notes
You can serve this soup in a small shooter glass as an appetizer or for an afternoon tea.
Additional toppings – cilantro, sliced radishes.
Can change the meat for sausage.
Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for 1 month.
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Beth 43 Comments
Recipes, Uncategorized

Strawberry Cream Scones – A Valentine’s Treat

January 22, 2020
Soon to be February, my thoughts have turned to the celebration of Valentine’s Day and what an afternoon tea should look like. This Strawberry Cream Scone is a delightful addition to a Valentine’s Tea or a Spring Tea. In fact, just to have on your own is a delight. It’s treating those you love with kindness….that includes yourself!

THIRD time around a success!

I had never made a traditional cream scone so was anxious to try this one. Please read on and learn from my failures and successes. My first attempt was not successful, but I was determined to add cream scones to my scone repertoire and I really wanted to serve them in some upcoming Valentine’s functions. My error in the first attempt was adding too much cream – the scones looked beautiful when prepared but spread during the baking process. The dough was too wet. Though the flavor was good, I wasn’t pleased with the outcome. They didn’t have the height I wanted. My second attempt was to streamline the process and use a mini-chopper for the strawberries. Unfortunately, this macerated the strawberries and yielded too much juice. The dough was pink and gloppy. It was all thrown out. So I tried a third time and held to the 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream the recipe calls for and manually diced the strawberries. And this worked beautifully. Taste testing of course, I smiled as I indulged myself in a fresh warm strawberry cream scone with a little lemon curd. Quickly I shared my positive results with my sisters. Since we do not live close, they would have to live vicariously through my comments and pictures. Best friends forever…..

Here are the steps you want to follow: You will preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line your baking sheet with a silicon baking mat – my preference. You can use parchment paper if you prefer but I find that my scones brown too quickly and sugar toppings burn.

Small dice the strawberries and place in a bowl. Dust the strawberries with 2 tsp of all-purpose flour. This will help the strawberries to not juice out in the scones.
- Small Dice Strawberries
- Dust with 2 tsp flour
In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup sugar. Set aside.

Dry ingredients –flour,sugar, baking powder, salt

In another bowl, measure out 1 – 1 1/2 cups of cold heavy whipping cream. Add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of strawberry extract to the cream. I like to add the extract especially if it is off season for the strawberries. It gives that extra little taste to the scone, but will not discolor it. Mix this altogether.

Pour half of the liquid into the dry ingredients. Gently stir the mixture. Take the remaining cream mixture and pour into the batter, again being careful to not overmix but not leave pockets of flour. Fold in the strawberries. The batter will be moist but should not be wet – remember this was my major mistake in my first attempt. You can add an additional 1-2 tbsp of cream if you feel like it is too dry.

Dough and strawberries

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape the dough into a 7 inch round, making sure that the height is level. Gently press in the sides to ensure all the crumbs are incorporated into the dough. Take a sharp knife and cut into the classic triangular 8 scone. You can also use other shapes like circles or hearts if desired.

Dough ready for baking sheet

NOTE: I cut this into 12 scones if I am serving in an afternoon tea. These scones are large when cut into 8. I like to serve two scones per guest and so the 12 scones makes for the perfect size.

Take the scone and brush with cream and dust with granulated sugar. Place on your prepared baking sheet. I do this before placing on the baking sheet so to not have sugar burn on the baking pad. Place the scones 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Brushing scones with cream
- Generously dusting scones with sugar
Chill the scones in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to baking. This is an important step and helps the scone to firm its shape. After 15 minutes, place the scones in your preheated oven. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until they are golden. Remove from the oven and immediately place on a cooling rack.

These scones freeze well unbaked or baked. They store well in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Fresh baked Strawberry Cream Scone with Lemon Curd.
Ready to enjoy with a cup of tea.

When serving, warm the scone up and serve with some lemon curd or Devonshire Cream. Its a delightful addition to your afternoon tea or just for yourself. I would serve this with a nice cup of Lady Londonderry, a tea tenderly infused with strawberry and lemon. Step back from your busy schedule, take a deep breath and enjoy this sweet morsel.

The following products were used for this recipe:

This post contains affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you Look through the products and enjoy!
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5 from 3 votes

Strawberry Cream Scones

A delightful cream scone made with fresh strawberries

Course afternoon tea
Keyword cream scone, fresh strawberry, scones

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 scones

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp strawberry extract
1⅓-1½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
1-1¼ cups fresh strawberries diced
1-2 tbsp heavy whipping cream for brushing on scones prior to baking
2 tbsp granulated sugar for dusting on scones prior to baking

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.
Dice the strawberries and place into a bowl. Toss with 1-2 tsp of flour and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Measure out 1½ cups of heavy cream. Stir in vanilla and strawberry extract.
Pour ½ of the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients, stirring gently. Continue to add the remaining liquid just enough to make a moist dough. The dough should not be extremely sticky. You can add an additional tablespoon or so of heavy cream if needed.
Gently stir / fold in the strawberries.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently place the dough into a rough ball, using your hands gently press into a 7 inch round. Press in crumbs on the side.
Cut scones into 8 portions. With a spatula, transfer the scone to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between scones. Place baking sheet in freezer for 15 minutes prior to baking.
Remove scones from the freezer. Brush top with cream and sprinkle generously with sugar.
Bake the chilled scones in the preheated over for 14-16 minutes or until lightly golden.
Remove the scones from the oven and transfer immediately to a cooling rack.

Notes
Aside from dicing the strawberries, these scones go together very well. DO NOT use a chopper for the strawberries – it macerates the strawberries and produce juice. You don’t want this for this scone – makes it too wet.
These scones free well both unbaked and baked. Warm them and they are delicious.
This recipe was adapted from the original recipe from Seasons and Suppers https://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/strawberry-cream-scones/
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Beth 20 Comments
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Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls – makes these for your next party

January 15, 2020
Who wouldn’t love some meat wrapped in pastry? Wrapping meat in pastry is an age old tradition. The Sausage Roll has been around for years and is a favorite in the UK. This is a version of the popular sausage roll using Puff Pastry. These Puff Pastry Sausage rolls are a frequent in my winter teas but are also great for game day or holiday parties. Easy to make, you will want to have these on hand for all your occasions.

In an afternoon teas, these would be part of the first course, the savories. The savory portion of a tea has small items that are salty or spicy in nature, generally finger sandwiches, small appetizer-size morsels. The menu is endless of what you can prepare for the portion of your tea and the Puff Pastry Sausage Roll is one of my favorite savories. There are many recipes but this is one that I have used for years. It is a slightly spicy sausage that is encased in puff pastry. Looks impressive but is very easy to do. I like to serve these with a Honey Dijon Mustard Sauce.

Products that you will need are puff pastry, sausage, egg, spices, bread crumbs and parsley. Honey and Dijon mustard are combined together for an easy dipping sauce.

Puff pastry – found in the freezer section at your grocery

If you have not worked with puff pastry before, not to worry. This is a very forgiving product and you can have fun with it. Take your puff pastry out of the freezer or refrigerator and let it thaw a little, but not completely to room temperature. The puff pastry will come with two sheets. Unwrap and open up the sheets while you prepare the sausage mixture.
- Spices ready
- Sausage, egg and bread crumbs
Ingredients for the sausage mixture.
The spices you will need are dry mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley. Take you sausage and combine with the spices, bread crumbs, parsley and egg. Mix together and set aside.

A note about the sausage mixture. I like to have a slightly spicy sausage mixture in these rolls but it can depend on your guests tastes. I generally will use a mixture of pork sausage with Italian sausage. I have even used Sweet Italian Brats and just remove from the casing. The important thing is to have the amount of the sausage needed – 1 pound. But have fun with the variety.

Prepared sausage mixture

Now to assemble the rolls…take one sheet of puff pastry and fold open. This will create three panels of pastry. On a lightly floured surface, cut down the creases creating three panels of pastry. Roll the panels to approximately 12 inches in length. You do not need to increase the width of the pastry.
- Puff Pastry separated
- Puff Pastry rolled out
Take the sausage and divide it into 6 portions. Take one portion and create a long roll of sausage the length of the puff pastry.

Roll the puff pastry around the sausage, overlapping the edge and pressing slightly to seal the seam. Repeat with the remaining sausage and puff pastry panels. Cut the sausage rolls into 2 inch portions. You should get 6 portions out of each roll. This recipe makes 36 sausage rolls.
- Finished roll with sausage
- Cutting the roll to 2 inches
To bake the rolls, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicon pad (I prefer the parchment paper for these rolls – it creates a nice browning). Lay the rolls out . If you are baking immediately, you will want 12 rolls per sheet which allows the puff pastry to slightly expand in the cooking process. Top the rolls with an egg wash to have a nice browning. Place in a preheated 425 oven for 15-20 minutes.

If you are freezing, lay out the rolls in a single layer – you can put them close together. Once frozen, transfer to a storage container. If using them for a tea, you can take out only those that you need. If you are going to share them at a holiday function, you can bake the whole batch. In either case, these are a delicious and versatile savory that is always eaten in any setting.

Products used for this recipe. Click on the image for more information:

This post contains affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. Look for the product and enjoy!
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Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls

A savory morsel of sausage encased in puff pastry. Similar to an English Sausage Roll.

Course Appetizer
Keyword puff pastry, roll, sausage, savory

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes

Servings 36 servings

Ingredients
1 egg
1 lb pork sausage You can use different varieties of sausage. Italian, breakfast, sage flavored. My favorite is Italian.
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley I have used dry parsley at times
1 box Puff Pastry You will need two sheets
1 egg for wash
1 tbsp water
Honey Mustard Sauce
1 tbsp Honey
3 tbsp Dijon Mustard

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Beat egg in a large bowl. Add sausage, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and must. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
Unwrap first sheet of puff pastry. Place on a floured surface.
Cut along the fold lines to create three strips of dough. Using rolling pin, gently roll out a little. You will end up with 6 strips of dough.
Divide sausage mixture into 6 equal parts.
Make each section of sausage into a roll and place down the center of the puff pastry strips.
Fold pastry over and press seam to seal.
Cut each roll into 6 equal pieces, about 2 inches each
Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush with egg wash.
Repeat with each strip of pastry and sausage.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
Honey Mustard Sauce
Combine honey and Dijon Mustard together in serving bowl. Serve alongside sausage rolls.

Notes
Sausage rolls can be frozen prior to baking. Prepare the roll, cut into serving sizes and freeze in a single layer. When frozen you can transfer to a container. Thaw prior to baking.
This recipe adapted from https://cookingwithcurls.com/2014/10/08/puff-pastry-sausage-rolls/
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Beth 2 Comments