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Hi all!
I’m off to Canada this morning to pick up some wonderful tea gifts for Mother’s Day. I met a vendor at the Victoria Tea Festival in February who had some gorgeous items. I told her my customers would love her things. She and I decided to meet today in White Rock, just over the border. Dealing with customs is all new to me! Hopefully if all goes well today, I should have them up on the website by Saturday.
Have a wonderful day!
Amy
I have to say I am overwhelmed with gratitude this morning. Today the January tea, “Tea with Amy,” went on sale and by the time I got up this morning which was very early, it was almost sold out! I knew I had loyal customers, but wow! You all are the best! Some of you were booking reservations at 1 and 2 AM! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
With much gratitude and love,
Amy
Cinnamon Bear Tea Gift Set Only $8.50!
Cinnamon Bear Tea Gift Set – This includes a 1 oz package of our new tea, a packet of colored sugar hearts and cubes, and the recipe for making your own colored sugar. Only $8.50!
Free Shipping on all orders totaling over $35.00.
Valentine’s Day Teas
Try serving these teas iced in a champagne glass garnished with a fresh raspberry!
Also try our new Masala Chai teas!
Thanks to all who attended the January teas in Auburn, California. For those of you who attended the, “How to Host a Valentine’s Day Tea,” the link to the special website was missing an important part. Here is the correct link: http://www.afternoontoremember.com/how-to-host-a-valentines-day-tea-party
Make Your Tea Party a Success by using the recipes in our tea cookbooks!
Check out my latest resource book for tea room owners, “Managing Your Tea Room Kitchen Effectively: Controlling Costs and Menu Planning“. For a sneak preview of the content check it out here. Books are available now! You can order now or purchase them at the World Tea Expo after my class on Menu Planning.
Check out our own line of afternoon tea cookbooks. These are the original recipes from An Afternoon to Remember Tea Parlor.
If you live in the Seattle area, come visit me at the many events I’ll be doing in November and December.
If you live in the Roseville, California area, check out our cabinet at the Antique Trove ! Visit our tea cabinet there for our more popular teas and our line of afternoon tea cookbooks. For a complete selection of teas, cookbooks and accessories visit us here on-line.
Dear Tea Lovers,
Well it’s definitely fall here in Seattle. The leaves are changing on the trees, the weather is cooler and even a bit rainy. I’m really enjoying it! This week I’ll be getting ready for the Northwest Tea Festival. I’m so excited as I missed the World Tea Expo this year due to illness which was very disappointing. This festival almost makes up for it. In addition to running my booth, I will also be teaching a scone class. If you happen to be in the Seattle area, come by, admission is free! My tea guru and mentor, James Norwood Pratt will also be there. I can’t wait to see him! There will be lots of tea tasting and goodie bags.
Updates:
Dear Tea Lovers,
Thanks to a dedicated reader who called it to my attention, I forgot to put cinnamon in the Cinnamon Pecan Scones. So when you’re making these delicious scones add 1 -2 tsp of cinnamon. I prefer two, but one will do just fine.
Have a great day!
Amy
Updates:
Dear Tea Lovers,
I can’t believe that it’s already September! We had our first real rainy day here in Seattle a few days ago, the first since I’ve been here. It made me think of all of my California customers. Last summer I couldn’t wait for rain in California after the hot summer days. Fall will be here soon!
It’s been a very busy summer with the move of my home and business plus a bit of traveling too. My parents came to visit last week and we went to Victoria, British Columbia. Wow, was it gorgeous! Butchart Gardens was amazing! We did have tea at the Empress, but not “the tea.” We didn’t have reservations so we opted for tea and a sweet bite. We had a window seat and a fabulous time!
Now that my company has left and the kids are finally back in school, I’m busy getting ready for the fall and winter tea season and the Northwest Tea Festival in Seattle this October. This week I’ll be also busy packing tea for the Antique Trove. I’ll send out another e-mail when the Trove is all restocked.
Here are some new updates:
As many of you know, I absolutely love to cook. I’m working on a few new recipes, not necessarily afternoon tea recipes, but great ones, nonetheless. I’ll share them with you once I get them perfected. In the meantime, here’s an old favorite for this time of the year. It should help get you in the fall mood, even if the weather isn’t quite there yet.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Amy
Cinnamon Apple Pecan Scones (p. 131 in A Little of This and a Little of That):
Topping
Mix together flour and sugar. Use pastry cutter to cut in butter. Mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal. Add applesauce and chopped apples. Add 3/4 c. buttermilk and stir. Turn out on a floured board. Pat into a large circle about 1 inch thick. In a small bowl combine topping ingredients. Add enough topping to cover circle. Press topping into scone dough. Cut with a small biscuit cutter. Bake in preheated 400 degree
oven for 12-20 minutes or until nicely browned and done — depending on your oven. Cool in pan. Glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Can be stored in a sealed container and reheated in foil.
Makes about 16 scones.
Dear Tea Lovers,
This is the 3rd week special in our April Surprises month. This week’s special is: 15% off of tea accessories including: tea socks, tea pockets, the perfect one cup measuring spoon, the perfect one pot measuring spoon, the perfect cup and pot of tea spoon, one cup filters, t-sacs and tea strainers. This sale is valid through April 24th, on-line only and limited to stock on hand. Check out our information at the bottom of this page to learn about essential equipment for tea.
Updates:
Have a great week!
Amy
Essential Equipment/Tea Accoutrements
When you’re having a tea party the right equipment can make all the difference. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started.
1. A tea kettle or glass container – When making tea you really only need a few essential pieces of equipment. You need something to boil the water in. This can be the traditional tea kettle or electric kettle or you can even use a glass container and heat the water in the microwave. The tea kettle is best, but if you are in an office setting, the microwave will do.
2. Infusers – Next you will need a tea infuser of some kind. The tea sock is a great one when you are having large parties. It allows ample room for the loose tea to expand and release its entire flavor. The sock works well for both a cup of tea and a pot of tea. You can even hang several of them in a large pot on the stove to make a huge batch of tea. Tea balls, pincher type mesh strainers, paper filters, stainless steel infuser baskets will all work for a cup of tea and depending on the size may work for a pot of tea. There are also individual strainers for you to pour your tea through to your cup as you drink. Personally those are not my favorite as the rest of the tea steeps while you drink your cup and by the time you finish your pot, the tea tastes bitter.
Tea Pockets are one of my favorite ways to infuse tea. I personally love to take these when I travel. I make up a few bags ahead of time and just pop them in my purse and ask for hot water at a restaurant.
T-Sacs are very easy to use too. You can hang them over the side of a cup. The ones for iced tea are great!
3. Tea Cup – You need something in which to brew the tea. This may be a cup, mug, or tea pot.
4. Timer – It’s important to time the tea. If tea is oversteeped it will become bitter.
Additional helpful equipment:
Measuring Spoon – For measuring the loose tea, use a teaspoon or tablespoon. You can buy tea measuring spoons for this specific purpose. Some of us however, do not need a spoon and when you feel experienced you can even “pinch” out the right amount of tea with your fingers.
Tea cozy or tea warmer – For me, a tea cozy is essential as I do not like to drink cold tea. It’s amazing how fast the tea cools without something around the pot or a tea light underneath.
Electric coffee urn – For large parties, an electric stainless steel coffee urn works well. Make sure it has not been previously used for coffee as it will affect the taste of the tea. Take out the percolator filter. Place water in the urn, turn it on and wait until it’s finished. Then place your cup or pot under the urn and dispense hot water into your infuser into the cup/pot. The water is not quite hot enough, but it will definitely do for large parties.
Sugar Tongs
Sugar Bowl
Small Milk Pitcher
Teaspoons – for stirring tea
Not Needed But Fun Accoutrements and Added Touches:
There are so many unique accessories you can use. The list is endless and full of possibilities. Use your imagination and have fun! These are a few of my favorites.
Lemon squeezer – This is for adding lemon to your tea. Place a wedge of lemon inside and squeeze. They come in a variety of forms. My favorite is the lemon bird.
Decorated sugar – This adds a special touch to your party. They come in all colors and shapes. I love to coordinate them with the season – roses and hearts for Valentine’s Day, shamrocks for a St. Patrick’s Day holly and berries for the holiday season. I love to put a few special ones on top of the regular white sugar cubes in the sugar bowl. This way you don’t use too many and they really stand out against the white sugar cubes.
Lace doilies – To cover the milk pitcher. You can even decorate them with beads to help weigh down the cover.
Dear Tea Lovers,
As promised, this month is dedicated to my on-liners. This week’s April surprise special is: decorative sugars are on sale 10% until April 17th. Plus remember you get free shipping for orders over $20.00 during the month of April. Sugar sale applies to items in-stock, on-line only. Shop early for the best selection. Stay tuned for next week’s April surprise!
Have a great week!
Amy
Recipe of the week:
Devonshire Cream
This is not the “real” English Devonshire cream, but our version. It’s very tasty and keeps for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Serve Devonshire Cream and Lemon Curd in cute dishes such as these with little spoons.
In a small bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Fold in sour cream.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Updates:
Dear Tea Lovers,
Apparently there is some confusion about the next class date. It was on April 10th, but I had to change it to May 1st. So the next class at the Antique Trove is on May 1st at 11:00 AM. This class will be, “Hosting Brunches, Tea Buffets and Large Tea Parties.”
On another note, I have had some trouble with people not receiving my response e-mails. They receive the notices about classes, newsletters and such, but when they e-mail me a question and I reply directly back to them, it ends up in their spam folder.
To correct this problem, please make sure amy@afternoontoremember.com and info@afternoontoremember.com is “white listed.” Also, if you send me a message and don’t hear back from me, let me know. I respond to e-mail immediately so chances are it’s in your spam folder. But let me know and I will send it through another e-mail account. The people mostly affected are Yahoo and AT&T customers. I’m not sure why this is happening, but it is becoming more frequent.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Amy
Updates:
Dear Tea Lovers,
Apparently it looked like our Master Tea Room Recipes cookbooks were sold out. They are indeed not. I’m so sorry! Thanks to our loyal customers who let us know (about five of you at current count), I have fixed the problem. Sorry for the inconvenience if you were trying to order them. They are still on sale and will be until the end of the month.
Amy