Have a cuppa?
It’s the British cure for whatever ails you and seems particularly apropos in this hustle-bustle week. Whether navigating Thanksgiving preparations, Christmas arrangements, Zooming or Google meeting, it seems everyone is a bit … ahem, testy. It’s too early in the day for wine, so let’s have a cup of tea and Joey’s Apple Cake.
It’s even better with whipped cream and caramel drizzled on top.
The vintage antelope Art Deco teapot, cream and sugar and pitcher were an eBay find a few years ago. Aren’t they fun? There were just four pieces available. I liked the unusual square shape, with the neutral grey-pebbled background displaying the leaping antelopes.
Naturally, imitation antler napkin rings horned in on the act. They were on deep discount from Ballard designs around the same time I picked up the tea set.
Unexpectedly fragile (probably explains the discount), one of them arrived broken, but I managed to glue it back together without too much trouble.
Vintage horn-handled tea knives and forks continued the theme and took their place with Wedgwood Williamsburg Green Shell-edge creamware,
Plain old oak leaves with still-green acorns made an easy and natural centrepiece.
The leaves make a charming backdrop for the tablesetting.
Yummy!!
With a few simple elements, something delicious to nosh on and a soothing cup of tea, I feel better already. How about you?
Let’s all just take a deep breath, count our blessings and give thanks. Whether celebrations are large or small, indoors or out, let’s focus on what we can influence and let the rest right itself over time.
Another piece of cake? More tea?
That’s right, just sit right down and I’ll put on the kettle and make us a fresh cup.
Help yourself to cake, and let me pass you the caramel sauce. Do you take milk in your tea?
Wishing all my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving!
What a sweet tea set, and those cakes!!! No milk in my tea, but plenty of caramel sauce please! 🙂 Happy Tuesday over there!
Thanks, Barb! It was a really fun one-off find.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love your tea table. We never pass a day without having our afternoon tea and biscuits. I’ll now have to try these cakes. They look scrumptious and seem easy enough to make. I’m building up my appetite for Thanksgiving. We have so many things to be thankful for especially good friends like you and Glenn. Be good!
We too enjoy our tea and little something most afternoons. Right now I’m restraining myself from making inroads into the Christmas cake. Patience. A little more brandy…
Enjoy your Thanksgiving celebration in whatever form it takes, Maura!
Dear Helen,
We survived our little Thanksgiving, leaning heavily on foie gras and champagne. Today we will make time for tea from the Haviland. It’s a most soothing ritual, don’t you think? The antelope looks very retro, and I am jealous…oh to have an oak tree! I have to make do with heather (erica), which covers the hillsides in purple round here. Onward to Christmas, with a stopover at Biarritz!
Any Thanksgiving that leans on foie gras and champagne is a winner in my books. Who needs turkey with that going on?
Heather is distinctively spectacular. I remember driving around the Isle of Skye in the pouring rain (does it ever stop raining there?), the waves of purple heather standing out clearly, even through the deluge. I was very taken with a green and purple tartan, which sounds ghastly, but was incredibly beautiful.
Our real tree is now up and perfuming the air. Christmas is rapidly approaching.
Enjoy Biarritz! How marvellous.
Galloway or Garrick comes to mind….both based on heather and greeny sage. August in the Highlands is heavenly. “I will build my love a tower by some clear crystal fountain, and on it I will pile all the flowers of the mountain, will ye go… lassie will ye go? And we’ll all go together to pull wild mountain thyme, all around the bloomin’ heather, will ye go, lassie, will ye go? I wax nostalgic, sorry.
‘
Right as always, Beatrice. I believe it was Garrick. I recently read September by Rosamund Pilcher and enjoyed every minute of it. Wax away. The highlands late summer is indeed heavenly.