I had tea with a hydrangea today, just her and I, cozy as could be. We sat and admired the blue and white teacups for a while, along with the white pot while the tea steeped. But before long, she was shoving her face in the teacup. She doesn't have the best of manners, but I love her anyway. So I strained the loose leaf Earl Grey, poured in the cream, And enjoyed. No treats this time, but that's probably for the best. She filled out her chair and then some, and towered over m

There's a hint of fall in the air... fog in the valley, a slant to the sun, making everything turn to gold, a delicious chill in the evenings, and an intense desire to bake with pumpkin. I experimented today with my normal scone recipe and did a twist on the usual pumpkin spices. Instead of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, I used thyme and cardamom. I also cut down on the sugar, but used raisins for sweetening. They were quite tasty, and because they were partially savory and par

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to take a break from all that weeding and take a rest. And no rest is complete without a cup of tea. I'm using my lemon tea set today, given to me by a dear friend who lives much too far away. Appropriately, the tea is Lemon Chiffon Rooibos from Queen Mary. It is wonderfully refreshing and light. No, I did not make the cookies...I've been spending too much time in the garden. They are Meyer Lemon Cookie Thins from Trader Joe's, so light a