Easter Goodies

For those of you who may not know Easter is Kate's favorite holiday.

Since Easter is fast approaching I thought I would give a sneak preview of what is out there.

So here is to you Kate

Nest with Truffle-filled Eggs The lovely creation is crafted from California-grown oak moss, lavender, oak leaves, yellow feverfew and dried miniature roses, whose young buds recall the sweetness of spring.

It comes with 24 “robins’ eggs” – actually chocolate truffles cloaked in white chocolate and finished with a speckled candy shell. Enchanted Filled Easter Egg Handcrafted German papier-mâché egg bears a colorful decoupage pattern inspired by an early-20th-century postcard. Inside the hollow keepsake egg, nestled in a bed of grass, is a delightful assortment of springtime treasures: a handmade milk chocolate bunny; three foil-wrapped chicks and a carrot molded of Guittard milk chocolate; a trio of handmade art candy lollipops from Holland; and artisanal jellybeans from a well-known American confectionery. Feather Ducks Downy ducklings are as endearing as their real-life counterparts. Each is fashioned entirely by hand, from attaching the soft feathers and glittering beaded eyes to painting the beaks.

Vintage Bunny Band Kitchen Towels Outfit the kitchen for spring baking and entertaining. Towels are printed with a merry trio of musical bunnies and their conductor, a nostalgic design based on postcards from the 1930s.

Vintage Bunny Band Platter Taken from 1930s postcards, the image of a band of bunny musicians adds a playful note to our round platter. The porcelain piece is embossed with a basketweave border and painted with a green accent.

Giant Bunny Cookies

Truffle-filled Eggs in Box A gift of great charm even before it's opened, this oval box is filled with candy eggs. Their centers are luscious chocolate truffles surrounded by layers of dark chocolate, all covered with a thin candy shell in speckled pastel shades. The effect is irresistible; the taste, exquisite.

All items can be purchased at Williams-Sonoma

Our Peter Rabbit....

Gina,

This is for you,,, dreaming of going to the Lake

District, while you are here in April we will get

out the calendar and look into the future and

plan our trip to jolly ole England. Hopefully

not tooo far in the future. Before we need cane's!!

Thanks to the Pinkie Tea, for the photo of the

Peter Rabbit Cup.....Great Dreams for us!!

Kate

New Homes!!

Three New Homes For Sale on my Street. All

are on the Ashley River!!!

New Scone Recipe!!!

Thanks to my oldest daughter Lindsey for

this scone recipe. Above is a photo she took

at the Orangery at Kensington Palace, the

Best Place in the World to have tea, by my

recommendation. I'm sure this recipe would taste lovely with any flavor combinations...

orange, cranberry, lemon, poppy seed, currant, figs, etc.

Raspberry Almond Scones

Makes 10 large scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup cream

1 large egg

1 tsp of almond extract

1/4 cup fresh raspberries handful slivered or sliced almonds on top

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in cold butter so that the mixture resemble coarse meal. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, cream, and almond extract. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Press the dough into a ball with your hands. There may be some dry spots, but just press until everything comes together. Gently fold in raspberries, taking care to not break them up too much. Form 1 1/2 inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Brush the top of the scones with cream or beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Bake for 15-17 minutes

It's Tea Time so Enjoy!!!

For All the Girls Who Missed The Party!!!

Here we are Mother and Daughter, My youngest turns 20 years old tomorrow. I gave a Formal Birthday Party for 40 Twenty Year Olds last night. Above see us together...... Kate and Anna.

Ode to the Bahama's!!

Well, it's winter here again in South Carolina and Gina and

I got talken (boy am I southern now) about Guava of

all things. Who knows how and where our conversations

go. So this first segment is ode to me, who is sitting here

freezing in Charleston. Wishing for the sun and summer.

And Section II is for Gina, dreaming of eating Guava Paste

again of all things!!! (Photos above of me in Bahama's.)

Below is the most delicious desert, you must try it!!!

Guava Duff Ingredients: (Dough) 4 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 cups finely sliced guava Methods : Combine all dry ingredients and mix together. Add oil. Knead approximately 10 minutes until smooth and pliable. Place on a flat surface and roll out to ¼ in. thick. Spread sliced guava over dough. Roll up into a long round loaf. Wrap in foil. Cook in a double boiler for 1 hr. Sauce Ingredients: 1 lb. butter, ½ cup sugar, 2 8oz. tins sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup finely sliced guava, ¼ cup brandy (substitute vanilla extract for brandy) Method : Blend butter and sugar together approximately 15 minutes. Add condensed milk and guava and blend 2 minutes. Add brandy (or vanilla) and blend 1 minute. Cut dough into slices. Pour sauce over dough. Serves 8 - 10.

guava duff, a delicious dessert that is made through a laborious process of folding the fruit into the dough and boiling and is served with a sauce. This desert is topped off with a large glass of ice cold "switcha" (lemon, sugar and water mixture) or beer. Such a typical meal also explains why their are so many Bahama Mama's and why heart disease and diabetes is so rampant in the Bahamas

Beautiful Botanical Photo of Guava.

Guava Paste is a combination of guava pulp, sugar, pectin and citric acid, which is cooked slowly until exceedingly thick and rich. It comes in individually wrapped bars that are firm enough to slice. Guava paste can be found in Latin markets and some specialty gourmet stores. Slice and serve this low-fat, low-

cholesterol sweet as a snack or with cheese

or ice cream for dessert

Part III

Kalik Beer is no Bahama Mama beer. The bottom line Kalik is the Bahama best selling beer, and its taste reflects this fact. Caribbean beer products are usually lagers and they are often noted for their lightness and easy drinking characteristics, qualities that are important for those who live and thrive in these tropical latitudes. Kalik is golden/straw in color and has a highly carbonated, clear body. These bubbles converge into a white head of foam that lasts for a very short time. The aroma of this beer is unusual, with scents of light grain but also some fruit and light spice/grassiness, leading me to suspect that Saaz hops are a key ingredient.

What a way to finish it off........Happy Dreams.

Katie

French Tea

TEA : PASSION, SAVOIR-FAIRE AND TRADITION Mariage Frères invites you to share its passion, to travel through an emotional and nostalgic world of tea, by discovering a particular «art de vivre» so called the French Art of Tea… The Passion for Tea Tea, like wine, is a product of ancient, noble civilizations, requiring patient cultivation, transformation, and perfection through careful handling. Tea has its own rituals, and is generally associated with love, friendship, and intense moments (of success and failure). Its multifarious subtleties make drinking tea a game of infinite permutations. For over three hundred years, the Mariage name has been intimately linked to the history of tea. As the dynasty grew, sons were educated in the principles of their fathers, successors inherited the talent of their forebears. Aesthetic refinement and a quest for perfection are now the hallmarks of Mariage Frères. A passion for tea has always guided us, favouring the elaboration of principles that today provide the impetus for twenty-first-century tea connoisseurship.

Please visit their website for a wonderful experience of French Tea http://www.mariagefreres.com/

Quests or Conquests... to be continued!!!!

Tea Towels

Whether you frame them for fabulous wall hangings,

wrap them around wine bottles for fantastic hostess gifts,

or use them for drying dishes,

these towels are as practical as they are beautiful.

Halmahera

These cotton tea towels are embroidered with tropical birds and bordered with ladder hemstitching. Available with Cockatoo, Lovebirds, Perruche, and Parrot.

Embroidered Vegetables Embroidered with colorful produce, these cotton tea towels have a pretty hemstitched border. Available in Carrot, Leek, Eggplant, Radish, and Turnip. Colmar Pure white, pure linen tea towel is hand embroidered with a beautiful blue rooster and trimmed with ladder hemstitching. Espelette Handsome textured tea towels with triple borders come in six colors. Cotton and linen. From left to right: Green, Red, Yellow, Orange, Wheat & Ecru. Teapot Here is my handle, here is my spout … Cheerful cotton tea towels feature a column of little tea pots all lined up along colorful stripes. In rose and green. Yves Delorme is internationally acclaimed for its fine European linens and accessories for the home. It is part of the family-owned French company, Fremaux Delorme, which has produced fine linens since 1845.

1658 verses 2009

A Girl is a Girl.......

I just finished watching Girl With a Pearl Earring, for probably the

6th time. Griet was a 16 year old girl living in Holland in the mid

1600's. She had to go to work as a maid after her father,

who worked in one of the infamous Delft Tile Factories,

had an accident in the factory

and went blind.

Griet worked for another family across town. She suffered

humiliation but also learned vast knowledge about herself and

other parts of the world other than her own little corner.

She grew as a woman and decided

what she wanted for herself. Ultimately making all her own

decisions.

Last night, I went to the movies and we saw "Confessions of a Shopaholic"

Rebecca is a 20 something girl living in New York City girl who has a little problem that is turning into a big problem. She's addicted to shopping!! While Rebecca has dreams of working for a fashion magazine, her career takes another turn and her column becomes popular.Turning her into an overnight celebrity. She also struggles with decisions about who she is and what to do with her

life. Rebecca turns her life around and becomes the woman she always

wanted to be.

Life is funny, whether you were born Across the Pond in the wee old

days or here in the States, trying to keep your head above water,

we all have the same lessons to learn. The girls with the brains win

out and live happily ever after.........Till next time.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Too All Our Girls Love Gina & Kate

Chicken Tortilla soup

As you all know from my other blog I am a huge fan of Trisha Yearwood's and I love to cook . This is one of my family's favorite recipes in her book and would be great for all of you in the cold weather states to try out, and all you moms out there that need something quick easy and good. 3 tbls butter 1 tsp minced garlic 1med onion finely chopped 2 tbls all-purpose flour 3 14 oz cans chicken broth 4 c half and half 1 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup 1 c salsa 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled,drained and shredded 1 15oz kidney beans drained 1 15 oz can black beans drained 1 15oz can corn or use frozen 2 tsp ground cumin 1 1.27 oz packet fajita seasoning 8 oz Monterey jack cheese grated 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated crumbled tortilla chips 1/2 c sour cream Melt butter in large pot on med heat add garlic & onion saute 5 min. add flour, stir bring to half boil then reduce to low. stir in soup,salsa,chicken,beans,corn,cumin,and fajita seasoning. continue to simmer over low heat for 15 min.ladle into bowls top with chips and cheese and sour cream. delish!!!!

It's Spring In South Carolina!!!!

Little Titmouse......at my House!

Here are just some of my bounty of Spring Flowers.....

Japanese Magnolia

On the way home last night, I came across a herd

of deer, across the street from my house. I live on

the Ashley River> There is a small island across

the marsh, called Deer Island. After dusk the

deer head across to the empty wooded lots

next to me, I drive slow in the evening to see

them. I sat for 20 minutes watching the deer

interact. One night I hope to camp out for an

hour or two and get some photo shots. Will

be coming up soon, as it looks like Spring is

right around the corner.

Gina and Kate...Two Pea's In a Pod

The Story of Two Pea's In a Pod......Gina and I share our blog together. We can both post anything at any time. This came to pass when I ran away from home to be with a fine Englishman that swept me off my Feet. I moved from my hometown of 21 years to start a new life with this unnamed Englishman. I had a grand going away party at The Ritz Carlton, a High Tea with champagne for 8 of my closest girlfriends. Gina and I missed each other so much. We had worked together in Interior Design about 10 years previous but had stayed in touch throughout the years. I came up with the idea of a shared blog to stay in touch. Phone calls and emails didn't seem to be enough for us. I saw a special with Martha Stewart on blogging and it seemed a great idea, even though Gina nor I had ever tryed blogging. Now months later, we have a whole gaggle (group, as in geese) of followers, who all seem to share same interests as Gina and I. Funnily enough, Amy from Artichokes & Lemonade , was one of my young employees from years ago (15 to be exact) when I managed a furniture/ design store. We met again, through blogging, thanks, Amy for the mention in your posting. So Old Friends, become New Friends, with love and laughter...... that is the song that sticks in my head, it is from one of favorite movies .....Deja Vu. http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Deja_Vu/60023853?trkid=222336 See old posting on "The White Cliffs of Dover". Our gaggle follows; DESIGN mostly English, French and Shabby Chic. Reading, movies, (Romantic, English and French Period) Antiques, Dishes, Art, Crafts, Wallpaper etc, etc. and the Love of Beatrix Potter. Our loves are many that bind us together. What a world we live in. That we can stay connected daily in this internet age. And as for the Englishman that sweep me off my feet, that is now why I am in South Carolina, because the Fantasy was not quite the Reality. And so we start again. Thanks, to all our Readers, Kate. Above, Gina's Newly Re-wallpapered Kitchen Right above, Kate's entry to Living Room.

Thanks Gina, or Our Desperate Search For Just the Right Ottoman!!!!

My Master Bedroom Drapes My Headboard and pillows My thanks to Gina, who knows what a Ottoman Dilemma I am in now!!! OK, so I have a huge closet . Lets feel really bad for Kate. Now that I live in South Carolina, I have to actually have to wear Real Shoes AHHHH, and Boots. I lived in Florida for 20 years and all I did was slide into the best looking sandals and go.......it is wintery cold here and whilst putting on my boots, I have fallen over twice in my closet ( help I've fallen and can't get up) My greatest fear is , that they find me days later and the newspaper reads, woman fallen in closet, lays there for days before they find her with one boot on and one boot off!!! Gina was gracious enough to help with my ottoman search. The top photo is beautiful, it doesn't match at all but I love it. This is my Bathroom Wallpaper......

My Bathroom Towels

Thanks again Gina.....