Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The Cup That Cheers

Is it spring yet? A cup of tea might just perk you up enough to realize it will be here soon.
The right way to make tea: Pour hot water from kettle into teapot. Very important. Tip out and add tea. One teaspoon per person and one for the pot. Pour onto the leaves boiling water to oxygenate. Leave to steep five minutes. Pour small amount of milk into cup and add sweetener last. This is from Barbara Rogerson, an Englishwoman who lives in Northeast London and if she doesn't know the proper way to brew tea , who would?
www.ramblingsfromanenglishgarden.blogspot.com


New cups without handles, made just to go with Lori's hand knit sleeves. They keep the tea or coffee warm, and look smashing at the same time.
www.loritimesfive.blogspot.com



All the seeds are stirring and the animals are waking




Here is the glaze for the tea bread. I ran out of lemon juice and used orange too.



All this tea talk got me to baking. Lemon tea bread with lemon balm.



three o clock repast.





In February? Yup, First the rains came, then the frogs sang all night for weeks, then yesterday this rose appeared dangling above my head on the porch steps. A promise of good things to come.
Lemon Herb Tea Bread
3/4 C milk
1 T. finely chopped lemon balm
1 T. finely chopped lemon thyme
2 C. all purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
6 T. butter, room temp
2 eggs beaten
1 C sugar
1 Heaping T lemon Zest
butter a 9x5 loaf pan.
Heat milk with chopped herbs and let steep til cool
Mix flour, salt and baking powder in bowl
In another bowl, cream butter, gradually add sugar til light and fluffy
add eggs beat
add milk and flour mixture a bit at a time til just blended
pour in pan, and bake til toothpick comes out dry, about 50 minutes
Mix juice from two lemons and confectioners sugar til thick, but loose enought to pour over bread. Pour over while still warm.
xx
julie







juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

30 comments:

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

LOVE all of it...LOVE that darling teapot...and lori's teacup sleeves...how cute is that??? they look so great....

i love this lemon tea bread...and hey...that yellow gingham fork looks familiar :-)

What a Springtime Loving Post....

d.s.t.
donkey sipping tea
xxx

Wish on a Whisker said...

Everything looks so ~springy~. I'd love to try your lemon tea bread. Looks delicious! Love~Mandy

Sweet Birdy Love said...

Hey Julie, yummy post, everything looks lovely and a beautiful rose to boot.
Love the little mug warmer, looks so sweet with the butterfly peeking just above it.

Autumn feel to the morning here, more rain on the way.

Claire :}

colleen baptista said...

Oh so yummy, and oh so very lovely! Thank you for sharing. Can't wait for spring!

susan jenkins said...

Love your tea pots and I just love how you have put them on their own riser, beautiful! Love the cups and darling warmers, such a wonderful idea! The lemon tea bread, I bet the orange frosting was fabulous!
Loved it all!!
xx

A bird in the hand said...

I make tea with lemon balm leaves. I love the tea pot and of course the tea cups. The sleeves are cute, but I couldn't bear to cover up your magical cups.

cabin fever said...

The new pieces are beautiful, and the lemon tea bread looks delicious.
You have been busy, my dear!

All of us here in New England can't wait for Spring. I am wondering, tho, how long I will have all that snow........in the back yard it's up to my waist!!!

Thanks for sharing such lovely Spring thoughts, LOVE that teapot, too!
Liz XO

lilylovekin said...

I"m feeling spring in the air up here by San Francisco. It is wonderful to have the blue skies back. Love love your teapot and cup. Thank you for bringing more spring into my day.

mamabeaks said...

love all the new wares and thank you for the proper way to make tea.

jen storer said...

Oh! I just love that teapot! I want to live in it. Like some strange little Borrower i could set up house in there and eat lemon cake and have visitors and peek out the spout now and then... jx

sharon said...

Although I am afraid spring is still far away here, your post lets me feel it and I feel like I am in a dream when I visit, a heavenly dream of sweets, kind people, snuggly creatures, beauty,love, and hope. Your new creations are exquisite!

Librarian said...

I am longing for spring, too, but the weather has gone back from mild to cold again, so I guess it'll still be a while before such sumptuous roses and beautiful butterflies will appear around here.
In the meantime, I will find them here on your blog :-)

Dreaming Woods said...

those new cups and teapot looks wondrous Julie!! i think i must custom order one spring cup from you soon.

and you made me want to bake something!

joy,
Delila

April said...

My goodness, Hedgie bustled out from her teapot this morning and went right to work copying down the recipe for the Lemon Tea Bread..I couldn't even get on the computer! Our snow has made her very energetic, and she has kept the hot tea coming for me and all the mice and the little hedgie children. How wonderful to have a teacup and a pot from Julie Whitmore's Enchanted Fairyland! The hedgies and I would not have our tea parties without them.

Kathryn Glover said...

Julie, I love your teapots and cups. Perfect for this time of the year. Thank you for the links to explore, as well. I'm one of your biggest fans and love exploring all your other readers.......

Laura said...

it all looks too good to be true. thanks for the cheer.

gallerydarrow said...

Your work and your blog are both so charming.

I feel like sipping tea in a cottage garden!

xo, Ro

Lori ann said...

JULIE!! omg oh my gosh! as usual i am in awe as i read your post, but today i am just pertaculated (i read that words somewhere) and it seems to fit.
thank you for showing the sleeve, it's so sweet on the cup. i am at this moment busily knitting away for my online shop and a real shop.

i LOVE the teapot in your header photo, that is the cutest one i've ever seen in the whole wide world. and the tea recipe and bread recipe are going to go in my file for the future. Although not just yet, with this gorgeous weather going on, we are taking off camping tomorrow for the weekend. the sandhill cranes are calling from carrizo plain!

have a great weekend my friend!

xxx

Bunty said...

Thanks for sharing your recipe Julie - that tea bread looks so delicious!

Love your new pieces.

Barbara x

Vintage Fairy Tales Rebecka said...

"The year of the tea drinking rabbit"

Hopefully he will not drink tea with every single woman he meet;)

XX
Becky

dulcy said...

Oh Julie... love it all! My little pieces of your pottery are proudly displayed on my mantel and remind of spring around the corner. Your teapots are fabulous!
xo
dulcy

A time to dance said...

Julie, I am just in love with the beautiful things you make I love my cup so much - I darenot use it ...it stands in pride of place in my sitting room...I may have to order another...

Anonymous said...

Ooooo! Lemon Herb tea bread & hot tea in your pretty pottery would be heavenly! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!
~ Zuzu

Gloria Freshley Art and Design said...

Julie, the teapot and the cups are just marvelous....truly. Best....Gloria

Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes said...

Oh how I wish I could be at your home for a tea party! I love the teapot, I have a soft spot for bunnies! The lemon bread looks yummy also!

Please feel free to stop by for a visit and some dessert when you have a moment, it's decadent!

Mary

Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes said...

You'll have to join our next Sarabeth bake! Now that you have the cookbook! Have a wonderful day!

Mary

annamaria potamiti said...

Love the work! I need to try your recipe. I am about to have dinner and suddenly you got me very hungry! Yum!X

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Oh what a wonderful wonderful way to start my day! Your pieces always bring such joy to me.
I miss my wheel but still have my kiln. It has not been fired in so long I doubt it works.
I want some of your pieces so bad. I need to email you
Love ya
Maggie

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Uh oh, now I'm hungry!!

Love the teapot, love the little mugs without handles and so pretty butterflies.

Glad to know that it's almost springtime where you are Julie. x

Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking said...

Oh my goodness the bread looks awesome. I look forward to trying it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!

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