Tea in the Outbuilding

March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 carolannmccarthy9 Comments

Ah tea!

Afternoon tea is all about enjoyment, relaxation, and taking the time to refresh your spirit. I love tea and its trappings. I love to take a break each afternoon enjoying a cup of tea either in my library with a good book, at my tea table with some needlework, or perhaps if the weather is lovely I might take tea in the sun room where I can sip and commune with nature. But once a month I invite others to join me in this gracious ritual. After all, the 1853 property which my husband and I call home is “not for us alone”. Sharing it and sharing tea doubles the joy.

I like to alternate the location of my tea parties each month because changing locations means different tables to dress with different china. I’ll experiment with different recipes and invite different friends to each tea. Variety is the spice of life you know. Entertaining with tea is a wonderful way to reach out to others in friendship while also having the creative fun of designing each event. My last two teas were held in our Outbuilding. Come along and I’ll share a bit of those tea experiences with you. Up the driveway we go…

approaching the circle…

passing the circle…

and there it is, the Outbuilding, once a chicken coop back when the estate was a big old farm, but thanks to a few previous owners the building is now a detached family room where I can get away from it all – or if not everything, at least I can get away from the house if I need a change of scenery without going too far away..

We pass the old barn which is now a three car garage and walk around to the front of the Outbuilding…

and here we are!

Come on in.

The beamed ceiling gives me the feeling I’m off in the mountains

and the wood-burning fireplace is especially cozy on a cold or rainy day.

We have seating close to the fireplace plus two other sofas and there’s a long built-in bench along the wall, plenty of seating in this old Outbuilding if we decide to have cocktails here before a dinner party at the house. But for a tea I usually serve at the table, a table that was my maternal grandparent’s table once upon a time. Ah, memories.

I enjoy coming here on quiet days, sitting in my rocker that also once belonged to my maternal grandparents. It’s the same rocker that held me on my father’s lap as a child, as I sipped his coffee sweet with sugar and milk, back in the day… memories and more memories. I love things old.

But on the day of a tea there’s no time for daydreaming about the old days. Instead there’s much hustle and bustle in the butler’s pantry where goodies are prepared and assembled to serve to my guests. It is a little challenging carrying everything back and forth to and from the Outbuilding, but now and then this extra work is necessary if I’m ever to share the Outbuilding with others.

What will I serve my guests?

Meringues with strawberries and whipped cream?

Shortbread and cookies?

A simple coffee cake?…

or perhaps a fancy cake I purchase from the bakery shop?

I purchased special antique tea china for the Outbuilding and I like to use a handmade crocheted tablecloth that my mother made a long time ago.

Or sometimes I use a set of tea china that belonged to my parents.

Of course we need some tea. I offer a variety to my guests

And candlelight is always nice…

especially on a cool, rainy day.

When the food is made, the table is set, the candles are lit and everything is ready all that’s needed are some guests…

be they lady friends, old and new…

or sweet children who happen to be my music students.

It’s such a joy to do for others. I can’t understand why everyone doesn’t enjoy entertaining, especially hosting afternoon teas.

It is my hope that by sharing my afternoon tea experiences I may inspire you to invite others to your own home and share some tea with them…make it coffee or hot chocolate if you prefer, but reach out to others and share in your own intimate setting. Make your tea your way, as simple or elaborate as you like. It’s not the tea, or the food, so much as your personal outreach and hospitality.

Share Joy. Share Tea!

“I say, old chap. you’ve been invited to join me for tea!”

August 19, 2015 carolannmccarthy7 Comments

On this Country Inn Day I, the Innkeeper, will be hosting a high tea. As usual I invite someone old, (an old acquaintance) someone new, (a person I like but don’t know very well, (yet) and someone borrowed maybe two (one or both my guests may be asked to bring along a friend. And of course I’m now inviting you to come along and join in my fun.

My guests today are Andy, an old friend, Mary Fran in the flowered jacket who I met recently at a most joyful funeral and Robin who is Mary Fran’s good friend. A more spirit-filled threesome would be hard to find.

As Innkeeper I rose early and began setting the stage for tea. After all, staging a high tea is very much like staging a theatrical production. The setting is most important if we expect our guests to feel serene and special. I decided this particular tea will be served in the formal dining room. As Innkeeper I enjoy presenting tea in various locations in and around the Inn. On a beautiful day it could be tea in the Secret Garden with the birdies singing for everyone’s enjoyment or on an Autumn’s day I might serve tea in the Outbuilding with a fragrant wood fire blazing in its old fireplace. Variety adds spice to life and to the Inn’s entertaining.

There’s much to do in order to be ready for my guests. As Innkeeper I’m in charge of choosing the china, crystal, linens and menu. I’m also in charge of the flowers.

Flowers are a must at tea. Their beauty soothes the savage soul and we all have those savage moments in modern day life. Roses are my favorite and very nice in the formal dining room.

I’m also in charge of polishing the silver. Every tea need not use silver, but high tea in the Inn’s dining room requires nothing less.

Though I’ll be serving three different teas today – Darjeeling, Oolong and Apricot tea I do enjoy serving a glass of Carolans Irish Cream as a postlude treat.

How many Innkeepers have a luscious blend of Irish cream, honey and mellow Irish spirits named after them? My name is CarolAnn, CarolAnn McCarthy – very Irish (though I was born 100% Polish) so it’s rather nice to serve a beverage made in Ireland at this “CarolAnn’s Country Inn.”

I, the Innkeeper, can’t do everything for this tea. I turn the food over to the Inn cook. Of course the Inn cook also happens to be me, but whatever. Cook planned three courses for today’s tea – first a plate containing chicken salad in puff pastry, broccoli salad and fruit.

In case you might like to whip up the chicken salad here’s the recipe.

Chicken salad

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed, 1 cup celery, finely chopped, 4 small green onions, chopped, 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste, frozen puff pastry, thawed and baked and caramelized pecans chopped. (To carmelize pecans simply heat 1/2 cup sugar till melted stirring constantly, then add the pecans. Turn the pecans out onto wax paper and then chop).

The second course is Scones

The scones were baked and then cut into squares. Scones are simple to make and usually loved by all. Here’s Carol Ann’s recipe: Mix 2 cups flour with 1 T. baking powder, 1/4 t of salt and 4 T of sugar. Cut in 6 T of butter and then combine 2 eggs with 1/3 cup of cream and mix into the dry ingredients. Shape into two round or square large scones, put a bit of cream on top and sugar, then bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cook loves to use the French Bonne Maman’ preserves with English Double Devon Cream atop the Irish scones making then an international hit.

This tea cake is the thrid course. It is a new recipe Cook made for today’s tea. It’s nice to try out one new recipe at each tea keeping the rest of the menu tried and true. Luckily this cake came out beautifully and was quite yummy. You ought to try it yourself. I think you’ll like it.

The recipe comes from this book called “The Great Tea Rooms of America”. It’s written by Bruce Richardson. Let me share the recipe for today’s tea cake with you.

Ahrens Tea Cake

1/2 up butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla,2 cups all purpose flour,2 tsp. baking powder,1 tsp. baking soda, 1 cup sour cream.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together and add eggs and vanilla. Combine and mix flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to butter mixture. Fold in sour cream. Spoon half of the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.

Filling

1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 cup brown sugar

Combine almonds, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Sprinkle onto the middle of the batter. Cover the filling with the remaining batter and bake for 35 minutes.

If you bake this tea cake you can serve it at your very own tea. You are planning to have a tea of your own soon, aren’t you? I certainly hope so. Tea is all about enjoyment, relaxation, and taking the time to refresh your spirit and the spirit of others. Like letter writing it’s a beautiful and gracious art that must not be forgotten.

So the food is prepared and the table is set.

The buffet holds the tea cake and the Irish Cream.

The guests arrive and the next few hours are a wonderful time where joy is shared, old friendship is nourished and new ones are cultivated. Work and worry are sturdy weeds you know, but joy requires cultivation. Sharing tea is one wonderful way to cultivate joy!

It’s been such fun talking, nibbling and sipping tea as I was transformed once again from Innkeeper and Cook into just another Inn Guest. Quite magical how this happens on my Country Inn Days. But all good things must come to an end. The guests leave reluctantly and I’m transformed one last time, now into Inn Maid.

The dishes need washing.

The crystal too must be cleaned and made ready for the Inn’s next entertaining event.

And the linen used today is washed and hung to dry.

The tea party now exists only in my memory and in this blog, but I’m left with a lovely afterglow. What a nice experience it was. Yes, there was some work involved, but that work was actually fun and well rewarded. Not only did I have the chance to exercise my creativity and use those things I collect and love, but I gave of myself to others and everyone knows…

When you give good things come back to you.

That’s for sure. The glow of friendship is like nothing else and my guests at this tea were so full of spirit and love I came away feeling blessed, in fact, at one point they actually placed hands on me and prayed that my cancer treatments go well . When was the last time your friends prayed over you? Like I said, these were very special guests.

And besides the glow of friendship (as if that’s not fabulous enough) Mary Fran and Robin sent me a present, ordering it from their smart phone right at the tea table. It was a cd, “Music from a Secret Garden.” You see, I mentioned my Secret Garden to them and they told me they had the perfect thing for the next tea I host there. How sweet is that?

Very sweet indeed!

So that’s about it for yet another very blessed and wonderful Country Inn Day. My next Inn Day may take me off to a spa or out into nature or perhaps on an adventure or two, but whatever the Inn Day I know it will be wonderful fun and I hope you come along. So till then be sure you live abundantly. That’s what God has in mind for all of us and it’s up to us to make that happen.

Go to it!

It’s a Country Inn Day – Sharing Tea Day

March 9, 2014July 20, 2015 carolannmccarthyLeave a comment

Here I am on another wonderful Country Inn Day. I’m so glad you could join me. What do you do first thing every morning whether you’re at home or off on holiday at a gracious Country Inn or snazzy hotel?

My idea of fun is to write a letter with my first cup of coffee every day and that’s exactly what I do here at the Inn this morning. I’m writing to Erika, a professional chef who lives and works in the state of Washington, but as I read her letter and respond I feel as though Erika is here with me at the Inn. Letters are like that. They help friends transcend the miles. John Donne, the late sixteenth early seventeenth century English poet, put it this way – “Letters mingle souls.”

But I could use more than Erika’s spirit and soul here at the Inn today. I could use her professional expertise because on this Country Inn Day I will not only be playing the part of Inn Guest, Innkeeper, and Inn Maid, but I’ll also be playing the part of Inn Chef. I’ll don my special coat and cap in preparation for a Sharing Tea. I bet if Erika were here in person she could help me whip up some extraordinary tea treats.

I do have these guys to inspire me. They “hang out” (literally) in my kitchen, but though they look pretty cute they’re not a lot of actual help. I get my help from cookbooks, and do I have cookbooks, only about a million of them. At each Sharing Tea I like to experiment just a little, so I always choose one new recipe and today that recipe comes from a little historic book.

The book is called “Victorian Parlors and Tea Parties”. It’s written by Patricia B. Mitchell. After reading and enjoying notes on the tea meal and how it came to be, along with information concerning the role of the Victorian wife and details of the Victorian parlor, I settle down to find that new recipe which I can make for and serve to today’s Inn guests.

IMG_6804[1] — High Muck-a-Muck Crabmeat Spread

I look through all the recipes and decide on this simple crabmeat spread which is served on crackers. The little green pepper garnish is my idea. You might like to try it yourself. Here’s the recipe. It’s quick and easy.

High Muck-a-Muck Crabmeat Spread

Ingredients: 1 lb. crabmeat, chopped, 1 c. Cheddar cheese, grated, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 green onions, finely chopped

Process: Mix. Spread on toast rounds, triangles, or crackers. Heat 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Today’s tested recipes come from a favorite little booklet called “Tea Time”. This booklet is created by the Gooseberry Patch people and I’ve discovered many tasty treats within its pages as well as amusing general information concerning the tea ceremony.

Today I make “Tea Time’s” Caramelized Pecans. These sweet nuts are a great garnish for chicken salad puffs ( another recipe in the “Tea Time” booklet), but they can stand on their own quite nicely.

Caramelized Pecans

Ingredients: 1/2 cup sugar 3/4 cup pecan halves

Process: In a heavy saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat ’til melted (about 4 minutes.) Stir constantly to avoid burning sugar. Stir in pecans until well-coated. Remove pan from heat. Pour mixture onto wax paper. Cool. If stuck together, break apart. Use whole or coarsely chop is using as a garnish.

But now as Inn Chef it’s time to do some baking. How about some Cream Scones? Scones are always perfect for a tea party and my “Tea Time” book has a good recipe for them.

Scones are yummy, generously topped with Devon Cream (imported from England) and jam. Here’s the recipe.

Basic Cream Scone

Ingredients: 2 c. flour, 1 T. baking powder, 1/4 t. salt, 4 T. sugar, 6 T. butter, 2 eggs, beaten, 1/3 c. cream, milk or half-and-half

Process: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. With a pastry blender or Cuisinart cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and cream until well blended. Stir cream mixture into dry ingredients until they are moistened. Divide the dough into two 8-inch rounds on a greased baking sheet. Cut the dough with a sharp knife into 8 wedges. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or till scones are golden brown.

Tips for tender scones

Rule No. 1 Thoroughly mix dry and liquid ingredients in separate bowls before combining together.

Rule No. 2 Don’t over-mix when adding dry and liquid ingredients, and don’t over-handle the dough.

Rule No. 3 Over-baking will result in dry scones. Oven temps may vary so check your scones every 5 minutes before baking time is up.

The only other tea time treat I’ll be serving today is a chocolate covered apricot which is topped with crushed pistachios. There’s nothing to this recipe. All you do is melt semisweet chocolate chips, dip the apricots into the melted chocolate and then roll them in crushed pistachios.

These apricot nibbles are a yummy snack anytime you crave something sweet, but they’re also a nice addition to the tea table.

Today’s recipes are all simple to make and require little preparation time. Of course, if you happen to be a pastry chef you can go all out and dazzle your guests with impressive creations, but if you’re not, the idea is simply to have some little treats for your guests to enjoy.

My work as Inn Chef is now complete. I feel a magical change coming over me. I am now being transformed from Inn Chef into Innkeeper and as Innkeeper I have other duties. I must assemble the tea treats onto a tray…

and I must light the fire, fluff the pillows, turn on the music and stand ready to welcome the Inn guests. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for and voila…

The Inn guests have arrived!

Did I tell you how a Country Inn Day Sharing Tea works? There’s always someone old invited (an old friend), someone new (a new acquaintance on the way to becoming a friend), someone borrowed maybe two (old and new invited guests may be asked to bring a friend).

Joni is today’s someone old for she’s been a friend for ages.

Carole is the someone new.

And Carol brought Lynn along so she’s the Inn’s borrowed guest, just one today, not two.

The tea is poured and this Country Inn Day Sharing Tea Party has begun. Once again I am transposed from Innkeeper now to Inn Guest. This is the magic of a Country Inn Day! I can now relax and enjoy. I wish you could be here with us for there’s nothing quite like taking a nice break every now and then to relax and visit with friends in a serene setting over a cup of tea. Our worlds are so full and our tasks can be very demanding. It seems to me relaxing break-times are not only nice, but a must.

And when the Inn guests take their leave and the Inn Maid (me) does her magic, cleaning up the dishes, I’m left with a feeling of sweet satisfaction, for Henry James had it right when he said, “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea”, except maybe the hours of preparation leading up to afternoon tea.

It’s all fun – Country Inn Days, Sharing Teas, Imagination, Creativity and Play. These things are great escapes from ho hum ordinary days. Don’t take my word for it. Indulge, and you’ll see for yourself. Go ahead. Have your own Country Inn Day and/or Sharing Tea and …

PLAY