Tablescape #29 4th of July

Hello Everyone,

Happy 4th of July. We are celebrating our Independence from Britain and I have been visiting our forefather's country for 18 days.
 It's Amazing.

 

The rain hit California with vengeance and my Tea Party was moved into the dining room.

It hasn't rained in June for YEARS!

I was lucky to find three 'Ingrid Bergman' rose blooms in garden for my patriotic floral arrangement.

I found these lovely cups at a yard sale
a long.......time ago. 

 

I am so practical that I bought plastic plates for this table. Using red flag plates about three times a year
It's a Good Thing.

The dessert plate is from my everyday dinnerware. And the silverware is Affection.
 Nice big white linen napkin.

SURPRISE!!!

English Scones

I have discovered that I am a ANGLOPHILE.

Definition:

A person who greatly admires or favors England and all things English.

That's Me

One thing I know for sure is how to eat a scone.

One Sultana Scone

Real Butter

Strawberry Jam

ENJOY!!!!!!

Every afternoon my traveling companions and I would sit and have tea. Sometimes the scone would be served with German cream or just with Butter and Strawberry jam.

What a wonderful treat. 

While in London I drank my tea with cream and sugar. 

I loved it so much that I brought home a box of  'Twinings English Breakfast' tea.

I also enjoyed drinking Twinings Everyday tea every morning.

Sultana (grape)

The sultana makes the best scones.  The sultana is a type of white, seedless grape (Thompson Seedless) The sultana raisins have a delicate and unique flavor and are especially noted for their sweetness and golden colour. They just pop with flavor in a scone.

Sultana Scone Recipe is HERE.  

Thank you so much for visiting My Cozy Corner today.

I will be hopping around blog land so please hop with me if you can.

I joining:

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday

Design by Gollum for Foodie Friday

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday
and

Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Please check out the post below.

~I SAW THE QUEEN~

Have a great Holiday Weekend.

xo

Betty

I Saw the Queen

Hello Everyone,

'I Saw the Queen'

While in England I was very lucky to see the Queen.  On June 11, 2011 Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her official birthday.

Happy Birthday, Your Majesty!

Although the Queen was actually born on April 21, the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is celebrated each year in the UK on a weekend in June for purely practical reasons.  The day usually presents more acceptable weather for a public party!

'Here she is'

In the UK, the most important and watched event related to the day is the lively and historic military ceremony known as TROOPING THE COLOUR - with a parade down The Mall to HORSE GUARDS PARADE.

post script 6-4-12 new information regarding the marching guards see link

I was so excited to see the Redcoats and Bear-Skin hats.
Post Script: I received a comment from Janette - The 2 Seasons and she wrote that Prince William  is on the horse directly behind Prince Phillip.  WHAT A SHOT!!! I didn't have a clue when I took the photo.

The parade features The Household Cavalry.  The Parade is made up of over 1400 officers and men from The Household Cavalry, together with 200 horses.  The Household Cavalry is the army division tasked with guarding the Monarch, so the link is very close.

The celebration included a fly-past of military aircraft - as well as gun salutes fired at noon at Hyde Park.

Soon after the fly - past the London police cleared the crowd from the Mall in order that a military band could return to the Guard House.

My traveling companions and I were in amazement that we were in London on the weekend of the Queen's celebration. 

Thank you for visiting My Cozy Corner and I hope you have enjoyed seeing the Queen.

I'm joining

A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday
xo

Betty

9th Cupcake Sunday

A Big Hello to Everyone.

Thank you all for visiting My Cozy Corner while I was on my Holiday. 

 Oh yes! Holiday is a word I heard in England when Brit's refer to their vacation.

What a glorious time I had in Scotland and England.

Lots to share in the weeks to come.

Please stop by to share my journey.

A Big Thank you to my new followers.

Cupcake Sunday 

I want to share my First Cream Tea with you today.  Three Ladies go traveling had Cream Tea at the National Gallery in London.

Great fun!!

'Wonderful'

Scone is a typical Scots tea biscuit baked on a griddle or in the oven taken with curd, jam or clotted cream.

It is believed that the scone is named after the Stone of Scone, whereupon Scottish kings were once crowned.

'Cream Tea'

'Amazing'

Strawberry Jam and Butter

~Yum~

I love the tea pot and creamer

Three Ladies go Traveling enjoyed a spot of tea after viewing wonderful original artwork such as: Van Gogh, Van Eyck, Monet, Michelangelo, Raphael and Da Vinci. 

The National Gallery is a true treasure of London, England. 

 I'm so happy to be home blogging again.  I have missed my daily blog crawl.
I'm joining some great blogger parties, so hop over and visit them.
The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
The House in the Roses for Show off Your Cottage Monday
StoneGable for  On the On the Menu Monday
A Stroll Thur Life for Table Top Tuesday
Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday
The Plumed Pen for Tuesday Tea for Two
A Breath of Fresh Air for Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday

Please join me for
Cupcake Sunday!
xo
Betty

STRAWBERRIES GALORE!!!

The STRAWBERRIES have finished producing this year.  I had a VERY BIG crop.

I 'm excited about today's blog.  I love to share my experiences with everyone in blog land.  It's fun to photograph, bake and play with my dishes. And, I love to make mosaics.  So here goes.

Hope you enjoy the goodies.....

I made Strawberry jam.  Ate Strawberries on Ice Cream.  Baked Strawberry Bars.  Made Strawberry Smoothies and put Strawberries on cold cereal.  I love  having Strawberry plants just outside my back door.  What a blessing.

I found this vintage jam jar at an Estate Sale.  The glass spoon is the cutest.

STRAWBERRY BARS

Makes 2 dozen

      1 cup butter, softened                              

   1/2 cup shortening  

      1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

   1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups strawberry preserves, divided

      2 teaspoons vanilla extract       

      2 large eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

   1/2 teaspoon salt

     Garnish: fresh strawberries, mint 

1. Preheat oven to 350, Line a 13x9 inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, letting foil hang over sides of pan.  Spray foil with nonstick baking spray with flour; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter, shortening, and sugars.  Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Beat in 1/2 cup strawberry preserves and vanilla.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating to combine well.  Spread dough into prepared pan.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes; spread remaining 3/4 cup preserves on top of warm pastry.  Refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight.

4. Lift from pan using foil as handles; cut into squares to serve.  Garnish with strawberries and mint, if desired.  Credit-Southern Lady May/June

Estate sales are great.  I think I have an addiction.  I found this beautiful tea set about a year ago. Just down the street from my house. Two dessert plates, two cups and two saucers. When I was buying the dishes I asked the fellow if he had more of the same.  He said "If I had more I would have put the whole set on eBay." I said. "OK I will buy just what you have."  Thought the dishes would go well with the little red pot. 

Royal Albert Bone China-pattern Nosegay 1935   Total set $6.00 dollars

The harp shaped dessert fork is from my 1847 Rogers Silver plate flatware "FIRST LOVE". 

   'OLYMPIAD'

From my garden

Bless you for visiting while I was off having a great trip to England and Scotland

Don't forget Cupcake Sunday

June 26, 2011

Maybe something English

Please leave a comment and be a follower

Betty

xoxo

I LOVE LAVENDER

Today I'm excited about sharing with you another ONE of my true loves. 

I love Lavender.

I have one plant and last week it was harvest time.  Oh My Gosh!!!  What fun to pick and have a wonderful scent floating up as I clipped away.  I did have a visitor or two.  The BIG BLACK BEES.  

I would love to show you what I did with Just One Lavender Plant.

'Grosso' Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' A bushy and round plant with green foliage.  Long stems bear long dense spikes with flowers of violet blue and darker violet calyces.  An all purpose Lavender.  Full sun Zone 6 36"tallx32"wide. (I just copied this info from the tag when I bought this plant).

When the stems are wet I bundle them into 20 stem bundles. And, hang upside down on a rod in the plastic tub. As they dry some of the buds fall off into the bottom of the tub.   And, I save them for other uses.

When the bundles are dry, I tie the bundles with raffia, put in plastic bags and tie with a Lavender ribbon.  This basket is a great place to store them.  Even a small tap on the basket and the buds come falling down.

Yesterday was soooo beautiful in my garden.  I have a small children's picnic table the granddaughters use when we have family get togethers.  I love how it's getting a real aged look. And, the old wooden box  I've had forever. It was just a joy to showcase my Lavender projects in such a fun way.

 I love my Lavender books.  What great resources.  Ideas for uses of Lavender and also the other wonderful world of Herbs.  Great reading!!!!

I have only made a few Lavender Fire stick Bundles.  A big bag of stems is waiting for me to gather together and tie with raffia.  As I mentioned yesterday in my blog post, the Lavender Fire stick bundles can be thrown in the fireplace to make great aroma or put into the grill for a gourmet smoke that brings a whole new taste to your cooking.

 Lavender sachets are fun to make.  Do you recognize the Martha Stewart tablecloth pattern that was so popular a few years ago? I love to utilize fabric for another good purpose.

Tub Teas and small bags of Lavender are a great way to use Lavender buds.  The recipe for Tub Teas will be in a later post.  I give a bundle of Lavender, one small Lavender sachet and one Tub Tea as a hostess gift when invited as a guest.  The Tub Tea can hang from the faucet just like a tea bag.


Small Lavender sachets are a natural insect repellent.  Very natural.  Great to hang in a closet or put in a dresser drawer.

I love Tub Tea!!!!!

My Lavender eye mask is so relaxing to my eyes.

I was suprised when my daughter and granddaughters gave me this precious tea pot for my birthday in June.  The Lavender on the tea pot is a beautiful color. And, I love Lavender and Mint tea.  It can be made Hot or Cold.

Lavender Water

Designs by Gollum has a great recipe to make Lavender Water. Click HERE.

The loose Lavender buds I keep to use for more projects that I'm going to be posting about in the future.  FUN........

The Lavender wand is made with fresh picked Lavender.  It's a fun gift to give with some beautiful paper napkins as a hostess gift.

 Have you enjoyed your visit about the uses of

 Just One Lavender Plant? 

I'm so happy I could share MY LOVE FOR LAVENDER with you.

Do you grow Lavender?

I love comments

Betty

xoxo