PEANUT BUTTER SCONES KIDS WILL LOVE

Did you see the wonderful July/August issue of  "Tea Time Magazine"?  If so you have a copy of this recipe.  These are the Peanut Butter Scones from that issue.  I baked them recently and would suggest them for children.  You will find the recipe in the article about a doggy tea.

I did a quality control test on these scones but I had to eat three before I was sure how delicious they are! Ha!

The only change I made was substituting crunchy peanut butter instead of peanut butter morsels.  Here in our high altitude we always reduce baking power by 1/4 tsp per teaspoon.

I hope your weekend is lovely.  I will be taking a break from "Tea In The Garden" this week. I hope your summer is wonderful as it winds down.  Let's enjoy every day.

COLORADO SPRINGS XERISCAPE GARDEN

Right on top the Mesa which is a high area that looks over to the Garden of the Gods and the Kissing Camels rock formation is the Xeriscape Garden.  Last weekend amidst rain falling in much of the city,  I found it clear in the garden.

Of course the emphasis is plants requiring little water but being close together to keep moist.

I did not take the time to write down the names of the plants but we all recognize the Lambs Ear.

I did note that this was called "Veronica" because some

 of you asked me about that the last time I posted photos from this garden here.

In spite of having 2 hummingbird feeders in my yard, I have had none this year but here at this garden near the mountains they buzzed about everywhere!

Cone flowers were prolific as well as Brown Eyed Susan's.

Hope you enjoyed!

A BEAUTIFUL DAY for "Tea In The Garden"

I am late posting for my blog because last week our internet service at our house was halted.  We had been told everything would be fine at our house even though we shut it down at our business, but it came to a halt at our home too so we had to get all new service.  Anyway, today we finally have internet again at home.  I love it when things work and oh dear when they don't! 

WELCOME TO TEA IN THE GARDEN:

I set this little tea up yesterday in my garden:

Please pour yourself a cup of tea.

I have shared this old table linen before as it is a favorite.

The Queen Anne's Lace is all over my garden.

THINKING AHEAD TO FALL WITH TRANSFERWARE

A few years ago I found a beautiful Johnson Brothers

 plate called Windsor Ware.  I later found 2 more and then one and eventually I found a set of six.  Now I had 10 plates.  The fruit and floral motif on the plates is lovely as it includes a rose and a chrysanthemum.

I go out antiquing here and there across our state so over time I found 3 cups and saucers that matched the plates.  Today I found 7 more to go with the 3,  bringing the total to 10 of those.  Of course these will be lovely for fall.

The teapot below has lots of crazing but I 

don't mind

 as that just means it was loved.

Autumn officially begins September 23 and who would believe how soon that is coming.

I can't even remember where I found the platter below:

I am a mix and match person so a couple of cottage teapots work great for me.  This one is an Arthur Wood & Sons and the one above with the crazing is a Sadler. For anyone who doesn't know and is curious crazing just means tiny innocent cracks all over often seen on used and loved teapots and cups and saucers. 

UNDER THE LACE UMBRELLA for "Tea In The Garden"

As many of you know, I recently retired. 
 I told my husband I would like something unique
 that would be a memory gift for my retirement. 

 I had no problem finding something at one of
 our antique malls and it didn't cost a lot.
 I am going to enjoy this table and umbrella so much!

 I found this old wooden folding table that opens up with a hole in the middle.  The umbrella cover was long gone from the pole but I knew one of my lace bed covers would work just fine!  (I also found some more Copeland Spode red transferware up in Denver at an antique shop that I will share later).  So those were my retirement "thrills".  I don't know why I love old things but it seems I just can't help myself.

I reinforced the center of the lace bed cover so that it wouldn't tear and of course I had to cut a hole in the center of the rectangle tablecloth and the small round one. 

 All of these adjustments were so that the pole would fit into the cloth and go through the table.  They were pretty simple to do.

My little bouquet today has both flowers and herbs.  The basil smells especially wonderful. 

I have to tell you that  I baked a peach pie yesterday which was just your basic type so please have a piece and here is the recipe.  Two pies in one week makes one spoiled.

I have a stack of magazines I haven't read so I have some catching up to do.  I had to also take out my own subscription to "Tea Time" (since I am no longer selling it) and I was so happy that I didn't miss one.  You know how sometimes you miss an issue when doing a subscription or change your address.  I thought their July/August issue was lovely.  If you don't have a subscription to this magazine you would love it.

I do hope your week is wonderful.  Our summer is flying by so fast.  I feel so blessed to be retired and get to enjoy each day.  I wake up everyday in absolute shock. 
 This is going to take some getting used to!

TIME TO BAKE A STRAWBERRY CREAM SUPREME PIE

This afternoon I debated what kind of pie to bake - peach or strawberry?  Strawberry Cream Supreme won out.

  As you can see, a little bit is
 missing now too!

I went outside after supper (do you say supper or dinner?) and put the pie on a bench.

These were the best strawberries I have found this year.

#1
For the pie crust you will need 1 cup sifted flour, 1/3 cup + 1 Tb of crisco and 2-3 Tb. ice water.  Mix all and form dough - roll out and place in regular sized pie pan crimping edges.  I brushed my edge with some egg yolk. Sit shell aside but do not bake yet.
  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

#2 
For the cream cheese base of pie:  
1 - 8 oz cream cheese softened, 1/3 cup 
of sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix these ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the pie pastry spreading to the edges. 

#3
Now the pie filling:

Wash, cap and cut into 2 cups of strawberries and place them in a small pan.  Add 1 cup of sugar.  In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup of water with 3 Tb cornstarch and whisk well.  Add to saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil to thicken.  When thick pour into a bowl to cool.  Take out about 2/3 cup of this mix and spread it over the cream cheese base in the pie.  Place the pie in the oven at 450 degrees for 8 minutes.  Drop the temperature to 350 degrees for another 10 minutes.  Cool the shell.

#4

Clean and cap about 2 more cups of strawberries.  When the pie is cool pour 1/2 of the remaining cooked and cooled strawberry mixture into the pie shell.  Arrange the strawberries on top neatly in rows from the center out.  Pour all the rest of the cooled strawberry mixture over the fresh ones.