MONET'S GARDEN

This winter I have been enjoying a 

lovely large book I purchased from

one of the online used book groups.

In the dreariness of winter -

 it is a delight!  I also invite

you to join me for a cup of

tea and I am enjoying 2 new

teacups and a fun clock I

want to share with you.

But first - isn't this photo of Monet's

garden ever so lovely and are you
feeling any
garden inspiration?

I was imaging being a young 

adult who could "intern" here.
You could learn so much in
this garden.

I wanted to share that I got the pretty

teacups for just $4.00 each.  My husband

was running an errand and saw an 

estate sale.  We hadn't planned to go

the first 2 days as it rained both days. 
Evidently they decided to go a 3rd day
and when he saw it, he stopped.  It seems
 the rain had kept away the teacup
 lovers so he got them at 1/2 price.

The cup on the right is a Royal
 Chelsea with Roses and 

the green one is an Old 
Royal that has hand

painted lupines:

Then there is the fun little clock

you see.  My friend Janice looked at

it in a booth at an antique mall last

Saturday but she put it back.  I made sure

she wasn't wanting it and she said no so

I said I would buy it as I loved the little

china piece from Germany.

So should you have nothing in mind

to dream about tonight I share one

last photo from my book:

MS. GILMORE'S TEA ROOM AND VINTAGE SUITCASE

So here we go with a mini whirlwind

 of photos from yesterday when

 friends Janice and Gina took me

 to tea for my birthday celebration.

Gina made the reservations and we

 left early for around a 3 hour drive

 south to Springfield, Missouri. 
This is in their old historic district

 and this tea room reminds me a 

great deal of the

 designer MacKenzie Child's:

 Let's go inside as it was RAINING!

This was Janice and Gina

posing for my camera:

There was nothing shy

 about COLOR here.

Everywhere we looked there was

something of interest and soon

the place filled up with ladies

waiting for tea time:

We were told that Ms. Gilmore's will

soon be serving "High Tea" in another

area which will really be an 

assortment of "Afternoon Tea" 

goodies but you know that here 

in America you might as well give up 

telling tea room owners not to call it 

"High Tea" because they are going to 

do it whether the British like it or not.

We seem to have a history of that

 sort of thing don't we!

The food items we had for lunch:

  quiche, salad, breads, muffins and 

3 layer cakes - were wonderful so

 I am sure they will do a great job at their 

"High Tea" baking too.

Ms. Gilmore's is also a Gift Shop so

 this is a large building - plan on 

spending  some time here and there 

is also a darling Ice Cream Soda

 Shop in the front as well as  takeout

 baked goodies, Macaroons, 

Truffles and so much

 more with cakes that are 3 layers tall!

You can read Janice's post about 
our trip and see what she found here!
She has the blog "Curtains In My Tree"!

Ms. Gilmore's Tea Room and Vintage Suitcase

211 East Commercial 

Springfield, Mo  65803

BRINGING OUT THE VIOLETS for "Friends Sharing Tea"

Have you noticed any

 early signs of spring?

When we lived in Spring, Texas many
years ago,  I loved that when February
came - spring arrived.  It was a very
short and mild winter there.  I  have
learned that each climate that has
some amazing plus - also has an
some minus.  In the Houston area
it was summer heat clear to winter.

I always look forward
 to the violets
of spring! 

We have actually had two solid
days of rain and now we have
mud but that's all right because
I know things will green up now.

I love hankies with violets too!

Today a little bunny was sitting in
the rain outside our downstairs
sliding glass door.  I did feel sad
for him.  A squirrel  was very clever
and to my surprise I saw him up
looking in a birdhouse in the rain.
Then, I saw him chew the hole opening
for about 15 minutes - he chewed it
much bigger.  The next time I looked
he was snug inside looking out at 
the falling rain.

Today I took this photo
from inside the house.

I hope you are having a nice winter
and did you notice that March 20
is the first official day of spring?

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE for "Friends Sharing Tea"

Yesterday I baked a cake that I had

not made for a while.  You know how

you "forget" about a recipe you liked

and then it's brought to your mind.

 This would be a nice cake

 for Valentines Day today!

I took the cake downstairs 

to the tea room!

To make this cake you will need 1 1/2 cups of sifted flour, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa, 1 1/4 tsp soda,  1 tsp salt, 1 cup buttermilk, ( I added 1 Tb vinegar to a cup of milk)   2/3 cup cooking oil, 1 tsp vanilla and 2 eggs.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour bottoms only of 2 8" round or heart shaped cake pans.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients, beat 3 minutes on medium and pour into prepared pans.  Bake 25-30 minutes until your toothpick test comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 5 minutes, invert first one onto platter.  When cool.  ice first layer,  add second layer and frost all.

Icing:

3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup light corn syrup, 2 Tb water,

 2 egg whites, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp vanilla

In the top of a double boiler, combine sugar, syrup, water, egg whites, cream of tartar and cook over boiling water, beating with

a mixer until mix stands in peaks....about 7 minutes.  Continue beating until it really gets stiffer.  Frost cake.

Ok now it's time to confess.....

right now this cake is history because

I made it yesterday for my Grandson's

17th birthday!  Excuse the mess in

the background of this photo because

they are remodeling a room and had

to put everything in the dining room

where we had dinner last night:

Our son Chad on the left, 
 Pete and his
 Mother Shannon!

Hope you have a 
Happy Valentines Day!

SPRING COZIES

Just posted a few more cozies: 

This one is large for an 8 Cup

 or around a 48 Oz teapot:

This one below is also large too
and actually more Victorian
looking and wintery:

This one below fits a Standard 6 

Cup or 

about a 36 Oz teapot: