Time For High Tea. Be my guest.

I am a huge fan of 'high teas'. Coming back into fashion a few years ago, I decided to give high tea a go myself. "How hard could it be?" I asked, especially if I bought most of the food already prepared. Setting up the table was my next problem, not having any fancy or appropriate crockery for such an event to take place. All I can say here is that it was a blessing that I volunteered at an opportunity shop. Everything is so reasonably priced and it is a thrill when you stumble upon a great find. So my shopping spree began in earnest and this is what I found.

I could not believe what was on offer. Fancy tea cups and plates had never been my thing but I was doing well finding things and having fun at the same time.

My girlfriends also contributed to the cause by giving me appropriate gifts for my high teas.

 Eventually my collection was adequate enough and I still collect to this day if I find something nice. Everything is stored separately in the base of my Welsh dresser for easy access, as it is next to the dinning room table. 

Another accessory that adds ambience are candles which give that glow and sparkle to the tableware and the food. Their soft glow makes the atmosphere extra special.

Now for the refreshments. To start off the high tea pink champagne is always a popular choice and continues on till the cup of tea comes out with the sweet choices. I usually make a non alcoholic punch for the non drinkers and the drivers. This is a mixture of half lemonade and half apple juice with a few drops of pink food colouring and slices of fresh strawberries floating on the top. Nicely presented in a punch bowl it looks and tastes fabulous.

The Savoury Food.

Cucumber sandwiches are a must as they are so light and refreshing especially on a hot day. I use white bread and remove the crusts. Club sandwiches are popular and a variety of fillings can be used, asparagus, cheese, tomato, salmon, egg, chicken and mayonnaise. Water crackers with cream cheese, capers and salmon and a variety of small quiches are all good savoury options.

The Sweet Food.

Fresh strawberries with balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top. A bowl of whipped cream, icing sugar to sprinkle and sugar cubes for the tea is put on the table.A huge favourite of course is the cup cake and here your imagination can soar. Making and decorating them is great fun or there are a lot of choices to buy these days. A plate of multi coloured macaroons, a pavlova with kiwi fruits or shaved chocolate [flake bar], and a pink iced sponge cake completes the sweets.

This is usually more than enough as I have six guests to my high teas. They are so much fun and a great way to entertain as everything can be prepared before they arrive and there are only the quiches to heat up. You can buy a variety of tea bags which is fun for your guests to choose from. Serve them in fancy tea cups with sauces. The table setting should be the focal point with the food set out elegantly for that special effect. The only request I make is that everyone is to frock up for the occasion and wear a fascinator or flower in their hair. Do have fun with your guests and enjoy the afternoon. Bon Apetit.

Some Photos of my Ginger Boy.

The Saga of Oscar Whiskers

The saga of Oscar Whiskers starts five years ago when I was nursing in the community, visiting people in their houses. I took the company car to clients to dress their wounds. This particular day I visited a young woman's house who owned several cats. As I got out of the car and approached the house a friendly ginger cat wanted to come in the front door with me. I asked the owner if this was okay thinking that it belonged to her and she stated that it did not, but was a stray left behind by the owners in the house next door who had moved away leaving him behind. His name was Oscar and he now lived underneath their trailer and her brother fed him daily. Oscar then decided to greet me every day when I arrived. He rubbed against my legs and tried to climb up me for a cuddle. As I left and approached the car he would follow me and try to climb inside. He was so starved for love and attention and food. He was terribly thin with his little hip bones protruding upwards from his back. I wanted to take him home with me. The woman that I visited asked me if I would take the cat. First or all I thought that I should pass it by my family who to my surprise said yes. I had imagined that the answer would have been no and I would then have to look for another owner for him. So the next time I visited I told her that we would take him but would have to do it after work and collect our cat box that we use for vet visits. That afternoon I collected my daughter from school and we went round to fetch Oscar. He was only too pleased to come up to us. Everything was set up for when we got home, including a kitti litter tray, food, water and toys. He was going to be a spoilt boy. We had bought him a scratching platform and a new soft bed, as we would not be able to let him outside until he had settled down in his new home and accepted it. When we released him from the cat box he bolted down the hall to my daughters bedroom hiding under her bed. During the night she heard him come out and he ventured down for some food that was left out for him. This won him over as he had been so starved and he began to relax. He was used to me and followed me where ever I went, which he still does to this day. We fed him four small meals a day as we did not want to make him sick and he settled in to life with us extremely quickly. Oscar now runs the household and still expects his four meals a day, a habit I am unable to break him from. Very affectionate and loving, he spends his days following us around and sitting on us whenever possible. He loves a long movie! He joins us when we sit outside in the sun while we write and spends his time sunbathing or lying on the table under the umbrella, having an afternoon snooze. He is devoted to us and we are to him. He is a well built cat, happy with his lot in life and all the cuddles and kisses that he receives. We love him and he loves us in return.  He is my ginger boy.

Book Review - Girl With A Pearl Earring

Girl With A Pearl Earring is set in mid seventeenth century Netherlands. The story tells the tale of Griet a young girl who through no fault of her own is sent to work as a maid in the house of the well known painter Johannes Vameer. She runs into trouble with some members of the family, who make her life in the house difficult. The relationships she develops between her employer and the butchers son unravels throughout the story, making it irresistible to put down.Written beautifully by Tracy Chevalier, who does a great job in bringing the characters to life. Griet is eventually painted by her master and so the story unfolds. I loved every part of this book. One not to be missed. 

I have a copy of the movie which is also excellent and holds close to the book. 

The Painting

I grew up with this painting as a child. It is one of my favourite pieces of art. It hung in the spare room of my grandmother's house where I slept when I stayed over. It fascinated me when I was young, as it still does to this day. I love this painting because of her expression, the colours, the scarf, the earring and the way her gaze follows you around the room. I have two copies of it hanging in my home. One was drawn for me and the other one I bought for eight dollars at the opportunity shop. It had a white frame around it that did not do it justice, so I painted the frame an antique gold which looked so much better highlighting the painting. It now looks magnificent in my lounge with a lamp beneath it and I can see it from my bed. They bring me a lot of joy and take me back to my childhood. 

The Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens.

What a place! It is a pure delight. Situated 45 Kms south east of Melbourne along the south Gippsland Highway on the outskirts of Cranbourne it hosts a large car park and the gardens are on 363 hectares of land. It includes wetlands, woodlands and heath lands. All sections of the gardens consist of Australian flora. 

The gardens are beautifully set out, lovely and peaceful to walk around. If you are unable to do so it is wheelchair friendly and there is a little road train that takes you round, stopping off at the Kiosk where you can get an ice cream or a drink.

Please take sunscreen and a hat as the garden path is mostly open, with little shade, and can get extremely hot in summer. Sensible flat walking shoes are also a must. Many types of native flora grow along the walkways. It is entirely up to you if you want to simply enjoy their beauty or get more information from the signs along the way or commentary from the road train driver.

Outside the gardens there is bushland with 10 Kilometres of walking tracks with a lookout. It is a habitat for birds, mammals and reptiles and is home to some rare and endangered species.

At the  entrance to the gardens is a cafe, rest rooms and a well stocked souvenir shop with Australian products to buy. In the gardens there is a playground for the children and shady areas that offer some relief from the sun. Along the way there are various spots sit and enjoy your surroundings. 

Go for a walk around these lovely gardens. You will not regret it. Well worth a visit.

Monkey Mania.

When I was four years old I received for my birthday a large toy monkey that I still have to this day (nearly forty years later). 

This started off my love affair with monkeys that has lasted to this day. Ever since they have been a source of fascination to me. When my daughter turned four I gave her a "little lost monkey" which still sits on her bed. This may well have started a family tradition. I hope it will continue through the generations. I now have a fairly large collection of soft monkeys and some small plastic ones. I also still have the cane one that hung in my grandmothers house for years. Maybe she had a thing for them too.

All my monkeys sit on a cane chair in my bedroom looking at me.

This one is Orangatango.

The Girls.

The Gang

I love them all.