Long May She Reign!

 Coronation Chicken Sandwiches

I'm doing my best planning and preparing to serve up a 

"proper" English tea

this Diamond Jubilee Weekend.

Yesterday between polishing the silver and starching the doilies, 

I practiced making Coronation chicken tea sandwiches. 

My tea sandwiches are inspired by the famous Coronation Chicken recipe 

created by Constance Spry for the 

Queen's Coronation lunch in 1953.

Coronation Sauce

Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwiches

Makes 6 sandwiches to cut into smaller tea sizes

2 chicken breasts, rubbed with Madras curry paste 

and roasted in a 350F oven until a meat thermometer registers 160F.  

Let the chicken cool.  Next shred the chicken and cut into a small dice size.

For the sauce:

1/4 C. Mayonnaise

1/4 C. Sour Creme

2 T. Mango Chutney

1 T. Madras Curry Paste (I used Patak's brand) 

2 T. Chopped fresh Coriander

6 Dried Apricots chopped

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.  

(I prefer a bit more spice and if you do, too,

just add more curry, chutney and coriander.)
Add the chicken, mix well.

For the tea sandwiches:

Lightly spread softened butter on the bread slices
and then a light spreading of mayonnaise.

Fill with the Coronation Chicken mix.

Press down slightly and cut into squares, triangles or fingers using a serrated knife. 

Garnish with watercress.

Serve and enjoy!

As for Queen Elizabeth II,

I truly admire her. 

Long May She Reign!

As for my Wedgwood Embossed Queen's Ware
1953 Coronation Tea Set...
can you believe I found it covered in dust in an Oregon antique shop
last year.  It had never even been used.
I think it would have made a lovely wedding gift to
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge don't you?
Sorry Wills and Kate,
I'm keeping it!

(In the photos:  Vintage Wedgwood 1953 Coronation Tea Set and

Wedgwood Queen's Ware Edme Sandwich Tray.)

The British Aisles

 60 Years a Queen!

I received a "hot tip" today that there's now 

Queen's Diamond Jubilee display

 (on this side of the Pond)

 at Cost Plus World Market.

So this afternoon, I made a mad dash and hit the 

"British aisles"

at Cost Plus World Market.  

 Long May She Reign

I spotted the Queen Elizabeth II tea mug right away.

Cost Plus did a nice job with this lovely Jubilee keepsake mug 

and it's hand finished in the UK.

 Devonshire Cream

Nothing goes better with tea and scones than Devon Cream!

I'd already stocked up on this tea party necessity 

and can't wait to see if it tastes as good as 

Devon Cream in England!

 Digestives Anyone?

It's always nice to have digestives on hand 

in case some "pops" over for a cuppa!

 Scottish Tea Cakes

I've spotted these cute little Scottish tea cakes by Tunnock's 

in Emma Bridgewater's Diamond Jubilee photo styling.
I bought them awhile back for the Jubilee Weekend...
but they didn't last a day in our house!

They are "ooey-gooey" good!

Best way I can describe them is, they're  like a chocolate, 

marshmallow covered biscuit.  

 Scottish Shortbread

Well, the Queen loves Balmoral Castle, Scotland and her Corgis 

so these little Scottie Dogs are perfect for a Jubilee Celebration!
They're not Corgis but they're sure cute!

 Spot of tea?

What's your favorite cuppa?  

There's plenty of good British brand tea 

to stock-up on in the tea aisle. 

I enjoyed visiting the

British "aisles" today but left empty handed since I'm already 

stocked up for the big Jubilee weekend.   

It was fun to see a Diamond Jubilee display though 

on this side of the pond!

Jubilee Countdown

 Jubilee Dress Rehearsal

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee weekend

 is now just days away 

so I'm in dress rehearsal mode 

trying out a few new recipes for my 

Jubilee tea party.

 Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes

My Jubilee tea party menu is very traditional 

and includes both sweets and savory.

I think these Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes

are sure to be the "star" of the celebration!

 The Ingredients

It's always good advice to buy the best ingredients you can.

With this recipe, 

you really want to splurge and buy the best strawberry jam 

available. 

I went with Wilkin & Sons Ltd. 

Tiptree Strawberry Preserve from England.

They hold a royal warrant...

so if it's good enough for the Queen

it's good enough for me!

 Oops!

The mini cakes are made in a British mini-sandwich tin.

Here in the States, 

you can use a mini-cheesecake pan for the same results. 

Don't worry if your cakes bake too high 

and you end up with muffin tops.

Just take a serrated knife and cut the tops off and then you'll have 

the perfect shape and size.

Mini Sponges

You'll end up with perfect little sponge cakes
(like these)

thanks to their baking pan's design with straight sides. 

Mini Victoria Sandwiches

After the cakes have cooled on a rack, 

you cut each cake in half 

and layer on buttercream 

and then a teaspoon of strawberry jam.

Fit for a Queen!

The last step is to lightly dust the cakes with icing sugar 

and they're ready for your tea table!

And yes,

this recipe truly is

"fit for a Queen"!


(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Diamond Jubilee & Union Jack Pottery and Betty and Barclay Union Jack Bunting.)

Fit for a Queen!

Victoria Sponge Anyone?  

It's Queen Victoria's birthday today...

so I think this calls for some Victoria Sponge!

 Queen Victoria

Yes, Victoria Sponge is named after Queen Victoria

and it was her favorite cake!

Whenever I visit London, 

I love to walk the grounds of Kensington Palace and see the 

Queen Victoria statue.  

Last year after tea at the Orangery, 

I could not find the Queen Victoria statue.  I discovered after our trip that the statue 

was being re-stored during Kensington Palace's two year refurbishment. 

The Queen Victoria statue was erected in 1893

celebrating Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. 

The statue suffered shrapnel damage during World War II 

and has been now restored to her former glory.  

 I will look for her again on my next trip to London!

 Victoria Sponge 

On our trip to England last year,

I tasted Victoria Sponge for the first time at

 The Orangery at Kensington Palace 

(photo above)

and  at 

The Regency Tea Room

in the Jane Austen Center in Bath, England

(top photo).

Both Victoria Sponges were

 "fit for a Queen"!

Did you know that,

Queen Elizabeth II 

is Queen Victoria's great-great-great granddaughter and 

 Victoria Sponge

 is one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite cakes, too!

I'm off now to my kitchen to practice making 

Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes

for my upcoming Diamond Jubilee tea parties!  

Raise the Buntings!

Celebration Time!

Every Diamond Jubilee celebration needs a 

Union Jack bunting...

and I've got mine!

Whenever I travel to England 

I love seeing Union Jack buntings everywhere 

from the "quaintest" tea rooms to the most regal "high street" shops.

Last year in England, I almost bought a Union Jack bunting until I read the package and saw that is was out-sourced and made in China.  I just couldn't bring myself to buy it.  I'm so glad I didn't buy it because I recently discovered a brilliant bunting shop on Etsy called, 

Betty and Barclay.

The moment I saw Betty and Barclay's buntings, 

 I knew the owner had to be British.  

Sure enough she is and Carol James is a retired Brit, 

now living in France.  

When Carol's not busy sewing her adorable buntings 

she's out scouring the French countryside for vintage treasures 

to sell in her other Etsy shops,  

Le Moulin Bleu  and Chateau D'Aulnay 

Betty and Barclay

Since most Americans are not that familiar with buntings, 

I asked Carol to explain what buntings are and tell us a bit about her buntings. 

Here's our chat:

Carol, can you explain what a bunting is and how they are used?
CJ)  Buntings originated in Suffolk, England in the mid 1800s and were traditionally used by the navy for signalling purposes and even today the ship's officer in charge of communications uses flags known as a "bunt".   As time went by the flags then moved on to being a decoration for boats and yachts with colors being red, yellow, blue and green. Buntings then became popular with patriotic celebrations, moving on to home party decorations and now today to being home decorations for use all year...celebrating or not!

I had not thought of hanging bunting myself until last year when I was hosting a family birthday party.  It was October, full of the colors of Autumn and so I decided to hang two of my "fall buntings' and seven months later they are still hanging because I find them most cheerful and mesmerising...maybe it's time to change to summer ones?

 How did you become interested in making and selling your signature line of buntings?

CJ) Just over a year ago my niece was getting married and commented that she would like to have bunting but it is so expensive....I like sewing so thought I would make her some as a surprise. I looked on the Internet and was surprised at just how expensive buntings can be so thought I'd have a go at trying to sell some. 
One of my first buntings was my Nautical Navy and White Stripe Bunting.   I thought as bunting has its origins with a naval theme this would be a good one to start with and it has become my most popular bunting...I don't know exactly how many I have sold but I have used about 50 yards of fabric now so it is quite a lot!  Three orders have been for "nautical themed" weddings and my nautical buntings have been featured in over 100 Etsy Treasurys. 

Do you have any tips on how to decorate with buntings?

CJ)  In my experience, I always think that buntings look better when hung in a space as opposed to being flat against a wall...say from one wall to another across a corner, not flat against the wall.  The uses for buntings are endless but I always say that "less is more" if you choose colors correctly.   You don't need loads of bunting to make an impact in rooms where you might need a lot of buntings.  For example, say if you were going to fill a marquee for a party, decorate a shop, a tent stall, across a street, etc.  then certainly bunting with spaces in between the flags is so much better...not so much like shark teeth!  Also, fewer flags are needed and the cost of the banner should be less expensive.  I've made all sorts of buntings from a New York fashion show with 300 yards down to a string of five little flags for a baby's  room.  I make many customized buntings which is always a pleasant challenge!

Because I always have to ask, are you a tea drinker?  If yes, what's your favorite "cuppa"?
CJ)  Yes, I am a tea drinker...although since living in France I have become a coffee drinker, too.  Coffee or tea, it has to be made in the correct way.  Coffee is always freshly percolated and I am still experimenting and trying new flavours and densities.  But tea, well I'm English and have always been a tea drinker.  I have English Breakfast in the morning and in the afternoon Earl Grey.  Tea is most definitely the most refreshing drink...only in a cup and in a pre-warmed pot!
Love that!

Betty and Barclay

Who are Betty and Barclay?

CJ)  Betty and Barclay are the names of my vintage Teddy Bears!

Barclay was found at an antique fair in England.  He was under a stall with his head in a polythene bag...we had to rescue him!  A year later we found Betty with a broken neck and torn ear...another rescue and a mate for Barclay!

Carol, what a pleasure getting to know you 

and "thank you" so much for taking the time to chat about buntings.  

I can't wait to get more of your buntings for other celebrations! 

(In the photos:  Betty and Barclay Union Jack Bunting, Emma Bridgewater Union Jack and Diamond Jubilee pottery and Spode Blue and White china)

Fit for a Queen!

 Diamond Jubilee Tea Party

It's countdown time...

Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebration 

is just a little over two weeks away now.  

I wish I could be in England 

attending some fabulous village street parties 

but since I can't

I'll be celebrating here in the States all Jubilee weekend long

with parties of my own. 

My Diamond Jubilee celebrations will be mostly tea parties 

since I am a huge fan of British afternoon tea. 

 British Tea Mugs

To set the stage for my tea parties

I've been collecting British Union Jack and British "themed" china. 

Thanks to my "very kind and thoughtful" British knitting friends,

(Thank you Jo and Teresa!) 

I've even had wonderful tea mugs sent to me all the way from England

for my Jubilee celebrations!

Union Jack pottery

No Jubilee celebration would be complete without 

Emma Bridgewater's Union Jack pottery!

I've began collecting Emma's Union Jack pattern

ever since I visited the Emma Bridgewater factory last year. 

I knew it would be perfect for my Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Emma also has a limited-edition Diamond Jubilee range 

which has been a smashing success!

I love this range and special-ordered a few mugs and plates.

Many of the pieces can be personalized and hand painted by artists 

at Emma Bridgewater.  I had my tea mugs personalized with 

"cuppa" on them since that is so "British" to me!

 Queen of Cakes

Besides china, 

I've also purchased some new British cook books

 to make authentic British tea party treats. 

I recently discovered Britain's Mary Berry who is known as the 

"Queen of Cakes"

so I had to buy her book called, 

100 Cakes and Bakes. 

I also adore the book Vintage Tea Party which is filled with tea party recipes 

and encourages us to bring out our treasured vintage tea things for our tea table.  

The author Carolyn Caldicott owned the World Food Cafe in London's Convent Garden.  

She has been collecting tea recipes ever since she was a child.  

I'm so glad she is sharing them in her darling book! 

So now, I'm off to finalize my Diamond Jubilee Tea Party plans.

On the menu already are:

Scones with Devonshire Cream and Strawberry Jam

Coronation Chicken Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches

Egg and Cress Sandwiches 

Victoria Mini Sponge Cakes

and 

Lemon Tarts

I think her Royal Highness,

would approve!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack & Diamond Jubilee pottery, Mason Cash Knitannia Mug, Waitrose Tea Mugs, Vintage Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Mug

and Union Jack Bunting by Betty and Barclay.)

All The Tea in China

The Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark is once again in ship-shape! 

Queen Elizabeth II officially re-opened the historic Cutty Sark today,
five years after the 19th century British tea clipper was ravaged by fire
during it's restoration project. 

Whenever we travel to England,
I'm always wanting to learn more about tea.
 So on our 2004 vacation,  we took a day trip to Greenwich in south London
 to see the last surviving British tea clipper ship, the Cutty Sark
and hit a few antique markets, too.

On the momentous occasion of her reopening  
I thought it would be neat to share my photos
and a few of my memories of
our visit to the Cutty Sark.

 All the Tea in China

The Cutty Sark was a working cargo ship from 1869 until 1922.

She was a great tea clipper ship during, what is called,
The China Tea Years from 1870 to 1878.

In 1870 she made her first voyage from London to Shanghai
(an 8 month round trip)
and returned with 1450 tons of tea on board!

She made a total of eight journeys on the high seas to China

as part of the tea trade 

until clipper ships were replaced by steam ships. 

Chinese Black Tea  

From my travel journal entry on May 9, 2004:

"Next stop in Greenwich is aboard The Cutty Sark.

  Built in 1869, she is the last of the great tea clipper ships. 

She  traveled to China to bring both black and green tea to England.  

Once the tea made the journey from China to England

 it was already 18 to 24 months old."

"There is an effort now to save the Cutty Sark due it's demise 

mostly from the London rain.

We enjoyed touring the ship and were most amazed at how small the merchant sailors 

bed and bunks were."

The Cutty Sark in 2004

What a wonderful day in the Cutty Sark's glorious history 

to be returned to all her former glory!

 She  re-opens to the public tomorrow and even has a cafe on board now.

If we ever travel back to Greenwich, 

I would like to visit her again
and have a tea break in the new cafe.

And leave it to Twinings...

they have a Chinese black and a green gunpowder
commemorative tea blend named  Cutty Sark 

to celebrate the re-launch of the Cutty Sark.  ...

the last of the great tea clipper ships!

Happy Birthday, Queen Elizabeth!

Her Royal Majesty

Great Britain's Royal Navy fired a 21-gun salute today marking
Queen Elizabeth's II 86th birthday today.

So my afternoon tea break today has a "royal-tea" theme

honoring the Queen's birthday!
I've been saving my
Highgrove Afternoon Tea 
that I purchased at The Prince of Wale's, Highgrove Shop
 last year in Tetbury in the Cotswolds
for a special occasion.
Today is that special occasion.

I'm sure Her Royal Highness would approve of
my afternoon tea blend choice...
it is after all blended, packed and imported
by R. Twining and Co. for Highgrove.
Twinings holds a Royal Warrant for tea
and I believe is the Queen's favorite tea purveyor.
I wonder which Twining blend she had for
her birthday "cuppa" today?

Happy Birthday your
Royal Majesty!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack Pottery
Spode Blue Italian & Blue Room and 

vintage Midwinter Queen Elizabeth II Coronation mug.)

Long May She Reign!

 Diamond Jubilee Tin

The Diamond Jubilee

celebrations for 

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 

are now just a few months away.

The official Jubilee Weekend Celebration is June 2nd - 5th, 2012.

I wish I could be in London for all the Diamond Jubilee celebrations!

Since I haven't figured out a way to get to London,

I've decided to celebrate here at home...

all Jubilee Weekend long.

Naturally my celebrations will include tea parties and luncheons.

I've already stocked up on tea from my favorite British tea purveyor,

Whittard of Chelsea.

I love that they have a website for American shoppers now 

with affordable postage rates from the UK.

I couldn't resist Whittard's shiny blue Diamond Jubilee Tin

especially since I have their Golden Jubilee Tin

from my trip to London in 2002.

Golden Jubilee Tin

As much as I love Whittard of Chelsea, 

I must admit, 

I wish their Diamond Jubilee Tin 

was more like their 2002 Golden Jubilee Tin.

Whittard's Golden Jubilee Tin was a larger tea caddy and 

was filled with two Golden Jubilee loose teas,

selected by Giles Hilton, Whittard Tea Master,

to commemorate that special occasion.

I am excited though to have the Diamond Jubilee Tin.

It comes filled with 40 English Breakfast teabags
which I will enjoy now and on the Jubilee Weekend.

Long May She Reign!

Now I'm excited to spend the next few months 

planning my Diamond Jubilee menu and parties.

Thanks to my knitting pen pal, Teresa in England,

my Diamond Jubilee menu will include an authentic

Coronation Chicken recipe!

I'll be sure to share ideas and tips 

over the next few months.

My first tip is...

  treat yourself to some Whittard of Chelsea tea!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack Pottery and Spode Blue Italian & Blue Room.)

Mince Pies

 Mince Pies

More mince pies, please!

One of the best days of my England trip this year

was spending the day at the Emma Bridgewater factory

 in Stoke-on-Trent. 

Thanks to my shopping trip at the factory,

I became an Emma Bridgewater Collectors Club member this year. 

The Collectors Club has special privileges including special pieces

made exclusively for club members. 

This holiday season,

the Collectors Club Mince Pie plates from the Joy range were a smash!

The factory had a tough time keeping up with demand for these adorable plates

and I managed to snag two of them.  

 Mincemeat Tarts

I was hoping to make mini mincemeat pies for Christmas

 to serve on my cute mince pie plates
but it seems that I have run out of time. 

Thankfully, there are Walkers Scottish mincemeat tarts available in America.

  I picked some up last night at my local Cost Plus World Market. 

Dusted with powdered sugar,

 they are a perfect holiday treat on Emma's Mince Pies plates.

For my tea break today,

I'll be enjoying them with a "cuppa"

of my Whittard's Christmas tea!

Emma's Mince Pies Plates

If you ever get to the potteries (Stoke-on-Trent),

I highly recommend taking the Emma Bridgewater factory tour. 

The nicest people work at Emma Bridgewater. 

I loved seeing that each employee

had their own personalized Emma Bridewater mug

in their work station where they can drink tea all day long. 

 How neat is that?!

I hope you get to take a break during the busy holiday season

and enjoy a tea break
with some mincemeat tarts or home-made treats!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Mince Pies plates from the Joy range.)

Christmas Tea Time

Christmas Tea

'Tis the season for Christmas tea...

For the holidays, I'm drinking

Whittard of Chelsea's

Spice Imperial that I picked up in England earlier this year. 

I love its holiday flavors of
cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and orange peel. 

I'll let you in on a secret...

Spice Imperial is the same blend that Whittard's packages

 as their Christmas Tea this time of year. 

I would love to know
what holiday tea are you drinking?

(In the photos:  Spode Blue & White china and

 Emma Bridgewater Blue Toast Mug & Joy Mince Pie Plate.)

Truly Great Scones

 Tea & Scone, please!

  I've been searching for a truly great scone recipe...

like the scones I've had in England. 

British Style Scones

Whether at a fancy hotel tea or an adorable tea and cake shop...

scones always taste better in England. 

Some scones are dense and some are lighter. 

One thing is certain...
load them up with clotted cream and jam and

they're always delicious!

 Proper Scone Height

On my trip to England in May,

I had some of the best scones I've ever had. 

Ever since that trip,  I've been on a mission to find a truly great scone recipe

to make British-style scones at home. 

I'm happy to report that I've found a truly great scone recipe from, Delia Smith.  

Delia is the UK"s best-selling cookery author so I knew her scone recipe would be good. 

The best tip I learned from Delia is to roll the scone dough out to 1 inch thickness. 

 According to Delia "this is the secret of well-risen scones.  Measure it if you're not sure." 

So I followed Delia's recipe (to a tee), measured my dough and ended up

with truly great scones!

Truly Great Scones

I love Delia's recipe

taken from her book Delia's How to Cook,  Book Two (1999).

 Luckily for you, you can find it on her website Delia Online. 

She calls the recipe Buttermilk Scones with West Country Clotted Cream and Raspberry Butter...

I just call them Truly Great Scones! 

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack tea pot, plate, mug and comport.  Sabre Toile spreader.)

Last Days of Summer!

 Tea in the Garden

It may be the final days of summer...

but I'm still enjoying afternoon tea in the garden.

Summer will actually linger on for many more weeks here in California

with our gorgeous Indian summer.  In the meantime, berry season is over

so the past few weeks,

I've been baking with the last of summer's fruits.

Lemon & Currant Muffins

I was so excited to finally find red currants in California this summer.   

I bought red currants to make authentic British summer puddings 

and ended up with a container left over. 

What to do...but make muffins and tea cakes. 

Knowing how well blueberries pair with lemon muffins, I decided to add fresh red currants

 to my favorite lemon muffin recipe.  I experimented with a batch in my mini-muffin tin

and the results were adorable little tea cakes.  I also made a batch of regular size muffins which I enjoyed with my husband on the weekend.

Fresh red currants are really tart. 

If you're going to make a batch of Lemon & Currant Muffins,

 make sure you ice your muffins with a sugar glaze. 

I modified a recipe from my favorite little muffin book, Muffins by Elizabeth Alston. 

You can find the recipe here. 

(I omitted the fresh ginger for my version.) 

Afternoon Earl Grey

Lemon and Currant tea cakes are lovely in the afternoon

paired with a good cup of Earl Grey. 

Since I was in England this year,

 my tea cupboard is replenished now with my favorite British teas.
 One of my favorite Earl Grey teas is, Whittard's Afternoon Earl Grey. 
(My box of tea is a bit rumpled from travelling home in my suitcase.)

This premium black tea flavoured with bergamot

is packaged in elegant round tea bags. 

 I like to drink mine "milky" with one lump or two!

I love what Whittard's has printed on the box:

"Few hours in life are more agreeable than the British ceremony known as afternoon tea.  Our Afternoon Earl Grey is distinguished by a lighter bergamot taste.  An elegant blend, it evokes an era of fine china and leisurely conversation, when the ceremony of teatime was an unhurried pleasure".

In the past, I've ordered teas online from Whittard in the UK and
they have excellent international service.

Luckily now, Whittard teas are available again in the US though on-line retailer
Annie's Tea Time .

Now there's really no excuse not to enjoy

 a really good "cuppa"  here in the States!

(In the photos:  Laura Ashley Summer Fruits Mug and Emma Bridgewater Polka Dots plate.)