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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Retro Tea, Giveaway, Fruit And Nut Scones

Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! First of all, thank you all for the good wishes received for my birthday. It was a lovely day with dinner at our favorite restaurant in town Alder Wood Bistro. And I forgot to take any photos. Ah well...you can tell I am of an older generation...I just don't remember to photograph every moment of my life...and can't really believe anyone would be interested!  But...on to Tuesday Cuppa Tea!




I am having a retro tea today, in a break in the clouds in the sunroom today, with a few mid century pieces I acquired recently that seemed to go together.



And if you know me, it'll be no surprise it's mostly blue and white...although in a few different shades. I used my sunroom tea table as usual, and set it with the new embroidered tea time table cloth I found, with a teapot on one corner and cream and sugar in the other, in mostly blue. I added a blue crocheted doily my sister made me.


The teacups are from 2 different countries, but both are so different and so elegant. The teapot is a Hall USA Philadelphia shape teapot in the Gold Standard band pattern. I baked some fruit and nut scones...the recipe is at the bottom of this post...they are a family favorite from my English Nana and are called Rock scones, because you don't roll them flat and cut them, but mound them and let them go.






The first teacup is in the Empire patter, made by Castleton, USA between 1950-1967.  Castleton has been operating in New Castle, PA since the 1940s, and acquired by Anchor Hocking a few years ago. During the period this neoclassical teacup was made, they were heavily influenced by designers they had lured away from Rosenthal China, so the quality is very fine. I love their items! And doesn't this make you think of Napoleon? It does me!




This Royal Grafton, England tea cup is about the same age, but a different style...more the traditional mid century English teatime teacups. The robins egg blue color is so dainty with the golf overlay borders and snowflake or sunburst. One lump or two???


Royal Grafton was a trade name of A. B. Jones named for the Grafton Works in Stoke-on-Trent where they operated from 1900. The pottery and trademarks were acquired in 1972 by John Tams. They are still in operation, although in a smaller scale.



This is the Hall Phildelphia Gold Standard teapot...lovely clean, elegant lines. 




Hall China came out of the Liverpool Potteries, USA in 1903 and is most well known for it's Jewel Tea in the 1920s. The teapots were in production through the late 1960s and the company continues to manufacture restaurant wares.  For more info on any of the china items at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.




Here is my darling teapot table cloth. I love it!




Are you ready for a scone??? Here are my Rock Scones...on an orphan Shelley Warwicks Savage Tulip And Rose pattern saucer....here is the recipe:


Rock Scones

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour...but I use either unbleached or organic winter white       wheat

1/4 cup sugar...I use organic unbleached, but you can use white or brown

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 stick of butter cut into bits...use vegan margarine

1/3 cup sour cream...I use lowfat yogurt...have used soy as well

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup dried fruit...any combo you have on hand...I used raisins and cranberries

3/4 cup toasted and chopped nuts...I used a combo of almonds, pecans and walnuts

1 egg with a little water beaten for glaze

raw or Demarara to sprinkle on glaze

Method:
Pre heat oven to 325...or 300 in convection oven.

In bowl, mix together with a fork or pastry blender dry ingredients and the butter until they resemble coarse crumbs...here you can also use a food processor, but I don't have one and my Nan's recipe of course had never thought of one!

Combine wet ingredients and add to the dry ingredients...mix lighlty with your fingers if needed to incorporate.

Using your hands, a large table spoon...or an ice cream scoop...my sister's idea...form into dome shapes on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bruch the tops with the egg wash glaze and sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake until golden brown on the bottom, about 15-18 minutes.

This recipe makes 8 Rock Scones, but double well.



Want to remind you if you haven't entered my Far North birthday giveaway, there is still time...the drawing will be late Wednesday night, Aug. 12th. If you haven't entered, click on the photo and leave a comment saying Enter Me on my Far North Tea blog or click on this link:


Thanks for joining me today! Below is the list of some of the blog parties I will be part of and there is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there! And I love to read your comments, and can find you to visit!


13 comments:

  1. Hi Ruth,
    Your teacups are all so lovely, and cute tablecloth and blue doily is cute too! Your scones look delicious, thanks for the recipe. Thanks so much for hosting and have a great week!
    Gina

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  2. (Apologies, I think I accidentally pushed "publish" before I finished on the last comment.)
    Happy belated birthday! So sorry I missed it last week. Such a beautiful blue and white tea tablescape. I really love the coloring of the Royal Grafton. Robin's egg blue is a lovely color. Thank you for the scone recipe. I prefer this method rather than cutting into triangles. They look delicious. I read your post from last week and now I want to go on an Alaskan cruise even more than ever. Please enter me in your generous giveaway. Have a great week!

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  3. I love scones and would like to try this recipe! And your cups and that beautiful blue doily are beautiful! Enjoy your day! Hugs, Diane

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  4. Good morning, Ruth! Both of your teacups are so pretty, and I love your teapot that would go with anything. The embroidered table covering is just darling! I would've snatched that up, too. I do wish I could sit and share one of your scones, from a family recipe, with you. Thanks for hosting your party for us.

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  5. Hi Ruth,
    Your blue and white tea is so lovely today! I especially love the Royal Grafton teacup - it's such a gorgeous pale blue colour! Wow! I would love a tablecloth with a teapot on it!! Thank you for the scone recipe. Happy Tea Day and Thank you for hosting such a fun tea party each and every week! Karen

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  6. Your table cloth with the teapot embroidered on it is very pretty. I love your tea set up and the tea cup with the gold decorations inside it is very pretty. I read all the details you wrote about them and they're interesting. About taking photos, I know not very many people are interested in photos of our faces at times, but they make good memories for the future. I treasure your grandmother's photo at the bottom of your blog, precious. I think that photos now might not seem important, but they will be in the future :-)

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  7. Ruth:
    I do recognize your Royal Grafton. I love their teacups as they seem very old. Of course, your topper would win any girls heart - so darling!

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  8. Thanks for the scone recipe! I will be making them soon! Your retro tea is so lovely and using the darling tea cloth adds so nicely to the table! Thank you for hosting and happy belated birthday!

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  9. Glad to hear that you had a wonderful birthday, Ruth.

    I was immediately drawn to the pretty robin's egg blue colour of your Royal Grafton teacup.The embroidered teapot on your tablecloth reminded me of a Sadler teapot. Love them both!

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  10. Your teacup cloth is adorable. Happy belated birthday. I'm joining in for the first time in absolutely ages.

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  11. Such a lovely table set for tea. I am going to try your recipe, but noticed you had 1 teaspoon of baking powder listed twice. Is that a typo and you mean just 1 teaspoon and not two? I like how the recipe is so adaptable.

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  12. What beautiful tea cups and saucers! I do love a good afternoon tea table. I will be making my usual scones at the weekend to have still warm from the oven... heaven! Have a wonderful week x

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  13. My dear friend, what a delightfully sweet post! How I love seeing your tea cups - you always have the prettiest patterns! I wish I could join you for tea in person, what a joy that would be :)

    Hugs and blessings to you! Thanks for sharing with Roses of Inspiration.

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Thanks for visiting and we love to hear from you! We read every comment. If my husband's health permits, I love to visit andreply. Have a wonderful day and a cuppa tea always at hand! :)