Buongiorno!
I decided I would do a photo fest today. My friend from Denmark came bearing gifts. This how-will-I ever-live-without-it tea. She has it specially blended and the aroma alone puts me in nirvana. Years ago she brought the best gin I have ever had. Geranium gin. If you enjoy gin, it's wonderful.
As if the tea were not enough....two hand thrown tea cups to enjoy my tea in. Julie has done some pottery herself, she is always seeking new artistic interests. She has been weaving for a few years and she has two large looms. She also knits. Kinda up your alley, Boud.
Thank you, Denise, for the soda bread recipe. I made it and it is so good. Along with the all purpose flour, I used one cup of ground einkorn berries. It's perhaps the best soda bread I've made. I skipped the raisins, as I don't care for them. The crust is fabulous on this loaf.
I ended the day with a simple egg bake. Bacon, asparagus, spinach, onion, garlic, potato and gruyere. It was good, if I do say so myself!
I've been keeping busy in my small way. Today I have an appliance repair person coming to hopefully repair my elderly dryer. I don't want to replace it, so I hope it can be fixed. Fingers crossed. We had a visitation to attend on Saturday. Ken, who helps my hay guy, died unexpectedly last month. We've know him at least fifteen years and have had many conversations covering just about any topic there could be. We will miss the extremely tall, lanky good guy.
These are troublesome times. It often feels like the world has come off its axis. We both try to deal with the day-to-day and do manage to a point. Baking bread and eating good food, drinking wonderful tea in beautiful cups, there is my comfort.
36 comments:
Such pretty cups to enjoy special tea in!
This sounds so good. The smell of tea leaves is a great lift in itself. This is a good friend.
I love the vintage berries and that you ground your own flour. That's a fun thing to do. Soda bread looks good. Hoping the dryer doesn't need replaced.
You have to be in heaven with your new tea and hand thrown cups. Your visit sounds like it was very special. When in doubt...and egg bake always works for dinner. Sorry to read about your hay guy. We just got a truckload of hay last Saturday and our hay guy, like us, is also 81 and still plugging. You have to be nuts to have horses and keep doing this stuff....right?
I love the tea cups! The shape and colors are wonderful. I think it would very nice to have a cup of the gin tea in one of those cups.
Nothing but snow the past few days. The ski resorts are calling it The Miracle in March.
Take Care during these days of living in nightmare.
Kaye
The tea looks fabulous and I bet everything tastes better in those lovely cups! Good luck with the dryer.
P.S. I am sorry for the loss of your friend.
Kaye
It is never easy to lose a friend suddenly. I'm sorry for your loss. Your Danish friend brought things to lift your spirits. I hope you enjoy them, and that friend, for a long time to come.
My Sue loves her tea. I often have it with her but less of it and I enjoy it less.
Sorry for the loss of your friend. :(
Those cups are cool as is the tea!
I do like tea.
I recently purchased some cups from a lady who makes wonderful tea cups and vases. I purchased a cup for my Stepdaughter last year. They are unique and wonderful.
They are!
The dryer needs to be replaced, Ivy.
Yes she is, Boud.
Yes. But then owning horses at any age can be considered by many as being nuts, Lori
Aren't they pretty, Kaye? The ski resorts are rally happy at the moment.
Can't be repaired, sadly.
Thanks, Kaye.
Me, too, e. I've known her sense 2008 and first met her in 2010. So it's been a longtime friendship, even though long distance.
Like Sue,I enjoy tea, AC. I also enjoy coffee.
Yes they are, Val. It is sad to have lost Ken. He was a troubled soul, but a very good man.
The special tea and handmade cups--OMG! What a treat! And then you make wonderful bread and yummy food. Wonderful way to keep your mind off the state of the world. Sorry about the sudden loss of a friend, though. I have always thought sudden deaths are harder on the living...but a blessing for the ones leaving, you know? Glad you had such a good visit with your creative friend. Have a good rest of your week. :)
I'm sorry about the loss of your friend, but I'm glad you have some relief from the state of the world with your tea, tea cups and comfort foods. That's so important.
You are right, Rita. Sudden death is harder on the survivors. We had a fun time, it's been 8 years since I've seen her.
Yes, it is important, especially in such stressful times.
I must admit we've never investigated speciality teas. We're probably missing something but we're quite happy with bog-standard Tetleys.
I hope you were able to fix your dryer. Here we tend to be told "I can fix it but it would cost blah blah and you'd be better off buying a new one".
It couldn't be fixed, nick. One part was not available and it would have cost as much or more than buying new. I've never done a special blend of tea, either.
What a good friend to bring you that tea! Keep us updated on your dryer! Have a great day!
What a wonderful friend you have, and the gifts she has given are special. The tea and those cups are lovely. She sounds like a very talented lady. I am delighted that you enjoyed the soda bread recipe I shared. I am showing my ignorance but I have never heard of einkorn berries so I looked them up. I can send away for them as I fully intend to put them in the soda bread next time I make it. I'll look in the local supermarkets first though. Your soda bread photos look great, as does your other meal. I am very sorry about Ken and my deepest condolences to all who loved and liked him. As for the state of everything, I feel the same way. Sometimes I think the world's gone bonkers, but I keep living in hope for a better day to come! It seems a long way off right now at the moment I know.
Yes, very good friend.
Einkorn is the oldest cultivated wheat, going back about 5000years, Denise. It's great for gluten intolerance, not Celiac. You won't likely find it in a store. It's also farro. There are, I think, four different wheat varieties that are under the name farro. Farro is wheat in Italian. The farro in stores is not einkorn, but could be ground into flour. Our government, what remains of it, is quickly falling apart.
What a nice gift from your friend, Sandra, and you can think of her when having the tea in those cups. We also had soda bread that Patrick made and he did include the raisins. It is so good with a cup of tea as you most likely know!
I do know, Dorothy. Raisins are one of those things you like or don't. I was fortunate to meet her, that is for sure.
Been there. We did that not long ago. Speed Queen locally owned private store. Not a chain. Though had the chain had a better deal, we would have went there. Love to support local companies but when it's a 200 dollar difference, we just can't.
The large, local store was less money than the big box stores. That was the cherry on top, Ivy.
I'm glad you're enjoying the tea and the cups! It was such a nice visit! I just got home today and it's grey and rainy, so maybe I'll make myself a cup of tea before I fall asleep entirely too early.
The tea is fabulous, Julie! I really enjoyed your visit. Hope you have received from the time difference.
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