Exciting Things are Coming Soon…
Literacy has been a passion of mine since I was in elementary school. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Gerhardt, noticed that I was struggling to keep up with reading. She pulled me aside after class one day and said she wanted to give me a special class that would help me not only catch up but excel in reading. She even had me assigned to the elementary school paper, The Pony Express. At first I was hurt, but after I started reading more and more, I got excited! I even earned an undeclared minor in writing, just for fun!
Fast forward to having children of my own, I chose to homeschool and read as many books to them as I could. My family has always teased me about having more books than furniture in our home…I wouldn’t have it any other way!
After a few years, I began teaching literature and writing at a homeschool co-op. I LOVE reading and I LOVE teaching!
Having experience working with kids that have some reading and language challenges has made me grow as a teacher and learn creative ways to teach outside the box!
Having the farm and a couple of horses brought new interest! I wanted to help give our semi-retired Arabian a side-job! He is fantastic with kids and incredibly patient. Our pony is learning lots of new things; she is not only adorable but very brave about new adventures!
Stay tuned for more details on how tutoring and horses are coming together to bring joy and learning…
Edible Flowers
Marigold – flavor: tangy, citrus; use: colorful addition to appetizers, cocktails, salads, or fruit trays
Carnations – flavor: clove, peppery; use: add spice to salads or steep in wine and use as cake decorations
Buzz Buttons – flavor: citrus notes; use: sprinkle or float in cocktails for an electric buzz sensation
Calendula – flavor: grassy, minty; use: garnish desserts or mix petals into salads
Firestix – flavor: fresh corn taste; use: as a swizzle stick in cocktails or a garnish on seafood dishes
Snapdragon – flavor: mild, slightly tart; use: decorative plate garnish
Chrysanthemum – flavor: grassy, sweet; use: herbal tea, salad or sandwich garnish
Fennel blossom – flavor: sweet, licorice; use: pairs well with fish and lamb dishes
karma orchid – flavor: fresh, crisp; use: cake decoration and plate garnish
The Do’s and Don’ts
Afternoon Tea Etiquette:
Do call it Afternoon Tea. (if you’re not sure what that means, check my previous post)
Don’t call it High Tea.
Do dress appropriately, business casual at minimum
Don’t wear ripped jeans, short dress, or scuffed shoes
Do assign one guest to pour the tea for everyone at the table.
Don’t ever serve yourself first and don’t overfill the teacups.
Do stir the tea with a teaspoon up and down.
Don’t stir in a circular motion, banging the cup.
Do hold the teacup by meeting your thumb and index finger in the handle.
Don’t hold your finger through the handle or stick your pinky out.
Do sip your tea and enjoy each drop. It is an experience.
Don’t slurp your tea unless your a professional tea taster in the proper location.
Do break the scone by hand in half or bit sized chunks.
Don’t cut the scone with a knife or take bites out of the whole scone.
Do spread the jam and clotted cream on each half, using a knife.
Don’t sandwich the halves back together or dunk the scone in milk.
www.theteacupoflife.com
High Tea vs Afternoon Tea
If you’ve been invited to a tea around 6 pm, what should you expect for food and how should you dress?
High Tea and Afternoon Tea are often misunderstood. High Tea is actually for the lower class who typically work long hours at labour intensive jobs, such as mines or fields. The workers come in after a long day of work and be in need of a meal where tea was a part of it. High Tea is a more substantial and savory meal served towards late evening, 6-7 pm.
It is often misunderstood because some assume “high” to mean elegant or fancy but it actually is not.
Afternoon Tea is the more elegant and classy tea party that many think of when someone asks them to tea. It is typically served at a low table. Upper class were more accustomed to Afternoon Tea. It began as a social gathering in England around the 1840’s. It has been suggested that the Duchess of Bedford was feeling hungry in the mid afternoon between meals and decided to have snacks to accompany her tea. She continued this tradition and invited friends to join her.
It was originally a tea intended to fill the gap between lunch and dinner and served around 3 or 4 pm. It has both sweet and savory and bite sized finger foods. There is no crust on the sandwiches that are served and scones are served with clotted cream and jam.
Cream Tea is a simpler form of Afternoon Tea and does not contain a meal. It is typically a pot of tea with scones/clotted cream.
“A cup of tea is an excuse to share great thoughts with great minds.” -Christina Re
Stretch Your Writing Genes
Comic Relief
Encourage your artists to draw and write a comic strip. If they are a writer and not an artist, join friends or family members together for a fame of comic relief.
Poetry Plot
Look for words, phrases, etc. from magazines, photographs, etc. and build a poem using your findings. It stretches the creative juices.
Chain Reaction
Start one person with a short writing prompt…it could be a word, a phrase etc. Then designate a time frame, such as one minute of writing. Pass around to each family member so they can add on to the story. Share when everyone has participated. This works well for parties.
Acrostic Fun
Pick a noun that names something you love such as animals, boating, etc. and then make a poem of sorts using adjectives to describe each letter. This is a great one for classrooms.
What IF?
Allow each participant to come up with a what if scenario and write it on a piece of paper. Add all the questions into a bowl and each persondraw one that is not their own and share their answer. It’s a great way to break the ice for a get-together.