tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post6139805087592627771..comments2024-03-19T08:54:41.693+00:00Comments on Positive Letters ... inspirational stories ...: Tea-time treats and memories ...Hilary Melton-Butcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-22171280981244475722011-10-17T07:43:56.638+01:002011-10-17T07:43:56.638+01:00Hi Amy - good to see you .. childhood memories so ...Hi Amy - good to see you .. childhood memories so different for all of us - I love hearing about your ruralhood days.<br /><br />Weren't tea time treats delicious .. I occasionally still have one - very occasional! Vanilla slices we call them .. and I'm glad they look the same and taste the same ... so much is reformulated - and it's not the same.<br /><br />Lovely to see you - have a good week .. HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-86016292277463694092011-10-17T00:26:56.809+01:002011-10-17T00:26:56.809+01:00I thoroughly enjoy stories depicting your life in ...I thoroughly enjoy stories depicting your life in England - at various ages and stages, Hilary. I wonder if I will recognize the blogger friend! How exciting.<br /><br />When I was younger, with a more determined metabolism, I loved those vanilla bars. Amazing that they are still made and decorated in the same manner here in Canada.amy@ Souldipperhttp://souldipper.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-88777597956303929882011-10-08T08:28:57.355+01:002011-10-08T08:28:57.355+01:00Hi Stephen .. as kids I'm sure we had milk too...Hi Stephen .. as kids I'm sure we had milk too - just wasn't my favourite .. still isn't - and being the eldest I suppose I had the choice of tea or squash. Tea time features pretty high in our day .. that refreshing cuppa in the afternoon.<br /><br />Well you had the right friends didn't you .. that must have been very interesting going to the bakery and helping out .. and that freshly baked smell .. scented breads, sweet iced buns ... I can read your enjoyment in your comment ... yes - memories!<br /><br />Thanks for your tea time memories they sound rather delicious! HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-27908039643317312972011-10-08T05:51:11.591+01:002011-10-08T05:51:11.591+01:00Growing up in the great state of Michigan, we dran...Growing up in the great state of Michigan, we drank tea, although we did not have tea time. We drank milk with our pastries. <br /><br />One of my best friend's parents owned a bakery. On Saturdays, we would go there early in the morning and clean trays and other tools of the trade. In return, we would receive free pastries, breads, and such. Warm and fresh. All washed down with ice cold milk. So delicious. Ahhh ... the memories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-64623909147709900872011-10-07T17:04:14.289+01:002011-10-07T17:04:14.289+01:00Hi Chase .. I forget your Thanksgiving is earlier ...Hi Chase .. I forget your Thanksgiving is earlier than the States' .. and I hope it stays hot for you .. it's cooling down here.<br /><br />Have a lovely long weekend - a good break away from school .. or just a good break .. enjoy it .. HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-61833924006269942642011-10-07T15:03:14.750+01:002011-10-07T15:03:14.750+01:00Hi Hilary,
We are having above-seasonal temperatu...Hi Hilary,<br /><br />We are having above-seasonal temperatures right now as well, which is lovely since we are heading into a long weekend here. <br /><br />It's Thanksgiving and there certainly is lots to be thankful for (including blogging friends)Chase Marchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01936179353954941946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-16796092800594113442011-10-04T22:05:43.341+01:002011-10-04T22:05:43.341+01:00Hi Sara .. oh well you're probably ready for a...Hi Sara .. oh well you're probably ready for a cup of tea and a slice of Victoria Sponge now?<br /><br />You're lucky that JC is a good cook and enjoys cooking at home too .. but glad your daughters have picked up some flair from their Dads .. <br /><br />No wonder you woke up .. saved the alarm clock, I guess!! But I can understand your reluctance to get downstairs to your morning burnt offering breakfast ...<br /><br />Well .. sadly anno domini took over - so we've postponed it for a year or two!<br /><br />It has been desperate here .. though everyone has been loving the warmth and Indian Summer - but Arctic air on the way - so winter kicks in very soon. I expect your London daughter has been in contact .. saying Mum it's HOT over here!! It was much hotter in London .. at least we have the coastal breeze ... <br /><br />You too .. have a good week .. HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-3993162652082336112011-10-04T18:54:40.304+01:002011-10-04T18:54:40.304+01:00Hilary,
Boy am glad I read this post AFTER I ate...Hilary, <br /><br />Boy am glad I read this post AFTER I ate lunch. Wow, the pictures and the descriptions made my mouth water. <br /><br />I'm a terrible cook. Well, that's not exactly true. I have a few dishes I can prepare relatively well. Fortunately, for me the men in my life have always had a knack for cooking. Although, both of my daughters are good cooks and enjoy cooking.<br /><br />My mom wasn't great either. She hated getting up in the morning to fix breakfast, but that's what a good mom was supposed to do. We'd wake up and hear cabinets slamming and pots and pans banging. Then she'd call us to breakfast. None of us wanted to go downstairs. Hmmm...maybe that's the reason I'm such a good cook:~)<br /><br />I hope you enjoy your meeting. It's been HOT where you're at!!<br /><br />Have a good day.Sarahttp://www.sarahealy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-76112966172362304942011-10-04T18:49:20.686+01:002011-10-04T18:49:20.686+01:00Hi Nutschell .. thank you so much - just delighted...Hi Nutschell .. thank you so much - just delighted to hear you enjoying visiting the blog and its accompanying photos .. <br /><br />A good tea round the table with plenty of chatter - is a wonderful way to wind down before the evening ahead starts. Great that you enjoy your cup of tea ..<br /><br />Cheers and thanks again for the award .. delighted to have it .. HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-16221472583029650462011-10-04T18:26:24.988+01:002011-10-04T18:26:24.988+01:00I love your posts--and the pictures that go with t...I love your posts--and the pictures that go with them. Tea is one of my most favorite things, and even though I'm not English, I do make it a point to have my tea time!<br />BTW, Come drop by my blog to claim your AWARD!<br /><br />nutschell<br />www.thewritingnut.comnutschellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10967710710805174781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-44761297183396562872011-10-04T14:05:39.396+01:002011-10-04T14:05:39.396+01:00Hi Julie .. well unfortunately anno domini took ov...Hi Julie .. well unfortunately anno domini took over .. so it's not to be - and I was like a small child .. so excited!<br /><br />Really - a South African tea .. yes they grow Rooi Bos out there - red herbal tea .. it's delicious .. <br /><br />Sounds like she did you proud with cakes and mini sandwiches etc - no wonder you remained friends!<br /><br />Delighted to see .. and we'll meet for tea one day! Cheers HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-79473771789649155682011-10-04T09:50:43.693+01:002011-10-04T09:50:43.693+01:00How exciting to meet your blogging friend from the...How exciting to meet your blogging friend from the states! I can't wait to hear all about it! My first tea time visit was with a dear friend from South Africa who moved in down the street from us. She invited our family over for some of the lovely cakes and mini sandwiches you have pictured here, and we immediately became close friends! Everything looks scrumptuous! JulieEmpty Nest Insiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10074223969046687064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-92193245203326517812011-10-04T08:18:18.259+01:002011-10-04T08:18:18.259+01:00@ Susan .. I guess I'd just started learning t...@ Susan .. I guess I'd just started learning to cook and decision made ... that's so kind of your neighbours but too much is too many mushrooms isn't it - can you dry them for later in the year?<br /><br />It is fantastic that we can meet blogging friends if our travels take us into similar vicinities - sadly anno domini has got the better of this meeting.<br /><br />@ Ann .. like you I love macaroons .. mushrooms I go in and out of using .. but I do love stuffing them for an easy party dish or added vegetable. Those gills under the mushrooms are quite extraordinary aren't they - under that smooth velvety top .. with a lovely colour ... <br /><br />Yes - we're cooling down - Arctic air by the end of the week!!! Still warm for now .. but damp .. it sounded like your weather was pretty unbearable a few weeks ago and glad you're feeling more comfortable.<br /><br />Ann - your writing is superb .. it's a pleasure to read the excerpts - I love them and am always caught up in the story .. well done and definitely don't stop writing or ghost-writing.<br /><br />Thanks Susan and Ann .. cheers for now - HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-47077922813645850892011-10-04T08:03:33.957+01:002011-10-04T08:03:33.957+01:00@ Marinela .. thank you - glad you enjoyed my tea ...@ Marinela .. thank you - glad you enjoyed my tea time treats<br /><br />@ Shirley .. oh thank goodness to the no baking powder .. oh now that's clever thinking .. mine used to come out very thin!! Isn't tea at the Ritz something .. piano playing with tables laid on the dais - then all those delicacies to tempt us .. I'm sure dinner was off that night?!<br /><br />@ Patsy .. how did the Bakewell Tart go? I do love a slice of BT .. delicious!<br /><br />@ Julie .. a little snag with the meeting - but that's life .. yes a good Victoria Sponge filled with home made jam is very delicious .. especially if it's warm from the oven.<br /><br />@ Connie .. Perhaps it tends to be something we do here in the UK more than elsewhere ... and there seem to be lots of places for tea around now .. glad you enjoyed your visit to London with its traditions.<br /><br />Thanks Marinela, Shirley, Patsy, Julie and Connie .. writing about food always makes me hungry and wanting to get into the kitchen - lovely seeing you here - HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-4845562046403098052011-10-04T07:53:40.842+01:002011-10-04T07:53:40.842+01:00@ Susan .. I'm sure if I'd had had kids .....@ Susan .. I'm sure if I'd had had kids .. I'd have been baking too - but don't we all remember stuffing our faces with home made biscuits, buns etc? Funny - how we remember the first attempts - that was quite ambitious: lemon meringue pie .. patting the pastry out with your hands = yes tough!! Oh dear poor topping ... at least you had the filling to guzzle down!<br /><br />@ TE - how lovely to see you here ..Yes - tea can mean so many things .. and shortbread is a favourite .. I wanted to write just about macaroons - but as usual got stretched into the Mrs Beeton direction! High tea - always used to flummox me - I guess we never had that sort of food (tinned fish!) at home .. and so I was definitely not used to it - or eating so early. But it's an easy way to eat - you give people choices and they can select whichever delicacy they'd like and in which ever order they'd like! I can imagine your daughter and her friends having a ball - or a Mad Hatters Tea Party ..!!<br /><br />Your remembrance of Mrs Bucket - is such a good one .. that conjures up so many memories .. I occasionally see episodes now - when they're put on to infill time!<br /><br />The funny thing is .. I'd only just put back word verification for Judy and her post - but I'd been getting spam comments (that drive me nutty!) .. and though they don't get through to the post - they get into my inbox .. one day I had 14 of my own - I was very unimpressed .. so Judy was the excuse to put word verification on. That must be so irritating for you - because those letters are a jumble to read sometimes .. <br /><br />Thanks Susan and TE - wonderful to see you both here .. lovely comments - HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-73968671466149454372011-10-04T01:22:09.536+01:002011-10-04T01:22:09.536+01:00Macaroons! I haven't thought about them since ...Macaroons! I haven't thought about them since I was a child. But I didn't discover mushrooms until much later in my life. Jen loves them; I just think they're okay! But I love to see them on the grass when I'm out walking. I used to pick them to see how they felt.<br /><br />We are finally COOL here in Virginia, too cool, really. But I don't want to be as hot again as we were, not in the 80s as you are.<br /><br />I'm so glad you liked my excerpt #3 from the memoir I'm ghost writing. You are one of my best supporters! Thanks for cheering me on!!<br /><a href="http://anncarbinebest.com/" rel="nofollow"><i>Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror, A Memoir of Shattered Secrets</i></a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-11072364311134225052011-10-04T00:06:07.846+01:002011-10-04T00:06:07.846+01:00Oh, so many delicious things about this post (lite...Oh, so many delicious things about this post (literally and figuratively). So sweet to think of you taking a cooked breakfast up to your parents (& we know what it is to overdose--we have neighbors who give us the most lovely wild mushrooms that they gather . . . but we learned the hard way that moderation is required). Have a lovely visit with your blog friend. I do so love that this can happen--from cyber to real world, but a short step, sometimes.Susan Scheidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09250142489341777926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-25317216937909951712011-10-03T19:57:18.717+01:002011-10-03T19:57:18.717+01:00Thanks for sharing the lovely memories, Hilary! I ...Thanks for sharing the lovely memories, Hilary! I loved tea time when we visited London and think it's a terrific tradition. All those delicious looking goodies are making me hungry!Connie Arnoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06264510809220669622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-56629726554301751352011-10-03T18:55:41.589+01:002011-10-03T18:55:41.589+01:00How exciting, I hope you have a wonderful visit wi...How exciting, I hope you have a wonderful visit with your blogging friend! <br /><br />This post made me so hungry, everything looks and sounds so delicious. I think the jam sandwich cake is my favorite, yum!!!<br /><br />Wonderful post as always. :)Julie Flandershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003737491313673214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-34110502850913793282011-10-03T18:32:55.657+01:002011-10-03T18:32:55.657+01:00Hilary, I do sometimes bake in the evenings - not ...Hilary, I do sometimes bake in the evenings - not yesterday though. I waited until this morning to make my tart.Patsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12263765378083045973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-7158044708722772532011-10-03T18:18:20.049+01:002011-10-03T18:18:20.049+01:00What a wonderful post. However, I feel the urge to...What a wonderful post. However, I feel the urge to make a sponge now (definitely no baking powder). I always make extra so I can eat some of the mix before it goes in the oven.<br /><br />I had afternoon tea at the Ritz several years ago. What a treat!Shirley Wellshttp://www.shirleywells.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-82197758267524042992011-10-03T18:04:53.109+01:002011-10-03T18:04:53.109+01:00Hilary, I love your posts they are always interest...Hilary, I love your posts they are always interesting and beautiful posts!Marinelahttp://marinelareka.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-67204019968006245852011-10-03T17:13:06.190+01:002011-10-03T17:13:06.190+01:00Hi Hillary - I heave the day off today and found t...Hi Hillary - I heave the day off today and found this tea post a delightful treat. I love tea and hae enjoyed it with French Press coffee and scones from the small towns of Western Australia to regular coffee and scones and shortbread in England and Ireland... Always a treat that I share with my daughter whenever possible - In fact, we do a high tea for her birthday most every year with fancy hats - she loves it. (Suddenly I thought of Keeping Up APpearances" as I believe the Buckets often have "tea"?) What a lovely post. I hope that you have a delightful time on Tuesday. I wanted you to know that I do love your posts though rarely comment as it is difficult for me to read the google mystery word/letters... But I am here reading and loving your writing.The Exceptionhttp://ww.miamilf.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-90669282918335930132011-10-03T15:21:38.956+01:002011-10-03T15:21:38.956+01:00I used to do so much baking when our kids still li...I used to do so much baking when our kids still lived at home, their friends called me a bake-a-holic. (Didn't stop them from stuffing their faces, though.) First pie I ever made, at the age of 8 or 9, was a complete disaster, though. It was lemon meringue, and the only good part about it was the lemon filling. I used my hands to fit the crust into the pan, so it was, shall we say, a tad tough, and the meringue wasn't whipped nearly long enough so it was flat, flat, flat. Enjoyed your post.Susan Flett Swiderskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09425315552148200073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401528799218373095.post-26291905935537792872011-10-03T14:49:09.005+01:002011-10-03T14:49:09.005+01:00@ Blonde Duck .. you love your desserts and cakes ...@ Blonde Duck .. you love your desserts and cakes .. perhaps you're making up for lost time?!<br /><br />@ Clarissa .. I love cooking and don't do enough of it - love being creative and different .. <br /><br />.. when I bake I have to be very very careful and follow the recipe - not something I often do!<br /><br />The photos are rather enticing .. I just might be tempted with a tea time treat tomorrow!<br /><br />Thanks Blonde Duck and Clarissa - good to see you - HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.com