I had tea early at 1pm, my time. Mostly because I was ready for something hot to drink and decided if I drank coffee at 1pm, I wouldn't want tea at 4pm.

I'm glad I did. As I drank my Lady Grey tea, it was snowing big flakes outside and I was flipping through the pages of the January/February issue of Victoria. It arrived not long after Christmas but I just now had time to sit down with it. Couldn't believe after eating all those Xmas goodies I was drooling over the Coconut Creme Pie on page 44!

There's a pretty article on lace and one on the Belle Meade Plantation and other beautiful mansions and hotels. Next issue they are taking us to Ireland.

No tea ideas for the garden specifically, do hope the teacup topiary begins to take shape. Seems more slow growing than the teapot was.

Hi cottage garden friends! Welcome to the New Year!!

Wish I had some snow scenes to gaze out upon as you do, LL--just beautiful. Also I am wishing for a Victoria magazine subscription, as I couldn't find one at the store.

No garden plans this year, just want to get through with better health.

Here's an Apricot Damper I made for tea today.

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Oh how could you show me that delicious thing?! I had to settle for a Little Debbie snack cake - and I mean it was little. :( That's lovely, apricots are my favorite fruit.
Recipe please?

Forgot to mention that I made an impulse buy today. Remember all the discussion we had (or I had, ha)about the Royal Albert tea cups and the different series of cups? I found the third in the "Country Scenes" on Ebay - "Harvest Song". I kept going back to look at it again and again, finally this morning I bought it! Really don't need another cup, but it's so pretty. I'll take a photo when it comes.

Becr - are you the person with the lovely Royal Albert Country Roses in gold? This same seller had one cup in this pattern for $29. I'm tempted, but maybe I should just enjoy yours through photos.

That apricot dessert looks amazing! I'd like the recipe, too :)

My mom LOVES apricots and this would be perfect for her tea get togethers. She has her gal pals over about once every month or so, during good weather, and this would be perfect!

Schoolhouse- I'm so glad you got the teacup! How fun...and we can all enjoy it through your pictures. Becky, I remember the gold roses...those are so pretty. I thought they were yours, too.

I've got to see if my Victoria magazine is here, yet. Time to check the mail (too busy today, to do it before now). Next month, Ireland...sounds wonderful! :)

Here is a web site offering the cups. I didn't buy from this seller, but you can see which pattern I bought today - it's the second one down on the right. Aren't they all lovely? And I was wrong when I said there was only three in the series, that was the Ancestral Series.

Here is a link that might be useful: Country Scenes

I drank tea but ended up having to work during our tea time. I'm designing a vegetable garden back yard for a lady in the "Fancy" part of town.
I have plans for adding more tea to the garden, however we are STILL struggling to get everything in place to get our permits to go through smoothly. This has been going on since April 2010. We previously did back yard drainage work which failed (a year before) and the year before that was the tornado in our yard. I'm beyond ready to get the show on the road! A patio for tea, a privacy garden so I don't need to be bothered, some tea camellias, hopefully New Jersey tea shrubs, linderna and others useful and beautiful. What we do not have enough of is evergreens. I had help with the basic hardscape design and the designer suggested plants (even though I asked her not too). There are NO evergreens on the plan. I find that incredibly boring. No winter interest plants at all in the plans...I like to mix it up a bit (and I will!!)

Apricot Damper

See my review (I doubled the apricots and added walnuts to her recipe).

Schoolhouse, your RA country scene teacups are gorgeous!!! Love those patterns. The RA gold that I have was way less than 29, I think 17 but not sure as it was a couple yrs ago. It was an online store, but can't think of the name right now.

Schoolhouse- Your new teacup is beautiful! I like the Dingle Dell, too :)

Becky- Thanks for the recipe. I'm taking this up to my mom's this afternoon!

GGG- I hope everything finally gets finished, so you can get your landscaping done. Winter interest is important and I'm surprised the designer didn't include any evergreens. A patio for tea and a privacy garden sound wonderful...I can't wait to see your new garden :)

Thanks, the seller is shipping the cup tomorrow. I also prefer this cup shape to others. Yes, the Dingle Dell is gorgeous! I did a search for one for sale, but didn't receive any hits - good thing.

I'm late to the 'tea party' but have tea several times a day in an effort to drink more liquids (I don't like plain water much). So I mostly have Earl Grey, Chai, or mint tea, occasionally English or Irish Breakfast, Lady Grey, or double Bergamot Earl Grey. I have started planning my garden changes for this year and am thinking about how to make another area to enjoy tea in.

Schoolhouse - love your new cup and thanks for that link. I had forgotten about it but have drooled over the lovely cups there many times.

Becky, your Apricot Damper looks scrumptious - wonder how it got that name?

becr, I bought the ingredients to make the Apricot Damper tomorrow. Almost forgot to get self rising flour and only bought a 1# bag at the bulk food store. Luckily I'll only need 2cups, couldn't remember the recipe when I was at the store. I'll let you know how mine turns out.

P.S. Garden Web is SO difficult to log into, and I know it gives instructions via the red text; but it doesn't always work and I'm getting frustrated. After I submit this message for instance, I will have to log back in to reply to another post within this same forum - after at least five attempts. UGH.

Well, my Damper started to get real brown on the bottom so I took it out of the oven. Maybe it was too soon because it didn't seem done inside, or maybe it is suppose to be a little chewy? My oven was set on 400, but my stove is so old who knows what temp it really was. Next time I'll lower the temp a little. Anyway, it is delicious - sweet - but delicious. (I used regular sugar, not the Splenda)

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