September Inspirations

Hello Lovelies~

 I've been up all night packing to go up to a wonderful convention called Midoricon, which I will be giving a full post about when I get home, but until then, I'd like to leave ya'll with an Inspiration's post to kick off this month right~!

This month is all about Tea for me. Last month was a terrible month all around and one of the things that got me through it was a strong cup of tea in a pretty cup or a gentle cup of tea in a sturdy mug. Both settled my heart and kept me calm through every up and down I experienced.

 At Midori, I'll be hosting a Lolita Tea Party and so while I'm packing my frills, I'm also sipping green tea and looking up fun Tea Treats for all of ya'll to look over and enjoy while I'm gone.

All of these recipes can be found in Full at Tea Time Magazine.



                                                       

                                      Banana Bread Squares with Honey Mousse

 

 

                                              1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
                                              1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
                                              3/4 cup sugar
                                              1 teaspoon baking powder
                                              1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
                                              1/4 teaspoon baking soda
                                              1/4 teaspoon salt
                                              4 medium ripe bananas, mashed until smooth
                                              2 eggs, lightly beaten
                                              1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
                                              2 tablespoons sour cream
                                              1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved, divided
                                              1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
                                              2 tablespoons water
                                              4 egg yolks
                                              1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
                                              2 cups heavy cream
                                              1/4 pound banana chips
                                              Garnish: chopped pecans

                                             Find The Directions Here!!!!

 

                                         Earl-Grey- and Lavender-Infused Cheesecakes

                                                

                                                24 mini vanilla-flavored wafers
                                                2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
                                                1½ tablespoons Earl Grey–lavender black tea leaves*
                                                1 teaspoon dried lavender
                                                2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
                                                2/3 cup sugar
                                                3 large eggs
                                                2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
                                                Garnish: fresh lavender

 

                                               Find The Directions Here!!!!

                                                    Lavender Cream Scones

                                                  2 cups self-rising flour*
                                                  ¼ cup sugar
                                                  ¼ cup cold salted butter
                                                  2 teaspoons dried lavender^†
                                                  1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
                                                  ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
                                                  1 large egg
                                                  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

                                                  Glaze

                                                 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
                                                 4 teaspoons whole milk

 

                                                 Find The Directions Here!!!    

 

 

I hope these recipes inspire you to Slow down,Treat yourself just for being you, and Have a cup of Tea.

 

 If anyone makes any of these treats, let me know how it goes! I'd love to hear all about it.

 

And for those of you who follow me on Facebook (Kathleen Sweitzer) or Instagram (Rosesandcream) or Twitter (@Angelshinigami), I'll be posting pictures from my trip and keeping everyone updated over the weekend.

 

 I'll see you when I get back!

 

 Thanks for reading!

 

Kat

A Tasty Experiment in the Kitchen!

Hello Lovelies~

   I know when I normally do food posts I do them on Fridays, but this post just couldn't wait a few extra days, it had to be shared now.  

 So!!!

 I was sitting around, reading and watching T.V. last night when my mom came into the living room and said, 'Hey! You know what would be a yummy idea? An Earl Grey Cake.'

My immediate reaction was something along the lines of , O.O.....yes please.

 So we tossed a few ideas back and forth and looked around the kitchen to see what we had and if we could possibly pull this amazing idea off and low and behold, we happened to have everything we needed!

We used a simple white cake and rather than water, we used hot tea. I would recommend cooling you tea before hand, but this was an experiment and we didn't, so it was only after we added the hot tea that the idea of the tea cooking the eggs hit us, so we put the batter in the freezer to cool for a bit.

The tea turned the batter a beautiful soft almond color. It was so pretty to see, but it also thickened a bit in the freezer so if you try this at home, be warned.

 After it baked and we let it cool I frosted it with pink lemonade frosting and large chocolate flowers on top. It was rather fun to do.

My flowers look so wonky ^_^; Lol I'll have to bake more to practice more!

The cake ended up being soft and very light. The taste and just enough tea flavor to pair well with the sweetness of the frosting, but I think that next time I make it, I'll use whipped cream with lemon zest as the frosting to let the cake be the start of the desert like it should be.

  For my next adventure, I think I'll try to infuse a Chocolate cake with Earl Grey and create a lavender frosting.

Happy Baking Everyone~~~!!!!

Sweet tea discoveries and recomendations

Hello Lovelies~

 Yesterday I received a wonderful treat when I got home from a small party I'd been invited to to celebrate getting accepted into Ameristar's Blackjack Dealers' school! It was a great surprise ^_^

You see, I ordered a wonderful Organic tea from a shop on Etsy called, ' Treehouse Herbs '. I ordered the Honey Rose Tea and it's.....beautiful.

It smells like roses with a strong spice undertone. It fills the lungs and pleasantly lingers in the air long after the tin has been closed.

It brews up a dark burgundy color. This tea should only brew for 4 minuets. No longer. It turns bitter and the flavors turn muddy. 3 minuets is good for a lighter taste, but I truly recommend the full 4 minuets.

After the brewing, the tea shifts from a rose smell, to a honey smell. and once sweetened, it really does take on more of the honey taste.

 I always feel like a princess, but sipping this tea while reading a good story...I felt I could close my eyes and when I opened them, I would be in a field full of fairies and butterflies lightly fluttering from flower to flower, gently kissing the petals as if greeting old and new friends alike....

This tea can't be described as anything be beautiful. At $6.45 for an 8oz tin full of the wonderful nectar, it's the best tea investment I've made in the last six months.

New tea treats!

Hello Lovelies~

 Just the other day I was at work and a friend of mine came in and before I knew it, she was running out of the store and coming back in with this beautiful box.

I didn't get to open it until I got home, but she told me she had had my Christmas gift with her for the past couple of weeks, hoping we would run into one another, and we finally did ^_^ But as I said, I only got to open it when I got home, and oh my goodness! I was so so so blown away!

Isn't this pattern beautiful?? I am so excited to have tea now, I am currently making blueberry scones and brewing Lavender Sage Citrus tea and I'm staying curled up inside my home with soft crafts I need to finish and a good pot of tea.

 What do you do when it snows?

Time for Tea

Hello Lovelies~

     I loved the Orange Zinger tea so much, I had to go try the rest of the line, but when I got to the store all that sounded good was the Lemon Zinger, so I figured start small and work my way up to the more adventurous flavors.

I was so excited to try my new tea, I started the water the moment I got home! I opened the box and was immediately hit the the smell of sweet lemons and something dark. I couldn't place it at first and I'll admit it almost turned me off of wanting to try it, it was a very powerful scent, but rather than put it away as I'm prone to due with things I tend not to want to try, I flipped the box over and read the ingredients.

 Apparently, the dark smell in the back ground of the tea is Lemongrass, which I hadn't expected at all! It made more sense, as lemongrass tends to be a stronger, overpowering plant.

I steeped the tea for 5 minuets and when I poured my first cup it was like smelling warm lemonade! It was crazy.

My shadow took over the picture a little, but as you can see when steeped, the tea is a lovely amber color which actually look a bit more orange in person.

This is a tea that would be perfect to sip if one has a sore throat. It's gentle in the mouth and even when cold, has an added taste of warmth due to the lemon grass.  I added a tablespoon of sugar to my cup, then tried it, then added a small sprinkle more. When sweetened, this tea is like sipping warm lemonade.

 I really recommend this tea!

And as a bonus! I showed you my favorite tea cup last week, so this time I'm showing off my tea pot. It was hand painted for my mother six Christmases ago and holds three and a half cups of tea.   

 
What teas have you been sipping on lately?

Time for Tea

Hello Lovelies~

 Do you find yourself falling into a Tea rut? Always drinking the same thing over and over again until you can't distinguish one evening from the next? I have recently found myself in this spiral of monotony and have decided to break it!

I drink tea every evening, or I'm trying to at least. I drink tons of soda and juices though the day and have found that a warm cup of tea in a pretty cup is the best way to relax! But since I started drinking tea, I've only ever been drawn to black teas like Earl Grey, Lady Grey, and English Breakfast, all wonderful full bodied teas, but not great for bed and relaxation.

 So to change it up for the new year, I have invested in new tastes and have found myself so very very pleased with the results. Today I'd like to share the 'Tangerine Orange Zinger' Flavor I've fallen in love with.

As you can see, it's from 'Celestial', so it's available at any local supermarket and isn't specialized. When you drop the little bag of tea into the hot water, you get a warm burst of Orange, which is good because that's what it's supposed to smell like.

 Only let this tea brew for about 5 minuets, any longer and it's to strong, and less and you can't taste the beauty you smell.

When you open the pot to take the bag out, you'll see that the tea has turned out a vibrant rose color, which is so pretty! When I first saw it I was shocked and so happy! I love pink tea ^_^

 Then stir and and sugar to taste. This is already a sweeter tea, if you're like me and can add five spoons of sugar to black tea and still thinks it needs more, hold off and go slow with the sweetness until you find the right combination for you. I take this tea with a table spoon of sugar, but I love my tea sweet.

On a side note,  I tried adding milk once, just to see and taste the results and my advise is, Don't. Just don't.

                                                                    Bonus picture!

This is my favorite tea cup! I found it in an antique shop on my way back from a convention last year and have used it every tea time since ^_^

What kind of teas are you drinking this year? Is anyone trying new things?