Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Strawberries!

I hope you have had a lovely Easter or Passover weekend. It was sunny here and warm, but there are blossoms on the trees everywhere so I am still a bit of a prisoner inside, although I'm back on Claritin after the system cleanse and it's beginning to work. SUCH a relief!  No sinus headache for 4 days!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

Today for Tuesday Cuppa Tea I am taking my inspiration from The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden.

This is a favorite book through all the seasons.  And today I am looking at April.

This page features lovely wild flowers, swallows and wild strawberries. And that reminded me of a favorite Wedgwood, England cup and saucer in the Strawberry Hill pattern.

This pretty pattern was made between 1957-1976 and I just love it! Strawberries are always a favorite. Here is a Royal Worcester egg coddler in the Strawberry Fair pattern from the 1950-1960s. Love the butterfly on the other side too. The teacup and egg coddler are at Antiques And Teacups. Just click the photos for more info.

There are a number of strawberry fields around us, including the National Organic Farm/Farmer of the Year, Nash Hubler of Nash's Organic Produce. We are in an area that features lots of organic farms. The strawberry fields are set to open next week, and I am really looking forward to that!  

I found this great strawberry scone recipe and mini tutorial that I tried last week with some organic strawberries from a local organic farm store, Sunny Farms, that has a farm in the eastern and warmer part of the state, and so had some strawberries.

Strawberry Scones

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/strawberry-scones-687680/

Ingredients

• 1 cup hulled and finely diced fresh strawberries
• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus a little for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• A lemon, for zest
• 6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon light cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1.     Heat your oven to 425ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, using a few spots of butter or cooking oil to stick it in place. Set the baking sheet aside.

2.      Place the diced strawberries on several sheets of paper towel to absorb their juice. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Zest half of the lemon into the ingredients, taking care to remove just the outermost skin and not the white pith.

3.      Cut in the butter with two butter knives or a pastry blender until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the strawberries, tossing them gently with a fork to coat them.

4.     Make a well in the mixture. Blend the 1/2 cup of light cream and the vanilla extract in a measuring cup and pour them into the well. Using as few strokes as possible, gently stir the dough until it forms a ball. Let the dough sit for 1 minute.

5.     Clean and flour your hands and dust your work surface with flour. Place the dough on the floured surface and knead it gently three or four times. Transfer it to the large baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle. Using a lightly oiled pizza cutter or a serrated knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges, as you would a pizza. Use a small spatula or pie server to carefully separate the pieces, leaving at least an inch between them.

 Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining tablespoon of light cream, then sprinkle the surfaces with sugar. Bake the scones until the outsides are crusty and starting to brown, about 18 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then slide the parchment and the scones onto a wire rack to cool for another 20 minutes before serving.




They were a real hit! I just made mine with vegan margarine and soy milk instead of butter and cream.


Here are the lists of other blogs I am joining, so go and visit their wonderful offerings. The linky's down there too...would be honored to have you join us!

Common Ground ~ http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

Monday Marketplace

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 

Ruth  ~ http://timewasantiquesfamily.blogspot.com

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

Angela  http://teawithfriends.blogspot.com/

Tea With Friends

Miss Kathy ~ http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com/

Celia ~ http://attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/  Afternoon Tea

Wanda ~ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.ca Tuesday Teatime 

Ivy And Elephants ~http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

What’s It Wednesday