Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Violets Teacup, Honey Scones

Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! And believe it or not....ready or not...it's February! Amazing! Pleas find some of the blogs I am visiting at the bottom along with the linky for your tea related post. I LOVE Tuesdays!

I wanted to start today with something I found in Victoria magazine from Jan/Feb 2011 that I just loved. Pardon the camera work...the shiny cover gave me fits....

I love Victoria and have saved them for years. They are a wonderful inspiration and a moment of joy and loveliness for me.

I fell in love with this pearl garland and white washed straw heart wreath. And the poem accompanying it just fit my mood:

Brew me a cup for a winter's night.

For the wind howls loud

and the furies fight;

Spice it with love and

stir it with care,

And I'll toast our

Bright eyes,

my Sweetheart fair.

-Minna Thomas Antrim

It has been a mix of sun and clouds and the buds are beginning to poke up a bit. So I thought about the quickening violets under my pine trees that will soon appear, and chose this teacup for today.

This pretty violet patterned bone china cup and saucer was made between 1947-1951 by Duchess China, which was a trade name of A. T. Finney of Longton in Staffordshire England. After another partner, Duchess is now owned by Grimwades, of the famous Royal Winton Grimwades pottery association, since the late 1990s when the Tams group who had acquired the pottery and name Duchess in the 1960s had financial problems themselves. The potteries certainly have changed partners!

But the pattern and shape is so pretty, and suited to my February spring-hoping mood. The teacup is available at Antiques And Teacups. For more info, click on the photos.

I found a wonderful website called The Baking Pan with fabulous recipes for scones, tea breads and muffins. So I am sharing one called Honey Scones. I'll show mine at the bottom.

Honey Scones

Ingredients: Dough: 2¼ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 2½ teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces ¼ cup honey ½ cup whipping (heavy) cream Topping: 1 tablespoon whipping (heavy) cream 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare one large baking sheet; lightly grease with shortening, or line with parchment paper, or line with a non-stick baking mat. Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, and salt; whisk together to mix. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir the honey and heavy cream together. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until mixed. On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board, shape and pat the dough into a 7 inch circle or rectangle, about ¾ inches thick.  Cut into wedges, squares or circles with a floured kitchen knife and place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Tip: Scones can be cut into any shape you desire. Use a drinking glass to make circles, or cut into squares or wedges with a knife, or use a cookie cutter for other shapes. Dip the edges of the cutter in flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Do not pat the edges of the scone down; instead leave the cuts as sharp as possible to allow the scones to rise in layers. Topping: Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of each scone with heavy cream. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turbinado sugar on top of each scone. Bake: Bake 12-15 minutes or until the scones are very lightly browned. Remove scones from baking sheets and place on awire cooling rack to cool. Makes 6 to 8 Scones TheBakingPan.com

I substituted soy milk and vegan margarine and they turned out beautifully, and a very tasty treat for tea! So enjoy the recipe and the website.

In honor of  the upcoming Valentine's Day, here is my favorite Emma Bridgewater mug. I am very fond of Emma Bridgewater, not only because I love her designs, but because it was my grandmother's name, and they are from the same area. I have always wondered if we are related. I have visited the pottery in Stoke often, but have never hit it when she was there, so I don't know.

Below is the linky for your tea related post and the list of some of the blogs I am joining/visiting. Please visit and enjoy the talented ladies. They have so much to offer! And please join me on Thursday for Thursday Tea Things and Talk, right here.

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/ 

Tea On Tuesday
Miss Kathy ~http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com/

Tuesday Tea       

Michelle ~ http://www.finchrest.com/

Tea On Tuesday

Betty ~ http://teacoziecottage.blogspot.ca/

Tea Tuesday

Phyllis ~ http://www.relevanttealeaf.blogspot.com/

Tea On Tuesday

Shawn ~ http://poetryinapotoftea.blogspot.com/

Poetry In A Pot Of Tea