Tickled Pink Tuesday and Tuesday Treasures Double Up AND Tea cup challenge

I found some posts of teacups and something about a challenge so I thought it was time to show my crazy tea set. These are cup, saucer, plate sets that I was given by my mum for birthdays a long time ago.
I get them out occasionally when I have tea and bickies with several friends.
I think the tea cup challenge started at http://teddlywinksdesigns.blogspot.com/ with Liz then was taken up by Chris at http://tagalongteddies.blogspot.com/2011/06/teacup-challenge-lost-found-new-fabric.html
I actually found it at Michelle's site http://michelleridgwaydesigns1.blogspot.com/ on the post before her Tuesday Treasures.
I treasure these tea cups because they are gifts from my mum. I have to say my favourite is the dark blue one. I have the plate for the Lavender Rose set but it is in two neat pieces at present :(
What tickles me about them is that I never tire of looking at them.

Royal Tuscan set

Dimity Rose set

Heirloom set

 

Serena set

Lavender Rose set

Interested in Tuesday Treasures? Visit Melody's House on the Side of the Hill to link up to other treasure posts.
Allie-oops and Polka Dots and Rick Rack will have what is Tickling them when the calender rolls over to Tuesday in their neck of the woods.
Maybe you could pull out your best teacup set as well.

Happy Quilting,
Val

Tickled Pink Tuesday and Tuesday Treasures Double Up

Some things are treasures without me realizing it. I love having my daughters' art works on my walls.  (A mix of the 2 daughter's works. They are both very artistic.) I look at them all the time and think how nice it is to have original drawings and paintings done by them over the years. I also have some family photos hung where I walk past all day. It is nice to stop and look sometimes.

Family links are always a treasure :) 

Interested in Tuesday Treasures? Visit Melody's House on the Side of the Hill to link up to other treasure posts.
Allie-oops and Polka Dots and Rick Rack will have what is Tickling them when the calender rolls over to Tuesday in their neck of the woods.

Happy Blogging,
Val

Tickled Pink Tuesday and Tuesday Treasures Double Up

Hope you don't mind me sharing an older post about tea. I did a few tea things a while back and they are still relevant.

Today I want to make a cup Darjeeling tea. This tea is delicate and has a lovely colour.

The more letters describing your tea the better quality it is.
Generally the FTGF refers to the quality and OP refers to the size of the leaf. You can actually see the leaves easily after it is brewed. Tea bags are generally made from tea dust!

From Wikipedia:
FTGF OP - Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - Highest quality grade (Note: "Special" is occasionally substituted for "Finest", with a number 1 at the end to indicate the very finest) . Often hand processed and produced at only the best plantations. Roughly one quarter tips.

The tea industry uses the term Orange Pekoe to describe a basic, medium-grade black tea consisting of many whole tea leaves of a specific size

• Flowery - A large leaf, typically plucked in the second or third flush with an abundance of tips.
• Golden Flowery - Tea that includes very young tips or buds (usually golden in colour) that were picked early in the season.
• Tippy - Tea that includes an abundance of tips.

The first flush is more delicate and just a little less fruity than the second flush.

You need to boil the water for this tea. Warm the pot and quickly add the leaves. You can clearly see the size of the leaves in the dry tea. The paler pieces are the tips or buds.

Steep for 2 to 5 minutes. I prefer less time than more. The flavour doesn't just increase it becomes bitter.
I have used my little one cup pot from Somerton -Green. It has a charming scene on the sides. I think I bought this one in Maclean near Yamba in northern NSW.

I don't have a matching cup so I have used my Seyei Fine China cup with a wooden saucer. Seyei was a Japanese company but I don't think they are in business any more.

I started a Tea Journal a while back and first recorded drinking this tea in 2006.
The cover has coffee pictures on it since I couldn't find any tea fabric at the time.

This is a single estate tea from the Goomtee Estate in NE India.

I laughed when I inspected the photos and saw I had spilt rice on the bench at lunch time. Never mind.
I left my cat board on the bench. I love all the cute cats. My big board on the other bench has dogs.
This afternoon when I came into my sunny room I found these two arch enemies sleeping almost nose to nose in the sun. Even when they noticed each other Blacky just rolled over and went back to sleep. Seeing them this close together is very unusual!

I am linking up with Tuesday Cup of Tea at Antiques and Tea cups

on Tuesday 11th Dec 2012

Interested in Tuesday Treasures? Visit Melody's House on the Side of the Hill

Tickled Pink Tuesday and Tuesday Treasures Double Up

Here I am a bit late for Tuesday again! But it doesn't lesson the treasuriness of my treasure.
Today I am sharing my green tea making process. I get a lot of satisfaction from following the correct procedure. It just makes you feel good as well as giving you a lovely cup of tea.
I chose my Japanese green tea with lime peel and lemongrass. $6.50 per 50g. I open the container (it is still in the shop bag since I only bought it yesterday) and smell it - mmmm delicious.

I measure out a spoonful with my lovely tea spoon and place it in a dish.

I heat the water to 85 degrees C and put a bit in the teapot to warm it.

Tip out the water then quickly add the tea (this is why it is ready in the little dish) and put the lid on for 30 secs to steam the leaves.

Pour in the hot water, put the tea cosy on and steep for 5 mins by the oven timer.

Give it a quick stir then strain it into the cup. It is a lovely golden colour and you can see how the leaves have unfurled. Some of them are almost whole.

Because it is so damn cold here today I keep the lid on my cup between sips.
The brew is soft and smooth with a hint of lime and lemongrass. A perfect cuppa.

I found this bit of info at this site:
http://www.thefragrantleaf.com/brewingtips.html
 
Why are green teas better at lower temperature?

A number of substances in the leaf contribute to the flavor and aroma of green tea. The overall flavor and sweetness of green tea is determined by a variety of amino acids and natural sugars. Bitterness and astringency are contributed by polyphenols ("tannins"). Amino acids dissolve at 140°F (60 °C) while tannins dissolve at 176°F (80°C). Therefore, brewing green tea at lower temperatures will ensure that its sweet and complex flavors will not be overpowered by the bitter-tasting flavors.

Interested in Tuesday Treasures? Visit Melody's House on the Side of the Hill to link up to other treasure posts.
Allie-oops and Polka Dots and Rick Rack will have what is Tickling them when the calender rolls over to Tuesday in their neck of the woods.


Happy Winter Days,
Val

Tickled Pink Tuesday and Tuesday Treasures Double Up

Hi everyone, I am very excited about the new fabric that has just arrived. Look how fat the parcel is!

Now I mentioned to a few friends that I was going to have a giveaway. Today I am going to give some of my fabric treasure away. I bought lots of different pieces to go towards my Nanna's Farm project. It has lots of little squares and lots of applique and I think it suggests using about 30 different fabrics so I still have to get some more. (This giveaway has been drawn Mon 16th May)

The giveaway is for my friends who visit and encourage me with nice comments. I really enjoy being part of the blog community. However, everyone is welcome to enter. I often visit sites once just to enter their giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment. I will choose a winner randomly. Just one winner but they can choose what cut they would like. The choices are:
4 fat quarters of these fabrics -

OR 8 fat eighths of these fabrics -

OR 14 21/2" strips of these fabrics -

I am tickled pink to be having a giveaway!
I will do the draw next Monday afternoon Brisbane time. There is no need to blog about the giveaway just quietly let your friends know if you like and I will make sure my friends know.

Head on over to Melody's House on the Side of the Hill to link up to other treasure posts.
Allie-oops and Polka Dots and Rick Rack will have what is Tickling them when the calender rolls over to Tuesday in their neck of the woods.
The giveaway has been drawn Mon 16th May
Happy Days,
Val

Tickled Pink Tuesday and Tuesday Treasures Double Up

Pets are wonderful family and friends. We can't help treating them like people because most days they act like people! My little cats like to follow me around as I move from the kitchen to the lounge room to the sewing room. I always seem to have at least one of them in the room with me. We have started having three on the bed as it cools off. They get a bit peeved if I shut the door. Tommy meows constantly and even scrabbles on the door. He reminds me of Simon's Cat. In the morning when he gets on the bed he marches right up to my face and stares at me then reaches out his paw and taps me on the face or shoulder asking for his breakfast.
If Kitty finds the door shut at night she goes outside and claws on the window screen.
In winter my back parlour is their favourite place during the day. I like to sit in there and read or have a nap.
Here they are in my parlour. Blacky is a bit of a loner so she is on the lounge in the lounge room.

Blacky on the lounge.

Blacky is my daughter's cat. She came from the pet shop 19 years ago.

Kitty prefers my good cushion to the cat blanket.

Kitty was a stray that my husband found at a car yard one day about 16 years ago. He spent hours trying to catch her. He just had to bring her home cause she had a stumpy tail like my Stumpy. Stumpy is a pet shop baby that I bought for myself.

Stumpy likes the chair. I made a double sided cushion cover so I can flip it
over if I want to sit there.

Tommy has a special pillow under the other chair. He will sleep on the tiles if he gets too warm.
Tommy is the kitten of a stray that came by and stayed.

You can just see them all here. Isn't my room lovely!

Head on over to Melody's House on the Side of the Hill to link up to other treasure posts.
Allie-oops and Polka Dots and Rick Rack will have what is Tickling them when the calender rolls over to Tuesday in their neck of the woods.

Happy Families,
Val

Tickled Pink Tuesday and Tuesday Treasures Double Up

I know, I know. It's not Tuesday here anymore but I have noticed I am not the only one a bit behind this week. Must be the Easter holidays slowing everyone down.

My Treasures this week are my Delft Blue set and my Old Country Roses mug.
As with all my teapots I adore my Delft set and think of Holland each time I use it. I bought it in Amsterdam in 2000 while on a tour of Europe.

The little mug is a design that I hadn't seen in Australia so it was a nice find in London. It was on sale in Harrods and still cost me quite a few pounds but it also is a lovely souvenir of my first trip to England.

What tickles me about them is that I bought them in their country of origin.
There might still be some treasures around if you visit Melody at The House on the Side of the Hill.
Happy Days,
Val