~ Letter from Vanessa ~
Hello! I'm so excited Violets for Vanessa is now available. I hope you enjoy reading my story. Let's celebrate with a winter tea party!
If you've read The Crystal Falls Series, you know I work at The Porcelain Teapot. How I love my job! I've always enjoyed creating a beautiful atmosphere and delicious meals. Since I was knee high to a grasshopper, I worked beside my mama in the kitchen. We never had much money, but Mama cooked up tasty dishes using vegetables from the garden, fresh eggs from our chickens, and apples from the backyard tree. I'd set a jelly jar of fresh-picked wildflowers on the table to pretty things up.
Just like the day I was picking violets when I ran into Chad James out on the road… but you'll have to read my story to find out how that turned out.
Meanwhile, let's get the party started! I've polished the wooden table and arranged a cluster of potted violets in a big pewter bowl. Purple and silver are the perfect colors for a winter party. At the holidays, add red or burgundy accents like a poinsettia at Christmas or roses for Valentine's Day.
Now grab your wooden spoon and let's get cookin'. Here are the recipes!
Vanessa’s Winter Time Tea Menu
Menu:
Bacon Quiche
Garden Chowder
Apple Salad
Coconut Layer Cake
Recipes:
Bacon Quiche
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
½ cup shredded pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
4 eggs
2 cups whipping cream
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes; remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer; remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce heat to 425 degrees. Sprinkle bacon, cheeses and onion over the crust. In a bowl, beat eggs, cream, salt, sugar, and cayenne; pour into the crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees; bake 30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Yield: 6-8 servings.
From Taste of Home Magazine
***
Garden Chowder
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 cup each diced potato, celery, cauliflower, carrot, and broccoli
3 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, sauté green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Add vegetables, water, bouillon, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Combine flour and milk until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the parsley. Just before serving, stir in the cheese until melted.
Yield: 6-8 servings (2 quarts)
From Taste of Home Magazine
***
Apple Salad
3 large apples, cored and cut into chunks
¾ cup cubed cheddar cheese
½ cup raisins
¾ cup seedless grapes
¼ cup chopped walnuts
juice of half a lemon
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup orange juice
½ cup orange rind
Mix colors of apples and grapes for variety. Toss together the first five ingredients. Make a dressing out of remaining ingredients. Combine everything and chill.
Serves 6
From Dianne Miley
***
Coconut Layer Cake
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flaked coconut
½ cup chopped pecans
Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
4 cups (1 pound) confectioners' sugar
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup flaked coconut, toasted
pecan halves
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat well. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla. Add coconut and pecans. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; gently fold into batter. Pour into two greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans before removing to wire racks; cool completely. For frosting, beat cream cheese, sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with coconut; garnish with pecans.
Yield: 12-16 servings
From Taste of Home Magazine
Here are some tea party tips from If Teacups Could Talk
by Emilie Barnes with paintings by Sandy Lynam Clough:
- Enclose a teabag with your teatime invitations.
- Write out your teatime invitations on a doily and send in a pretty pink envelope.
- Invite a friend to come for tea and bring along an unfinished craft project. After you enjoy your tea, play some soothing music, do your project, and talk.
- Enliven almost any tea gathering by having each guest bring his or her teacup. You will learn so much about each other as you talk about your cups. Some will be from wedding sets, some family heirlooms, some hastily purchased for the occasion.
- It’s fun to prepare your own tea goodies, but there’s nothing wrong with buying them. Try a bakery, a deli, or a tea shop for delicious edibles. Then put your effort and imagination into setting a beautiful table and enjoying your teatime companions.
- Build your tea around your favorite book that features tea. Some wonderful possibilities: Alice in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables, Winnie the Pooh, Little Women.
Watch this webpage for special teas that feature Lilacs for Laura and Roses for Rachel.
A Teatime Blessing
Lord, grant that our time together be
Steeped in serenity, Sweetened by sharing, and
Surrounded by the warm fragrance of your love.
Amen
From If Teacups Could Talk by Emilie Barnes
with paintings by Sandy Lynam Clough |
