Admiring the New Chair . . .

I must confess that I have a chair fetish.    I don't need any more chairs.    I shouldn't look at any chairs -- anywhere!    But I do . . . and at an Antique Mall in the little town 20 miles east of here, I found . . .

I didn't buy it until I figured out a place to put it!

This sweetheart of a chair.    I was good . . . I left the Antique Mall without buying it.      But obviously, I had a change of heart for it's here at Linderhof!     And I'm glad that I did!

I was not overly thrilled with the needlework on the seat!

Gold velvet upholstery with an embroidered piece stuck on the top.  

Mama Chair and Baby Chair (Papa Chair is in the dining room1)

I assume it's a child's chair.    It's a bit smaller than my 1860's breakfast room chairs.  

Not liking the embroidery piece, I took it off . . .

For everything there is a reason, I suppose!

to find this -- the reason that there was that embroidery piece.     What did I do?

Martha Stewart would never have an "oops" on a chair seat in her house!

I plunked my newest Martha Stewart book on top.   You'd never know there was an "oops" on the seat!   And that, actually, is the purpose of the chair -- to hold my latest breakfast room reading material!

I called Friend Sally and told her about the chair -- she had to come over to see for herself!

And whenever Sally comes, I put the kettle on and we share a pot of tea.

Tea for two in the breakfast room!

In the breakfast room, of course!

Wedgwood transferware, wee tea napkins, my bone handled cake forks.

The table set with the teal blue Wedgwood Asiatic Pheasant.

This was my first Asiatic Pheasant.   Six tea cups and saucers, six tea plates, a tea pot, open sugar and creamer.

One of my favorite patterns.

With tea, there's always a nosh.     I made pumpkin bread Saturday which was a perfect accompaniment for a fall tea.

Pumpin Bread Two Ways.

Served on one of my cake stands.    With my mother-of-pearl handled English cake knife.

My grandmother's recipe.    One of the mini loaves is her way -- which is plain.    The other is with my embellishments -- walnuts and raisins.      We can have our choice -- or a slice of each!    (Who thinks we only had one slice?)

Cinnamony nutmegy pumpkin bread served with cinnamon clovey tea.

It is fall and the perfect fall tea -- especially for pumpkin bread is . .

This is even good for breakfast especially after walking Ollie on a cold morning!

Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice.   A loose tea full of cloves and cinnamon.    It's one of my favorites and I'm so fortunate that Cynthia carries it at Life+Style!

As we sat and sipped and nibbled at the pumpkin bread, we admired . . .

Talk mostly was about "The Chair"!

The Chair!

Good memories of slices of pumpkin bread at Grandmother's in the Fall and Winter.

The pumpkin bread is one that my grandmother made.    It makes two loaves and I prefer tea bread recipes that make two loaves -- one for now and one for later.     I also like the mini loaf pans and often I will make one regular size loaf and four minis.    They're perfect for the freezer and they're a nice stash to have if you have unexpected company for tea.     Grandmother made hers plain -- no nuts and no raisins.    I embellished the big loaf that I made as well as one of the little ones.     I served one of each when Sally came -- she preferred the nuts and raisins while I preferred the plain.      Perhaps because the plain was what my grandmother always made!

GRANDMOTHER'S PUMPKIN TEA BREAD

3 1/2 c. flour

2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. nutmeg

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2/3 c. water

2 cups canned pumpkin (a whole can)

3 cups sugar

Sift dry ingredients together.    Mix pumpkin, walt, oil and eggs together.    Pour into dry mixture and mix well.   Pour into greased and floured bunt cake pan and small loaf pan or two medium loaf pans.    Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350.    Cool 30 minutes before removing from pan.    (Obviously, the smaller pans will take less time to bake.)

NOTE:   I poured the plain batter into 3 greased and floured mini loaf pans.   I then added about 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the remaining batter.    I then used it for a big loaf pan and one mini loaf pan.

It's Tuesday and I'm joining the Tuesday Tea Parties:

Tea Time Tuesday with Terri at Artful Affirmations

Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha at Martha's Favorites

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday with Pam at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Time Tuesday with Katherine at Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor

Tuesday Tea for Two with Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen

Tea Time Tuesday with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage