Thimble Tea

   

Joyce's sewing kit with scissors, seam ripper, needles, thread and a wonderful antique sterling thimble -- that's a family piece!

When my grandmother and her friends got together for a Quilting Bee, she called the afternoon nosh of tea and her homemade cookies a "Thimble Tea".     

  Last weekend our town had their every other year "Voices From the Quilts" event at our historic fort.   And even though I don't quilt, I found the speakers interesting and the quilts fascinating.

I do have friends that quilt and I decided to resurrect Grandmother's "Thimble Tea".    Friend Joyce (and a Lunch Buncher) is a quilter -- well, she doesn't quilt but she loves to piece.    I told her to bring her latest project and we'd have some companionable time with our needlework and a pot of tea and a nosh.

The table on the breakfast porch set for tea . . . so we could sip and nibble while we sewed.

Joyce is working on this beautiful appliqué quilt of iris -- which includes fuzzy little beards like real iris have!    They were so pretty!

And I've got my needlepoint.    To be a cushion for the big beige chair in the living room when it is done!   Started on our January cruise through the Panama Canal.  

Not just a nosh, but more of a full blown afternoon tea . . .

With scones.    Fruited yogurt ones which are so simple to make and have a nice almost sourdough tang.

Blueberry Butter.    To slather on the scones.    It's easy to make and makes a scone special!

Blue and White Quilt Cookies.   I nabbed a few from the 5 dozen that I made for the quilt events last weekend.

And of course, it was a blue and white tea with my Spode Blue Italian cups, saucers, teapot and tea plates.   It had to be blue and white since the quilt cookies were, after all!

The recipes are so simple -- the scones can be made up almost as quick as it takes a guest to walk from car to door!     The blueberry butter is as simple as mixing room temperature butter, a smidge of salt and some blueberry preserves!

YOGURT FRUIT SCONES

1 1/2 c. self rising flour

1/2 to 1 t. salt

1 1/4 c. nonfat plain Greek yogurt

Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl and create a well in the center.    Add the yogurt and mix into the flour until it resembles a crumbly dough.    Turn out onto a floured surface, pat together into a disc and pat out to about 1 inch thick.   

Cut out rounds with cutter or the top of a glass dipped in flour.    Place the rounds on a nonstick cookie sheet.    Bake at 450 for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned.

NOTE:   I added about 1/2 cup of currants to the dough before I turned it out.   I also brushed the top of the scones with egg wash before I put them into the oven.    

Since we spent last Spring in England, I prefer my scones their way -- round.    Scones here are usually made into triangles.   You can make yours in either shape!

BLUEBERRY BUTTER

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 c. good blueberry preserves (not jelly -- you want the bit of fruit that's in jam)

1/8 t. salt

Combine the butter, preserves and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.   Serve at room temperature.

You can make butter with any type of jam that you like -- strawberry, raspberry, apricot.   It's as good on biscuits, toast or English muffins as it is on scones!

It's Tuesday and I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday and Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday and A Delightsome Life for a Return to Loveliness

.