I've Gotten Them Back . . . Johnson Brothers Indies

As I posted yesterday,

I lost a lot of my Johnson Brothers Indies 

in September

Out of six dinner plates, salad plates, tea plates, cups and saucers 

This was all that was left

And as compensation for my loss, friend Bernideen

send me this wonderful teapot

which, I think, looks smashing with my blue and white

There's something about the orange and yellow that looks so good with the Spode

My Johnson Brothers Indies

also had a wee teapot, creamer and sugar

(that were stored in the kitchen - thank heaven),

a coffeepot

(stored on a bottom shelf of the same sideboard)

and a huge platter

(stored also with the rest of my transfer ware platters in the kitchen!)

The Indies started out as a small tea set

of the teapot, sugar and creamer

and two cups and saucers and tea plates

It was for the spare room

For when we had company

So they could make their early morning tea.

I bought it in England and hand carried it home 20 years ago.

I bought the rest six years ago when we built the breakfast room

to use as our "breakfast" china!

I decided that I didn't need all those cups, saucers and tea plates

I had others

But the set for two did have sentimental value

And so, on Ebay, I ordered the missing saucer, missing tea plate and another cup and saucer.

The saucer and tea plate came today.

And so I had tea . . .

In the sunroom

My wicker tray set for tea

with the Johnson Brothers Indies

It's nice to have the small tea set "back together"

For the pot is perfect for two cups of tea

at half past three

And with tea, there's always a nosh . . .

January noshes are "slimmer" than December ones

(the larder in December is always full of cakes or cookies or breads)

But there is always a wee loaf of something in the freezer

Today it was

pain d'épice

A great bread for tea

And this recipe is so easy.

Tea for one in the breakfast room!

PAIN D'EPICE

1 T. butter, softened

3 c. flour, plus more for dusting

2/3 c. dark brown sugar, sieved to remove nay lumps

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 c. orange marmalade

1/3 c. honey

2 t. baking soda

1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 325.    Grease a 6-cup loaf pan with the butter.    Dust it with some flour, tapping out the excess.   Set the pan aside.

Put the flour, brown sugar and baking powder in a large bowl and mix together.    Put the marmalade and honey in a large bowl.     Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and stir it into the marmalade and honey.     Add the flour mixture to the marmalade mixture and stir until the batter is well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread crowns on top and a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Let it cool to room temperature in the pan on a rack, then tip the loaf out of the pan.

NOTE:   I used 4 small pans and adjusted the baking time accordingly.

It's Tuesday . . . and I'm joining Bernideen for Friends Sharing Tea; Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday and Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday.