Teas and T's: Week 121, 4-15-2018

Thoughts and Quotes: The Chinese should add a new "year of" and call it The Year of the Problem. I wish I could rewind and start 2018 all over again. I was off to a rip-roaring start, and then the flu bug hit. Since then, nothing has gone forward on an even keel. This week has been redo's for the Tea Book and moving money at the bank and then going back to redo. My advice to everyone - be sure to read everything the bank inputs on your documents. I know you aren't going to read the pages and pages of legalize. Neither am I, but read what the bank person types in. I moved some money from a money market account and added to it with a bank generated check to make an even amount and got a new CD.

After I took time to read my paperwork, I realized that I had purchased a CD for someone's trust I'd never heard of in Thayer, Missouri, and the bank generated check was deducted from my account twice.

Another trip to the bank to straighten out the mess. Second piece of advice - even if you don't want to take advantage of bill pay, at least get your online banking set up so that you can check what's happening occasionally.

Not much to report this week. The Tea Book is almost finished. I've spent countless hours trying to figure out the page numbering so I can finish the Table of Contents and create an Index.

I can get the page numbers to start at page 1 for January, but I can't get rid of the page numbers on the first few pages where I don't want numbers at all. I've Googled, I've YouTubed, I've even signed up for two online courses in Word 2013 (Beginning and Intermediate) and another course in Design and still no result.

Any ideas? Anyone? Help!

And in keeping with my Year of the Problem, I lost my Cranberry Scones and Almond Cookies recipes, so I had to make new ones and then bake both items to test to make sure I had acceptable recipes. Then I had to bake Snickerdoodles to take a photo, because I took only one photo and it was portrait and I needed landscape to make the photo page work. And I had to make a new recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies because I'm just not happy with my old one, then bake and test the cookies. So the baking is finished, book could be finished within a matter of an hour or two if I could just get this page numbering licked.

I baked this many cookies and scones, and still hadn't baked the snickerdoodles.

Want to see a sample? This isn't what it will look like, but you can get the idea. The spacing is all off, but the words won't change.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Year of Everyday

Afternoon Teas

This book is dedicated to my dear friend, Janice Lesperance, who wrote this to me in a letter many years ago. I’ve kept it in my goals notebook.

I know it’s not the book you had in mind, Dear Friend, but here it is.

I only wish you were still with us so I could send you a copy.

Patsy Bennitt

www.teasandts.blogspot.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction

Why is this an Everyday afternoon tea book?

Each tea has two savories, a scone, and two sweets. The recipes are simple, no complicated procedures, no special equipment, supermarket ingredients.

Anyone can make a pretty table. My table settings are made up of items from around the house, flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, dollar stores, and Craigslist.

I’ve ignored tea pairings and used plain black tea. You should have some herb teas (tisanes) on hand for people who avoid caffeine.

I purchased all the jams and jellies from the market. You can make your own if you wish. There are plenty of recipes on the internet.

I’ve given you a simple plan for each tea, so that you can choose one which fits your time schedule. Or if you wish, make it a tea luncheon. Simply expand the tea at the beginning with a cup of soup or a fruit cup, in the middle with additional savories, and at the end by adding a cake or tart. You’ll still need only one kind of scone, and don’t omit them because they sound difficult. They’re really quite easy, and most can be made ahead.

I’ve tested all the recipes, and I hope you like them. Some look very simple, but I found them worthwhile. I hope I’ve inspired you to try one of the recipes or set a fun table; not only for tea, but family meals as well. I’m sure they’d be delighted.

My next book will be A Year of Everyday Tablescapes, 52 in all, using budget items from flea markets, thrift stores, dollar stores, Craigslist, and garage sales, just like the tea book.

A Year of Everyday Theme Dining, with invitations, menus, photos, and recipes will follow Tablescapes. Again, simple food, easy cooking, and budget tables.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table of Contents

January – In the Pink

February – Cardinal Red

March – Daffodils

April – Strawberry Fields

May – May Flowers

June – Tea on the Patio

July – Just Peachy

August – Pretend It Is Venice

September – Autumn Gold

October – Colors of Autumn

November – Autumn Meadow

December – Holly

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I need the page numbers to finish this page.

Then the January Tea starts.

I’m trying to get this behind me, so I can move on to the Tablescapes book which will be much easier to put together, and maybe appropriate for an ebook. Whose idea was this anyway? I'm supposed to be retired, reading, crocheting, and traveling!

In the meantime -

The Pepper and Pals Report: Nothing much new here except that Stormy keeps telling me that she should have extra treats because she's just sure the Meow Mix people paid me for letting them use her photo on their bags.