My Favorite Cup of Tea!

My latest addition to my tea cups, this black cat tea cup and infuser. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

My Favorite Cup of Tea!

Over the years, I have collected quite a stash of tea cups, from ones my Grandmother used to use when I visited to gifts from friends. I cherish them all and think of them when I need a boost not to mention something warm to help me relax. It’s not what’s IN the cup that triggers the calm, it’s the process of having something in a cup, then waiting for it to cool off just enough so that I can sip it. By then, I am usually much more relaxed so just the thought of getting a cup can put me in that state.

So it’s with trepidation that I now confess I have a new favorite tea cup. And, I bought it for myself at a local thrift store, frankly not because I had intended to keep it but I initially intended to give it away.

The tea cup was brand new, still with the tag and cost $2.

What caught my attention was the cat design, although at first I didn’t realize it was a tea cup. The cup is tall and narrow with a lid that is a black cat head and a bottom forming the cat feet. The handle is the cat tail. Inside and attached to the lid is an infuser in the shape of an orange fish.

The fish opens so that one can easily insert a tea bag.

The tea bag goes inside the fish, which acts as an infuser. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The fish then goes back into the tea cup to infuse it with the contents of the fish.

And in the fish goes, to make me a nice cup of tea! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The process of creating the tea, including putting the fish back into the tea cup, makes me smile. I have a goldfish named Laverne, the little gold fish reminds me of her.

The handle fits nicely in mine and having a lid on the cup prevents one of my cats - and one in particular - from taking a sip out of the cup.

So when thinking about giving someone a gift, give a little extra thought to something one would regularly use, like a tea cup, and infuse it with some fun!

Charlotte

Ceramic Flower Measuring Spoons

Ceramic Flower Measuring Spoons

Aren't these fun?

I found them at - what else - a local thrift shop. They are ceramic; the purple pansy is the smallest measuring 1/4 teaspoon, to the largest, a red poppy measuring one tablespoon. 

Like most good non-precise cooks, I don't usually use measuring spoons. My idea of measuring is several guessing shakes, a few pinches or a couple of dabs. One year my mother did give me one of those sets of plastic measuring spoons that takes up space in a drawer but I can't remember the last time I used them.

Until I found these. 

They are currently hanging from the side of a cabinet where I can see them. When I have a recipe that requires several measurements, I take them down and use them, more for the fun of it than for the measuring precision. I am sure it helps to increase the chance the dish will not only come out edible but can also be more easily replicated, something my mother would have appreciated. She never ceased to ask about a dish she liked only to find out I couldn't give her the recipe because I had just thrown it together earlier that evening and couldn't replicate it even when I tried. A number of times.

Doing a little research online, I didn't find this set but I found a similar one, featuring all red flowers, made in England. That makes sense since even the smallest British homes have their postage stamp gardens carefully planted with fresh herbs and cutting flowers.

Mom taught me to collect what I like. It's easy to get caught up in trying to invest in collectibles but something is only as valuable as what someone is willing to pay. Life is complicated enough as it is so I simplify by  picking up things I like, and then use them.

If you want to get someone on the right path cooking, a good basic recipe book like the American Cooking Illustrated Encyclopedia is a good start. But so is a set of measuring spoons that speaks to them. Even if they don't use them, they will have something they can hang as home decor on their kitchen walls as a fun reminder of you.

Charlotte

Easy Way to Spice Up Your Easter Table

I was a guest speaker at an area garden club lunch meeting and was charmed by how beautifully the table was set. 

One of my favorite details was the set of bunny salt and pepper shakers in the middle, easily bringing an Easter theme to the table.

Although I tend to pick flowers to match my table settings, I would be tempted to build my table around these two charming porcelain characters. Their colors are quintessential Easter - pinks, blues, yellows and spring green, not forgetting the pink easter egg one is holding.

Don't they look like they are ready to hop right off the table?

Charlotte

Picking the Right Trivet

There are a wide range of trivets on the market. Trivets are designed to keep a surface from being damaged when you need a spot to put a hot pot or dish, although I have been known to fold up a dish towel when I was in a pinch.

Over the years, I've tried a number of them and found my favorites have about an inch of clearance from the bottom of the trivet and the bottom surface.

It also helps if the trivet itself has an open weave pattern so it can quickly dissipate heat. When not in use, you can also use trivets to add a little decorate charm to a flower pot!

Charlotte