We have had an amazing first week of school!
Everything ran so smoothly and the kids seemed to enjoy being in a routine again.
Our routine this year is similar to last year, (I didn't think we could improve on last year) but with some homey additions that I personally enjoyed very much.
One being the introduction of afternoon tea.
I didn't plan to incorporate a tea time into our school schedule, but one of the children was complaining of a sore throat, so I made him a mug of hot honey water (my go-to cure for almost everything). That then led to us all sitting down to our own mugs of something hot and talking over the accomplishments of the day.
The kids all enjoyed it, so we repeated the custom every day this week.
I remembered that I had an old book titled, Taking Time for Tea in my cookbook collection, so I pulled it out and read aloud to the kids...
"If only I had encountered in my childhood black tea served in a glass, drunk over a sugar cube melting on my tongue, I would have been happy..."
This line caused me to scout out sugar cubes at my next grocery store visit.
"If only I had encountered a blend of the world's best blacks silkened with milk, served with a buttery scone, I would have been delighted."
This line caused me to scout out a simple scone recipe that I could bake for our newfound ritual.
"Everyone should have a small corner in which to relax, be quiet, and reflect. Give yourself ten minutes a day to visit your special place, enjoy tea and quiet, and regenerate yourself. You bathe, brush your teeth, and eat - why not include meditation with a cup of tea as one of those every day things that are essential to your health and well-being? Taking time for tea is a chance to suspend thought, ease your mind and body, and rest your soul. Giving yourself ten minutes a day with a cup of tea will go a long way toward improving your health, your happiness, and thus your life."
These lines gave me the opportunity to teach the kids that "taking tea" is an event, an observance.
When I retrieved my tea basket from the pantry to have us all select a tea bag, Roman asked if I had any Root Beer flavored teas.
I laughed of course, but I made sure to inform him of the fact that one cannot expect tea to taste like soda. It's also not something to guzzle greedily. Tea is in a different category altogether.
I suppose that's why tea connoisseurs do not say "drink tea" but rather "take tea."
One day this week our afternoon tea followed a walk out into the orchard for a basket-full of apples.
A warm apple crisp was the treat we enjoyed that afternoon with our tea.
But we soon went back to the traditional scones. We felt they couldn't be beat, warm from the oven with strawberries and fresh cream alongside hot tea and cheery conversation. (I made a rule that only positive, uplifting things could be said while we take our tea.)
If you'd like this scone recipe it is very quick and simple and I think you'd enjoy it...
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
8 Tbs. cold, unsalted butter, grated
1/2 c. chopped dry or fresh fruit
1/2 c. sour cream
1 large egg
Mix all dry ingredients first, then add grated butter and fruit.
Whisk egg and sour cream together, then add to the mixture to form a dough.
Turn out onto floured surface, shape into a 7 or 8" round, sprinkle the dough with a little sugar.
Cut into 8ths, place on baking sheet, bake at 400* for around 15 minutes.
☕
The novelty of our tea time may very well wear off in the coming weeks. But for now we are delighted to gather together, after our school lessons are complete, to take tea.
💐
~ Courtney
