Taking Time for Tea

 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 

Sick Times Call for Homemade Soup

I had big plans for our homeschool this winter...

A vision to create bright spots in our schedule to keep these long, cold days interesting.

Places to visit, topics to study, interests to explore.

Dark grey winter wasn't going to get us down.

...........

Then my Nola fell ill with a fever.

She's been battling fevers for days.

Soren joined in the illness as well.

So my plans will have to wait.

I have been tending to sick kids lately and not doing much of anything else.

Sometimes homelife is vibrant and full of activity.

But during times of illness everything slows down, becomes melancholy and quiet, and you must be content with just the basics.

I have learned that even in these times, a rich and pleasant atmosphere is still attainable.

A bright, peaceful home is still waiting to be cultivated.

Sick times don't have to be sad times.

"The welcoming atmosphere we provide for our family, the care we provide in times of illness, and the efforts we take to promote wellness- each daily action reveals in miniature an aspect of God's nature. The often tedious and mundane tasks of homemaking become acts of worship, our ordinary movements works of art." - Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

As is our typical custom, we look through our bookshelves for something that can relate to what we're experiencing.

"The Land of Counterpane," by Robert Louis Stevenson, is well known. You probably have it on your bookshelf, too.

(Remember, counterpane is an old-fashioned word for bedspread or quilt.)

Sheets become plains, and pillows become hills in this poem about a child who sets up a land with his toy soldiers while he's sick in bed.

So, between keeping bathrooms scrubbed and sanitary, and washing bedding, I like to sit and "rest" with the kids to read to them and keep them company.

We made a little makeshift hospital in our living room.

Each child claimed a comfortable spot and covered it with their own bed pillows and blankets.

On the piano bench that I placed between them I keep tissues, cough drops, and water bottles in full supply.

Also, it's important to remember the cleansing effect outside air can have in a house.

While the children watched old black and white movies downstairs, I opened a window in each of their bedrooms allowing a cross breeze to "clean the air."

Even when it's winter, and twenty degrees outside, there's no reason why this can't be done for just ten or fifteen minutes.

The goal is to change out the sick air with fresh air, not make the house ice cold. I promptly closed the windows after several minutes and the rooms warmed back up again in no time.

I noticed their appetites since becoming sick have been substantially dimmed.

They will take a few bites of something and tell me they're not hungry.

I decided to make homemade chicken noodle soup in an effort to get some nourishment into them.

I like making chicken noodle soup myself instead of buying canned soup. It's very simple to make and far more nourishing and flavorful.

I start by slow cooking chicken in my dutch oven.

I simply mix together a can of cream of chicken soup with a packet of Italian seasoning to make a sauce...

While that is cooking on low, I chop up onion, carrots, and celery to cook in a skillet of butter...

After about twenty to thirty minutes of cooking the chicken and vegetables on low, the chicken looks like this...

And the vegetables are soft and fragrant...

Once the chicken is cooked through, I cut it up right in the pot.

Then I add the vegetables, along with the butter drippings, as well as a carton of chicken broth and 2 cups of uncooked egg noodles.

Raise the temperature on the stove. Cover the pot, and bring to a gentle boil.

There's no need to pre-cook the noddles. That wastes a pot when they can cook just fine along with the soup.

Once it reaches a boil I bring everything down to a simmer and cook until the noodles are soft but not overdone.

(Of course, add water, salt and pepper according to your liking.)

This can simmer on the stovetop for a while, so I like to set the table and clean up my cooking mess.

Warm homemade biscuits go really well with soup.

I know every wife has her own go-to recipe for biscuits. But I am not a fancy person, and tend to do everything simply. This is all you need for very basic homemade biscuits...

This recipe will make eight small biscuits. Enough for one average sized family for one meal.

~ 1c. flour

~ 1 tsp. baking powder

~ 1 tsp. sugar

~ 1/4 tsp. salt

~ 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

~ 1/2 stick of butter

~ 1/2c. milk

As with any baking, you want to mix the dry ingredients together first. 

Then cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Make a well in the center and add the milk all at once.

Using a fork, stir until just moistened.

Make eight little balls on a greased cookie sheet...

Bake for 8 or 9 minutes at 450 degrees.

This is what the biscuits look like when they're done.

(I was getting ready to place the biscuits next to the lemon bars on each child's dessert plate.)

I like to break apart my biscuit into my soup, and eat it with parmesan cheese on top...

 But the kids like their soup with just the cheese, and the biscuits on the side... 

However you enjoy it, this makes a very nourishing meal for children who've been battling illness.

These are the tasks I busy myself with when the weather's cold and grey, and my children have come down with fevers.

Fresh air in the house...

Washed bedding...

Extra books read...

Homemade supper...

Lit candles...

As I wait for brighter, healthier days I realize our days are bright after all.

We are all content, because homelife can be as cheerful as you make it to be!

And we still have a nice long winter ahead of us to accomplish our homeschool goals.

"When it snows, she has no fear for her household... She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." - Proverbs 31:21, 27

I hope you're enjoying your winter, friends...

xo,

~ Courtney ~ 

P.S. If that last line made your eyes roll because you can't seem to find anything enjoyable about winter, can I suggest a couple of books that have greatly helped me? Remember, I never use affiliate links because I do not make any money from this blog. These are just ideas for books that have helped me look at winter differently. Maybe you'd enjoy a fresh perspective, too. I'm sure Amazon would have these if you're interested...

How to be Chic in the Winter by Fiona Ferris

The Quiet Season by Jerry Apps

Thanks for stopping by my blog today, friends.

Making Elderberry Syrup

We've put in a full week of school so far.

It's been going great! 

It sure feels good to settle into a school routine again.

But it's always sad to bid another summer farewell, isn't it?...

Thankfully the homeschooling life allows much free time.

"The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things."

~ Plato

Life has been very well here at the Downs' farmhouse.

Our hens are still laying beautiful, colored eggs...

Roman's still working on the illustrations for my book...

And I've been trying to make good, nourishing meals as often as I can...

Recently, I discovered a recipe for homemade elderberry syrup and decided to give it a try.

We've had elderberry bushes on our property all these years, but this is the first time I've ever done anything with the berries.

Did you know that elderberries have long been used for medicinal purposes?

They are not safe to eat raw, but once cooked they can be used as a dietary supplement.

I've read that elderberries are helpful for minor diseases like the common cold or flu.

This is the recipe I found on-line...

~ 3C fresh or 1.5C dried elderberries

~ 3C water

~ 1C raw local honey (I used 3/4C and it's still very sweet.)

~ 1-4 cinnamon sticks

~ 3-5 whole cloves

After I foraged for my berries, I had to separate them from the stems and leaves, and wash them thoroughly.

This was the worst part.

Not hard work, just time consuming.

Elsa helped me.

Her job was to pick out any green berries.

I had planned ahead for this project, and purchased a juice container for my finished result.

I made sure the berries and the container were washed really well.

The recipe says to place the berries, water, and spices in a pan and bring to a boil...

Once it's at a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Smash the berries to release the remaining juice, then strain the mixture.

After 30 minutes of cooking, the berries look like they have given up on life, haha...

All their color is gone...

Allow the liquid to cool before stirring in the honey...

And ta-da!... My elderberry syrup is ready for cold and flu season!

I read that this will last stored in the fridge for 2-3 months.

But I really don't think mine will last that long.

I've been feeding it to my children each morning with their breakfast...

And I drink a teaspoon of it in my tea each night at bedtime...

I think I might walk back out to my bushes to see if I can find more berries to make a second batch before winter.

But truthfully, I saw elderberry syrup in the homeopathic/vitamin section at Walmart just the other day, haha... That sure seems like the easier way to go!

What kinds of tricks do you do for your family to stay healthy this time of year?

Have you ever tried making elderberry syrup?

I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Until next time friends,

xo,

~ Courtney ~

A Children's Tea

" 'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

- John Howard Payne, "The Maid of Milan" 

One of my favorite parts of our homeschool day is our afternoon quiet hour.

Usually our formal 'school work' is complete by this time, and with no noise coming from music or the TV, we can spend the hour silently reading and resting.

It's been abnormally cold here lately, so on days where we go out for a walk, or have to drive to town for an appointment, it feels wonderful to come back and have a quiet hour. 

"Listen! the wind is rising,

and the air is wild with leaves,

We have had our summer evenings,

now for October eves!"

- Humbert Wolfe, "Autumn"

The other day we came home from running an errand out in the cold. We were chilled and happy to be home. A warm drink sounded restorative, and like it just might hit the spot.

I don't like for my children to have caffeine, and I didn't have any hot cocoa on hand, so we thought we'd try an experiment.

A homemade children's tea...

???

I didn't have a recipe, or a real clear idea of what the outcome would be...

But we assembled a few ingredients.

I cut up a few apples and pears that I had in the fridge...

And decided to simmer them in a pot of water along with a fresh cinnamon stick.

I figured I'd just scoop the fruit out at the end and we'd drink the warm juice.

But when I came back to check on it, (after about 30 minutes) it looked like this!...

Oh no!!!

The apples were disintegrating!

I should have known better. I used mackintosh apples because that's what I had on hand. But they were too soft of an apple for this.

We worked together to fish everything out with a strainer...

Yep, this is an experiment alright. Our own little concoction...

The pears stayed perfectly intact though, so we thought we'd let them simmer a little longer.

One of the children remarked how we should plop in a few strawberries, since our apples didn't work out.

"Why not?" I said. "We're in this together!" Haha.

So into the pot went a few strawberries...

(It was a good idea because it turned the liquid a more attractive shade of pinkish-red.)

"What everyone needs after a long day is time to decompress. The kitchen is the ideal place, especially during fall and winter when it can be bitterly cold outside. The warmth from the stove is a welcome relief."

- Diana Rosen, "Taking Time for Tea"

After a little more simmer time, we scooped out the rest of the fruit. Then mixed in 1/3 c. of sugar...

We were ready to try it!

Cheers!

"This, then, is what tea time means to me: the embrace of friendship, quiet contemplation, and the sustenance that can bring inner serenity and peace."

- Diana Rosen, "Taking Time for Tea"

We thought we'd treat ourselves to a real tea time, complete with a bite of something sweet...

"We need time to dream,

Time to remember,

Time to reach for the infinite.

Time to be."

- Gladys Taber

What do you think, Soren?...

Our tea turned out rather delicious!

I was pleasantly surprised!

Of course, this wasn't a true tea made from actual tea leaves. It was more of an infusion of sorts.

But the children felt very proud and grown-up to call it "tea".

It tasted fruity and sweet.

I would definitely make it again, only next time I will remember to use a sturdier apple! *eye roll

While we had our tea time, I encouraged the children to contemplate our blessings.

I remind my children regularly that we do not deserve any of the good things we enjoy in life.

They are gifts from the Lord.

"Every good and perfect gift comes down from above."

- James 1:17

I wish to foster a sense of gratitude in my children (and myself!) rather than entitlement.

So we talk about this often.

I will ask them, "What are some of the blessings in your life? Isn't it wonderful that you can see, taste, and hear? Did you do anything to deserve a loving family or this safe home? No. The Lord has blessed us with these gifts. What other blessings can you think of?"

After our little talk I cleaned the kitchen and poured the rest of our experiment into a container to save for a future time.

Have your ever made anything like this, friends?

What can you tell me that might help us the next time we try to make it?

What are the best kinds of fruits to use?

Do you sweeten it with sugar, or is honey better?

I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

Until next time...

xo,

~ Courtney ~