The Emilie Loring Collection

Welcome to our annual Emilie Loring Tea! I look forward to this day each year, partly to see everyone’s ideas and partly to remind myself to take a little time for myself–for tea, for “fika,” for relaxation and beauty. If you’re new to our tea, enjoy this visual treat and the ideas that follow.

If you’re participating, send photos and a short description of your tea to contact@pattibender.com and I’ll update this post throughout the day and for as long as photos are coming in.

High Tea in California

Who says Californians are laid back? Raqui celebrated Mel and Paula’s 58th (!) wedding anniversary with high tea at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. Goodness! Look at this menu!

AFTERNOON TEA MENU 

Savory

House Smoked Salmon, Dill, Caviar-Lemon Cream Cheese
English Cucumber, Meyer Lemon Crème Fraiche
Mediterranean Egg Salad, Fines Herbes, Harissa Mayonnaise
Chicken Tapenade, Kalamata Olives, Marcona Almond
Roasted Eggplant, Goat Cheese, Dates

Sweet

Strawberries & Cream
Plain & Orange Currant Scones
Blackberry Lavender Macaron Sable
Cherry Pistachio “Éclair”
Peach Verbena Mille Feuille
Lychee Raspberry Choux
Coconut Basque Cheesecake
Mango Cupcake

Thanks for sharing this gorgeous tea, Raqui, and congratulations to Paula and Mel!

Keepsakes and Flowers in Colorado

Pat kept the Swedish “fika” spirit with a blue-and-yellow-themed tea on a Swedish linen cloth sprinkled with Swedish flowers. And look at the mass of color still blooming in his garden! He satisfied “sweet” with homemade blueberry muffins and “savory” with squares of Muenster cheese. Simple and tasty!

The framed teapot picture is an invitation to high tea at Arcady in Blue Hill. The Blue Hill plate is Rackliffe Pottery celebrating Blue Hill Maine’s 250th year. [These may or may not belong to the author of Happy Landings: Emilie Loring’s Life, Writing, and Wisdom. 🙂 ]

We’re off to a nice start! Here are some more:

Tea and Cookies in Arkansas

Gayle shares: “Enjoying a late tea instead of supper, out on our patio. Tangerine Zinger with Bengal Spice— a lovely combination, with chocolate chip cookies.”

Tea with Sisters and Mom

Elizabeth shares from Hinton, Oklahoma: “This year was a little different- health challenges prevented us from all getting together, so I did a solo tea and my Mom & one of my sisters did another solo tea, though we talked on the phone together while drinking our tea. 

“The first picture is my tea- pumpkin spice chai tea in a cup and saucer my younger sister gave me. I had some pumpkin bread on one of my wedding china dessert plates. I am reading A Certain Crossroad right now. I love the fall colors on the cover! 

“The second two pictures are from my Mom & sister Beverly. The book is one that Beverly has. They are having banana bread. The two different cup sets are from one of our dear friends to my mother. 

“Hope that you and others had a great day remembering and celebrating Emilie!”

Patti’s Nod to Both Emilie and Sweden!

I’m reading A Certain Crossroad, too. It’s the next on my literary reference roundup, and it fits with the cooler air of fall.

My teacups and saucers are by Rörstrand of Sweden and illustrate the provincial costumes of Småland (left) and Västerbotten (right). I filled one with Harney & Sons “Paris” tea and the other with coffee brewed as the Swedes make it–nice and strong! The rolls are my first attempt at Swedish cinnamon buns. I’m afraid they didn’t match the photo in my cookbook–let’s look instead at the lovely tablecloth that my mother crocheted and my grandmother’s dainty, embroidered napkins! 😀

A nice breeze was blowing in from the lake, and I did just what I had hoped: I relaxed and enjoyed both Emilie Loring and a simple tea. It doesn’t matter how many times I read them; when I open the cover of an Emilie Loring book, I suspend my disbelief and go straight to (in this case) the coast of Maine.

You’re Never Too Young for a Treat!

My grandchildren, Molly and Ryan, contributed this “tea” with their mother’s copy of Happy Landings and sweet and savory snacks of oatmeal cookie, goldfish crackers, and grapes! I’m guessing their cups were filled with “lemmade.”

Keep those teas coming!