TeaTime March/April 2019

Afternoon tea came into vogue in England during the time of Queen Victoria and has been attributed to Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, a lady-in-waiting to the queen. Because the evening meal was typically served late, Lady Bedford reportedly had a light snack along with a cup of tea in the afternoon and soon began inviting friends to join her. Happily for all of us who enjoy having tea, the practice caught on. Last year, the wedding of Britain’s Price Harry and American actress Meghan Markle captivated many Anglophiles. What they may have not realized is that her first meeting with Queen Elizabeth was for afternoon tea in Buckingham Palace. To prepare for that important debut, Meghan visited Rose Tree Cottage in Pasadena, California. Its owners, the ever-charming Englishman Edmund…

Devotees of TeaTime “I think I’ve had a subscription to TeaTime magazine almost since it began! It has always been my escape to a gentler and more refined environment. I’ve made some of the recipes and researched and purchased some of the accoutrements, and I have a collection of the published tea books. Thank you for such a lovely publication!” SUZANNE BROWN via teatimemagazine.com “I save all of my issues when they come in until I declare ‘a bed day.’ I spend the day in bed with my magazines and many cups of tea. Everyone should declare a bed day once in a while.” RITA TELLIER via Facebook “I have every TeaTime magazine issue over the last 10 years. They are a treasure/heirloom in my home.” ANGELA INGRAM via Facebook A Guide to Afternoon Tea “I frequently have…

I come from a long line of Irish storytellers. My great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland to America in 1897, and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places I’ve wandered across the pond, I fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick. That idyllic place inspired me to create the setting of my Irish Village Mystery series, where Siobhán O’Sullivan investigates crimes, wrangles her five kooky siblings, and helps run her family’s local bistro. Ireland is full of colorful phrases and slang. Like all languages, some phrases are particular to certain counties. Some are also used in the UK. Here are a few of my favorites, which I first heard in Irish pubs and uttered by Irish friends, and now appear in The Irish Village Mystery…

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today best-selling author of the Irish Village Mystery series, which was inspired by a walled town in County Limerick. In the series, she has renamed the town and nudged it over to County Cork, just so the folks in the real town wouldn’t get browned off. In the latest Irish Village Mystery, Murder in an Irish Pub, competing card sharks stir up Siobhán O’Sullivan’s quiet Irish village as a poker tournament turns into a game of hangman. Learn more at carleneoconnor.net.…

March 9 Alice in Wonderland 6:00 p.m. Erika’s Tea Room Clermont, Florida Don’t be late for this very important date in Wonderland with Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the White Rabbit! Enjoy a four-course dinner with four different teas, as well as games and activities. This festive, adult-only event is $30 per person, and reservations are required. For reservations, please call 908-670-2305 or go to erikastearoom.com. 17 Irish Breakfast Tea Noon to 2:00 p.m. Pinecone Cottage Tea House Downers Grove, Illinois Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a delicious, Irish country-style teatime meal. Guests will enjoy a number of teatime treats, such as sausage and corned beef, Dublin coddle, soda bread, breakfast scones, and smoked salmon and crab strata accompanied by the loose-leaf tea of your choice. This event costs $29.50 per person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 630-963-9130.…

Perfectly Posh Designed by O.W. London, this exclusive and stunning bone china teacup is adorned with Fortnum’s iconic Eau de Nil and accented with hand-painted 24-carat gold detailing. (£50 plus shipping, fortnumandmason.com) Fit for a Queen Featuring a pattern beloved by Queen Victoria, this elegant Buckingham Palace Great Exhibition Teapot is handmade using techniques from 250 years ago, and makes every afternoon tea feel like a royal affair. (£75 plus shipping, royalcollectionshop.co.uk) Classically British Ahmad Tea’s charming Nostalgic Caddy evokes a vintage feel with the Union Jack flag and iconic British monuments and is filled with 20 English Breakfast teabags. ($9, ahmadteausa.com or 800-637-7704) Beguiling Beauty Bedecked with colorful birds upon a gold leafy tree, this gorgeous 3-tier cake stand by award-winning British designer Sara Miller is the perfect display for savories, scones, and sweets. ($49.99, portmeirion.com…