Afternoon High Tea

As the weather turns colder, and we start bundling up in our autumn attire - what better way is there to spend a lovely fall afternoon than with friends and a cup of tea?

Now this might not be your 'cup of tea' - but for our group of eight ladies that came together to celebrate the birthday of one of our own, it was an outing I was looking forward to all week!

Afternoon Tea is a ritual that requires participants to slow down and take the time to enjoy conversation, as well as delicious little goodies. Believe me, by time we got to the hotel, I was hungry even though I ate a good brunch!

After making my tea choice (everyone got their own individual pot of tea), I was eager to begin. Usually I stick to a few particular blends: most variations of green tea (when brewed appropriately), and Earl Grey combinations. Not terribly interesting, is it? For this occasion I wanted something lighter and fruity. I like to have my teas 'black' – without milk or sugar. 

For me, choosing is the hardest part. I know what I like, and there are many choices that cater to that, but I was considering each tea in the collection - which made for a daunting task. Each one seemed better than the last! But I did make a decision! My choice for this occasion ended up being a brew that featured passion fruit and turned out to be perfect.

But what is afternoon tea without the food?

MMMmm~! Scones and sandwiches. What is it about small sandwiches that makes them taste so good? Just looking at these photos again is making me hungry – is it lunch time yet?

Clockwise from top: Cucumber with Sundried Tomato Paste and Dill Cream Cheese, Grilled Chicken with Granny Smith Apples Citrus Mayonnaise, Greek Yogurt & Chives, and finally Smoked Salmon with Wasabi Sour Cream and Salmon Caviar

We were treated to the mouthwatering choice of scones with two flavours of preserves and Devon Cream, sandwiches, tarts, and of course, petits fours – the dessert!

Clockwise from left: Lemon Square, Coffee Tart, Homemade Marshmallow, Chocolate Flourless Cake with Raspberry, Pumpkin Tart, and Cheesecake with Strawberry. So fancy.

I'm a sucker for cheesecake, and I love strawberries - so of course I had to have that one! Since it's fall, I chose the pumpkin tart too. Gotta get in all my pumpkin eatin' now! I heard wonderful things about the flourless cake in the form of delighted moaning. Maybe I should have chosen differently?

Another Happy Birthday~!

I vote we make this an annual event!

Creatively, Christine

I Love It When A Recipe Comes Together

Living in Canada has left me befret of a delicious American institution: The Cheesecake Factory.

I've visited this restaurant once in my life, but it left quite an impression! So imagine my surprise when I find a recipe that mimics their Avocado Egg Rolls! This recipe is courtesy of The Novice Housewife.

These rolls are little bites of heaven.

THESE. TURNED. OUT. AMAZING. 

But since I’m my mother’s daughter, of course I changed up the recipe to suit~ :)

This duplication called for cilantro/coriander which I didn't add because I don’t like cilantro, (I find it’s flavour to be too strong and distinctly overpowering) and I reasoned that if I bought coriander instead, chances are the rest would go to waste seeing as I don’t usually cook with it. So curly-leaf parsley was my swap.

Regular tomatoes are featured in this appetizer, because, well, sun-dried tomatoes are expensive! I diced them up just the same, making sure to remove the watery part of the slices so they wouldn’t make the filling mushy.

I don’t have a deep fryer, so my go-to was a small, deep pot with a base that could take enough heat to get the oil hot enough for frying. I will admit, this was after I learned that a frying pan is not necessarily right for all types of frying needs... Since I used a smaller pot, I didn’t have to use so much oil to get it deep enough to fry the rolls two at a time. All I needed was about an inch of canola oil.

There was no dipping sauce because the recipe called for cashews (and I’m allergic), but I’m certain that if I bought a tamarind dipping sauce (the same used for samosas!) it would be a perfect match.

The results were delicious! And what's even better is that most of the ingredients (except for the egg rolls) are items we usually have at home. The egg rolls didn't even cost $2!

This turned out to be a really great recipe - because living in Southern Ontario means the closest Cheesecake Factory is in Buffalo! This recipe will make a nice addition to my party finger-food repertoire.

Creatively, Christine

Not Sari About This Purchase

I apologize for the pun!

Sometimes you see something, and it's such a good buy, you can't HELP but purchase it – even if you have no idea at the time what you can create or upcycle from it.

Enter a purchase from my local charity shop: a burgundy sari.

A sari, or saree is a South Asian female garment that consists of a drape varying from five to nine yards in length, and two to four 
feet in breadth, that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff. (source)

I was wandering through the aisles, just passing a bit of time, when I saw this gorgeous silk fabric peeking out from between random bedding sheets. Yes, you read that correctly – bedding. It had been sorted into the 'bed/bath and other section'. Which is a shame, but I suppose it's a great set of circumstances for me. There were a few other saris, but this one really caught my eye.

Now the task remains: what can I create from this gorgeous length of embroidered silk?

I've been searching all over for different projects, from pillow cases, to long vests, handbags, skirts and everything in between – but I think I've settled on a dress or mid-length skirt. I'd rather have something wearable than decorative to do justice to this amazing find.

Creatively, Christine

Make a Birthday Wish

Happy Birthday Christine~!

I'm about to turn a year older, and as always when you get to a certain age, this event brings with it a lot of reflection about 'the road so far...' You start asking yourself questions that never would have crossed your mind but for this once-a-year event. (I'll leave you to fill in the blanks as to what these questions might be.)

It can all be, well, a little overwhelming.

Recently, I've found out something about myself - I live happily when engaged in creative pursuits - even if all I'm doing is learning something new. Researching and making new projects is what keeps me happy! If I'm not being creative in some aspect of my life (beyond work) I'm just not myself.

This past year I've coloured my hair (for which I've always gone to the salon), and sold my hair accessories at a convention - for a profit, imagine that! I also tried picking and canning for the first time, and taken so many amazing photos. With each of these projects and much more, I've enjoyed the entire creative process from inception to completion - even the stumbling along the way~!

So here's to another productive year - may all my glue hold, my stitches never fray, and the food make mouths water!

Creatively, Christine