Taking Time For Tea (& Friends.)

Warm scones (Gluten Free) from the oven (recipe following,) freshly made blackberry jam, delicate cucumber sandwiches and an abundance of piping hot tea (Earl Grey please!) = Perfection when combined with the company of a couple of special friends.

Funny how tea tastes better from little china cups and saucers

Real friends are like food and water - essential.  You know, sometimes I wonder where I would be without them.  I have quite a few "friends," but just a handful of "Real" friends...  They are the people in my life that stay with me through thick and thin... who watch me say and do wonderful things and support me, and who watch me say and do silly things and support me, note the use of the word "support" and not "judge?"  Another way I'm able to recognize a real friend is by how I feel in their company... I simply feel better, more energized, inspired, happier, good about myself  I perk up like a bunch of flowers in a vase after getting a helping of cool, fresh, well water -  I stand straighter.

Too much time had passed since I'd visited with these dear friends - almost the whole summer (how did that happen?)  So easy to fix though - I sent an email invite, and put the kettle on - ITS THAT EASY!

Whats holding you back from making time to have TWF (Tea With Friends?) 

Love these quotes:-

"She is a friend of mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It's good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind."

~ Toni Morrison

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares. 

~ Henry Nouwen

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. 

~ Thomas Aquinas

Want the recipe for these scones?  So easy...

(make vegan by just substituting with your favorite alternative milk, shortening and egg.)

Ingredients:

21/2 Cups of your favorite Gluten Free flour blend

1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

4 Tablespoons of Butter

2/3 Cup of Milk

1/3 Cup of Sugar

1 Large egg, beaten

1/2 Cup of extra tasty bits e.g chopped apricots, or raisins, cranberry & white chocolate (tasty combo)

                                            chopped toasted walnuts & choc. chips, orange zest and dark choc. chunks..

                                            the list goes on..., but you get the idea - get creative!!!

Method:-

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine egg and milk, beat together.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar.  Rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.  (or if you have a food processor zip zip whiz for a couple of seconds.)

Add the egg/milk mix to the flour mix , stir well, add your extra nuts fruit, chocolate etc...

Mix well, and spoon a heap a generous tablespoons worth of mix onto the cookie sheet - there should be enough mix for approx. 9 scones.

Bake for approx. 15 minutes (should look a little toasty brown on top.)

After baking allow to cool for 15 minutes.

ENJOY