The Porch

Welcome to Betty's favorites! My name is Betty and I am a self proclaimed "Serial Plate Collector!" Please, take out your best tea cup, fix yourself some tea and stay a while.



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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Orange Gingerbread Finger Sandwich Treat

Orange Gingerbread Finger Sandwich Treat

Makes 10 Finger Sandwich Treats

1  1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Green Tea Orangerie Tea
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoonn ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe Orangerie Creme Filling (recipe follows)
Garnish:  orange zest

Friday, July 23, 2010

Chocolate Raspberry Tea Cake

Chocolate Raspberry Tea Cake

2 cups all  purpose flour
1 tablespoon Chocolate Romance Tea
1 tablespoon Raspberry Fields Tea
2 teasp[oons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 recipe Raspberry Fields Mousse
1 recipe Chocolate Romance Ganache
Garnish: fresh raspberries if desired

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
Grease and flour (3) 6x2-inch cake pans

In medium bowl, combine flour, Chocolate
 Romance Tea, Raspberry Fields Tea,
baking soda, and salt.  In a large bowl,
combine sugar and butter.  Using electric
mixer at medium speed, beat until creamy,
scraping bowl often.  Add buttermilk, cocoa,
oil, eggs, and vanila extract; beat until smooth.
Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour
mixture, beating until moistened.  Add boiling
water, and beat at medium speed until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until wooden tooth
pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool in
pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from
pans and cool completely on wire racks.
To assemble, spread Raspberry Fields Mousse
on top of 1 cake layer and top with another cake
layer; repeat.  Pour Chocolate Romance Ganache
over center of cake, allowing excess to cover
sides.  Garnish with fresh raspberries if desired.

Raspberry Fields Mousse

2 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup frozen raspberrys, thawed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Raspberry Fields Tea
1/2 cup heavy cream

In small, microwave-safe dish, combine
water and gelatin; let stand 5 minutes.
Microwave 1 minute.  In container of blender,
puree raspberries and lemon juice; strain to
remove seeds.  In medium saucepan, combine
raspberry puree, sugar and Raspberry Fields
Tea over medium heat.  Stir occasionally,
until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.  Stir in
dissolved gelatin.  Remove from heat and chill
raspberry mixture 2 hours.
In medium bowl and using electric mixer at high
speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form.  Add
 raspberry mixture, beating 1 minute; chill 2 hours.

Chocolate Romance Ganache

1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons Raspberry Fields Tea
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine
cream, Raspberry Fields Tea, sugar, and corn syrup,
 stirring until sugar dissolves.  Stir in chocolate until
melted.  Cool slightly before use.

* Note:  Chocolate Romance Tea and Raspberry
Fields Tea can be purchased from Betty Ayers, or (859) 687-0789

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Belle Ayers Tea Parlor

~ Belle Ayers Tea Parlor ~

     We carry a full line of teas and tea party accessories including:
     * Black Teas, Green Teas, Rooibos Teas and Herbal Teas *
        assorted ceramic teapots * Tea Music CDs * cards * cookie
        cutters * mesh ball infuser * strainers * scone mixes * sugars *
        curd * numerous cosies, napkins teapots, and matching table
        linen ensambles * Sterling Silver jewelry * Tea Gift Baskets *

     Join my Duchess' Tea Guild Club and recieve a sample tea packett
and recipes monthly.

     Sign up to receive Gift Baskets for any ocassion.

Betty Ayers, Consultant, Sales & Recruiting
belleayers@gmail.com
(859) 879-9445

Blackberry Tea Cake

           Blackberry Peach Tea Cake

Using Currant Fancy, a full bodied black tea
with a rich blackberry flavor, and, Picnic
Peach, a light bodied decaffeinated black tea
with fruity peach flavors.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Currant Fancy tea
1 tablespoon Picnic Peach tea
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sliced and peeled fresh firm,
   ripe peaches (about 2 large peaches)
1 cup fresh blackberries
powdered sugar
fresh blackberries and sliced peaches
for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

     Beat butter at medium speed with
electric mixer until creamy; gradually add
granulated sugar, beating well.  Add eggs,
1 at a time, beating until blended after each
addition.
     Combine flour, Currant Fancy & Picnic
Peach teas, baking powder and salt; add to
butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning
and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low
speed blended after each addition.  Stir in
vanilla.  Pour batter into a greased and floured
9-inch springform pan.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 70 to 80 minutes
or until center of cakr is set.  Check with
wooden toothpick.  When it comes out clean,
cake is ready to come out of oven.  Let cool
completely on wire rack ( about 1 1/2 hours).
Dust with powdered sugar and cover top of
cake with Streusel topping.

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Currant Fancy tea
1 tablespoon Picnic Peach tea
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Beat butter, Currant Fancy tea and Picnic
Peach tea  at medium speed with an
electric mixer until creamy; gradually add
granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating
well.  Add flour, cinnamon and nutmeg;
beat just until blended.
Apply to cake and garnish with  fresh
blackberries and sliced peaches if desired.

Betty Ayers, tea consultant and sales
belleayers@gmail.com
(859) 879-9445

Monday, July 19, 2010

Tea Time Calendar

~ Set to a Tea ~

Tea Time Calendar...

Hanging perpetual calendar features dated
lines for each month of the year to list important
occasions. Additional pages list birthstones,
birthday flowers, directions for brewing the
perfect cup of tea, a famous scone recipe and more!

#5012

Contact your consultant:Betty Ayers, belleayers@gmail.com or (859) 879-9445 for your FREE catalog or to place your order. You can become a consultant too! Just ask Betty how.


Afternoon Tea and Music

~ Set to a Tea ~

Afternoon Tea and Music...

Recipes for cooks who want to recreate the
Victorian experience at home, also included
is a guide to the world's teas, tea history and
lore. Plus the CD of chamber music...harp,
flute, violin, and cello sets the mood!

#5011

Contact your consultant:
Betty Ayers, belleayers@gmail.com or (859) 879-9445 for your FREE catalog or
to place your order. You can become a consultant too! Just as Betty.

Tea time and Music

~ Set to a Tea ~

Tea time and Music...

A beautiful set of recipe cards in an easy to
make format with a glossy photo and CD of
classical titles for your tea time pleasure!

#5010

Stocking Your Pantry

~ Set to a Tea ~

Stocking your pantry...

Festive Tea Sugars:

Holiday green, winter white and festive red make thses tree shaped sugars a big hit. 2 oz. pack, approx 28 pieces per pack.

Holiday #7025
Snowflake #7026

Also available in Winter Snowflakes! Ivory and white sugars can be enjoyed all winter long!

Gourmet Scone Mixes:

Want to make mouth-watering scones?
This mix is easy and delicious!

Gingerbread #7027
Pumpkin #7028

Contact your consultant:
Betty Ayers, belleayers@gmail.com or (859) 879-9445 for your FREE catalog or to
place your order. You can become a consultant too! Just ask Betty.

New Cosie Collections - Continued

~ Set to a Tea ~

New Cosie Collections - Continued...

Classic Jewels Collection:

* Teapot Cosie Set * Teapot Cosie Cover only * Teacup Cosie Set * Teacup Cosie Cover only *
Bombay Teapots 3 cup or 6 cup in several colors *

Your Consultant:

Betty Ayers, belleayers@gmail.com or (859) 879-9445 for your FREE catalog or to
place your order. You can become a consultant too!

New Cosie Collections

~ Set to a Tea ~

New Cosie Collections...

Holiday Hydrangea Collection:

* Tea Table Cloth * Teapot Cosie Set * Teapot Cosie Cover * Tea Napkins...Set of 4 or 6 *
Teacup Cosie Set * Teacup Cosie Cover only * Holiday Traditions Teapot *

A Golden Traditions Collection:

* Tea Table Cloth * Teapot Cosie Set * Teapot Cosie Cover only * Tea Napkins Set 4 or 6 *
Teacup Cosie Set * Teacup Cosie Cover only * Silver Serving Set of intricate hammered
floral detail work on silver plate. Set includes teapot, sugar and creamer *

Passion for Tea ~ Skin Care

~ Set to a Tea ~

Passion for Tea ~ Skin Care...

Green Tea Shea Butter Bars: Introducing our luxurious shea butter soap! Real green tea has been added for a wonderful aroma and texture. The natural oils in shea butter will rejuvenate dry skin. Hard-milled and very long-lasting these two bars are cleverly packaged in our exclusive tea tin.

Spa Day Set: Enjoy a smooth refreshed feeling! Our Spay Day Set includes a 5 oz. jar of gentle brown sugar scrub to exfoliate your dry skin and a 5 oz. jar of rich shea butter lotion to moisturize and renew! Two "tea"riffic scents are available. Green Tea Scent Set or Sweet Creme Scone Set. Great for Gift Giving anytime!

Your Consultant:
Betty Ayers, belleayers@gmail.com or (859) 879-9445 for your FREE catalog or to
place your order.

Girls' Night In!

~ Set to a Tea ~

Girls' Night In!

Plan a relaxing girls night out...right in your own home or in the Dining Hall at your church!

Your Consultant:
Betty Ayers, belleayers@gmail.com or (859) 879-9445 You can become a Consultant too!

A Passion for Tea ~ Jewelry Collection

~ Set to a Tea ~

Jewelry Collection...

Jewelry Collection: Fine sterling silver pieces. Choose from pearl, pink crystal, and prism crystal jewels. All jewels available in earrings, pendant and bracelet.

Teapot Pins: Wear on your lapel or blouse. Perfect choice for gift giving too! Sterling Silver
1x1" comes in Alladin Pot, Square Pot or Tea Service.

Teapot Earrings: Compliment to the Teapot Pins. Sterling Silve.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Kentucky Derby Winner 2010

~ Kentucky Derby Winner 2010 ~

Super Saver...

Super Saver grazed in his stall Sunday, one day after winning the Kentucky Derby.
Super Saver ran straight to the rail under Calvin Borel. That move inside led to
Lookin At Lucky getting squeezed in the early stages of the race.

Ladies Victorian Flirting Fans

~ Victorian ~

Ladies Victorian Flirting Fans...

Harken back to the era of Queen Victoria, with all its propriety and formality.
Victorian fans work very well for a wedding, afternoon tea, or costume ball for
guests who love to dress up and drift back in time. If at all possible, hold your
event in a mansion or a Victorian home. Lately, a lot of people are using the
Carrick House in Lexington.

Courtship was once an orchestrated affair: Young women never failed to keep
their fans in hand, the perfect ball gown accessory in the mid- nineteenth century.
Flirtations accoutrements like an oval brass-mounted mirror set in the guard of
the early nineteenth-century bone fan---were used by discreet ladies to chance a
peek at beaux standing behind them at the ball.

Fan Flirting: As a party activity you can teach your guests one of the primary
methods of romantic communication in the Victorian Era, taken from the Young
Ladies' Journal, 1872.

The code is as follows:

Fan fast--I am independent
Fan slow--I am engaged
Fan with right hand in front of face--Come on
Fan with left hand in front of face--Leave me
Fan open and shut--Kiss me
Fan open wide--Love
Fan half open--Friendship
Fan shut--Hate
Fan swinging--Can I see you home?

Your guests will have a ball with this flirting technique!

Poinsettia Day

~ Christmas ~

Poinsettia Day...

Need a reason to celebrate? December 12th marks
National Poinsettia Day in honor of Joel Roberts
Poinsett, a Southern plantation owner and the man
who introduced the native Mexican plant to the
United States in the 1820s.

Grandchildren's Birthday Tea Partys

The Tea Diaries...

~ Jaylynn's Cinderella Birthday Tea Party ~

Remembering the intimacy of sharing tea, it's a special joy to have my young great-grandchildren who like to drink tea with me.

Jaylynn invited her two brothers and two friends.
We offered a birthday cake, a plate of diminutive peminto cheese or ham salad sandwiches (crusts trimmed, of course), and nutterbutter cookies. Herbal tea was served using my two china, floral tea sets. Other table features were a ceramic likeness of Cinderella. Place cards featured each child's first initial written in glitter on folded construction paper. The table absolutely sparkled as it waited for the party to begin.
The guests came to the table looking excited if slightly shy.
After a lively time of refreshments, including birthday cake and ice cream, the tea things were cleared away.
Pictures from the tea party are the basis for a photo album for Jaylynn. Smiles on the children's faces confirmed that Cinderella and tea parties make a memorable blend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Tea Diaries...

A Mad Hatter's Birthday Tea Party for my great-grandson, Jerrad

The tea party is surely one of the first steps into the art of social entertaining. How many among us did not set out cups and saucers and dump heaping spoonfuls of sugar into cups of weak, lukewarm tea as children? Sisters and favorite dolls were the usual guests, but a brother ot two could liven up the party.
Imagine my pleasure this summer when my oldest g-grandson said, Yes!" when I asked him if I could give him the party! Permission was granted, and preparations began.
Grandmother Cindy's home set the stage. A long table covered in royal blue and set in true Mad Hatter fashion, a red, white and blue tablescape.
Guests included Jerrad's sister, brother, and two favorite stuffed animals...March Hare and Dormie the dormouse.
Tea fare consisted of a cheese, ham, pepperoni, and crackers tray, tea, and chocolate birthday bunny cakes. Formalities were optional, quotes from the famous story abundant, and a happy and memorable time had by all.