When I lived in England for the study abroad, I lived with a British family. They were very very kind to me and I was treated like a member of the family. One of the rules were that "Whomever is home first, makes the tea." Tea, is not just the drink. Tea is the everything, the scones, or the snack, or whatever. A Pot of tea, and then a snack. It was wonderful coming home from classes to have a snack set out. And then we'd chat about the day and so forth and go off to nightime activities.
The mom of the family would make tea, and little cucumber sandwiches and sometimes serving up a pasty or some such savory treat.
Seldom the teenage daughter was home first, but when she was tea, would be mini garlic breads that she'd bake up, and biscuits. (cookies.)
The first day I was home early and I knew I had time until they came home I made toll house chocolate chip cookies. Britiain didn't have chocolate chips, so I would chop up dark chocolate candy bars and eyball the rest of the other stuff (since they were on a different system.) Well, to me the cookies didn't turn out well. I mean they were Ok, but not my best. To my British family, they were heaven. They came home late at least one day a week after that.
I talk about this because there is a tea house near where I live and today D and I went for a high tea at around dinner. It was amazingly delicious. I often think of starting the tradition of having a pot of hot tea and some kind of snack ready when I get home or for D when he does, but American lifestyles don't generally lend themselves to it.
Pity.
Sounds wonderful!
Posted by: Cavatica | November 05, 2007 at 05:38 PM