Angela Webster McRae's Blog, page 38

The tea towel winner is …

 Frances! And I have her address already, so the tea towel will be on its way shortly. Congrats!

"Tea & Sympathy" by J. New

I'm always game to try a new cozy mystery series, and I recently learned about one set in the UK. When I looked on Amazon, it had pretty good reviews except for a few quibbles about the editing. Since the book was in Kindle Unlimited and I'm a subscriber, I decided to check out Tea & Sympathy by J. New and am glad I did. It's the tale of Lilly Tweed, the former "agony aunt" or advice columnist who was recently let go when the local newspaper downsized. Lilly decides on a career change and follows her dream of opening a tea shop in the market town of Plumpton Mallet.
Though she's no longer dispensing advice at the newspaper, Lilly still gets called upon to offer advice and sets up a letterbox outside her shop so that requests can be discreetly dropped off there. When she gets a desperate-sounding letter from a woman named Carol Ann who believes her life is in danger, Lilly offers to meet with the woman, but alas, Carol Ann's body is found in the river before the two ever meet.
Among the things I liked in the book: Lilly's shop clerk, the American student Stacey Pepper; a cat named Earl Grey (although yes, we’ve had that name for a pet before in a beloved American tea-themed cozy series); and Lilly’s excellent knowledge about which teas are best for which ailments. This book was much shorter than most cozy mysteries I’ve read, but that has its charms as well, as this is definitely a book that can be read in one sitting and a few cups of tea. And this fun, light-hearted read ended with a cliffhanger, so I’ll at least have to read book two to find out what happens next!

"Daphne's Diary," Number 4, 2023

It is always fun to spot a new issue of Daphne's Diary, which is printed in the UK, in my local Barnes & Noble. Sometimes, I grow weary of reading news magazines or writing-craft magazines, so it can be a luxury to feed my soul instead of my mind for a bit, and DD always manages to bring me some inspiration that helps on all fronts!

I've not made one of these pretty rectangular tarts before, but this roasted strawberry tart recipe will definitely have me looking for a new tart pan at T.J. Maxx.

And I was also happy to see a piece on growing your own tea.

Of course, some of the images are just for fun, like the coloring pages and graphics pages the magazine always includes.

This issue was extra tea-ish, with even the back cover appealing to tea lovers. Clearly, Daphne's Diary is a magazine that I enjoy reading simply because it's so lovely. What's the last lovely magazine that you read? Please share!

A giveaway from the Buc-ee's in Auburn, Alabama!

Do you have a Buc-ee’s where you live? I’d heard of the chain from my sister, who discovered it on trips to Texas with her Texas-born husband, and when I went to Texas with her four summers ago, I went to my first Buc-ee’s. Alex had never been to one, though, so on Saturday, after visiting some sites in Alabama that we wanted to see, we stopped by the Buc-ee’s in Auburn, which opened in April.

I had imagined the buzz might’ve died down by now, but no. They were still doing a brisk business at the chain, which has 120 gas pumps and over 50,000 feet of retail space. It is definitely a sight to behold! 


In Texas, I remember being impressed by the enormous array of snacks and all the bottles of every flavor of Tazo tea. This time, I was especially intrigued by the clothing, cookware, and gifts. I definitely need to go back there for some fun Christmas shopping. (“And where on earth did you find this lovely gift, Angela?” “Well, actually, I got it at this wonderful gas station in Alabama …”) And while I did not plan to buy a Buc-ee’s T-shirt (tea-shirt?), I saw this one and had to have it!


I had to have this oh-so-true tea towel as well, and I also got one to give away to one of you! So if you don’t have a Buc-ee’s nearby (or even if you do) and would like to win this tea towel straight from the finest gas station I know of, just leave an “Enter me” comment to this post between now and 7 a.m. EST on Friday, August 11, 2023, and you’ll be entered to win. (And feel free to leave your comment on my Tea With Friends Facebook page if you prefer.) Good luck!

Bigelow Botanicals Peach Lemonade Acai Cold Water Infusion

 

I am apparently on a mission to sample every cold-brew infusion on the market this summer, and the latest find was this Peach Lemonade Acai Cold Water Infusion from Bigelow Botanicals.

This is clearly more of an herbal tea since it contains no camellia sinensis, and the ingredients are "chamomile, rosehips, hibiscus, licorice root, natural peach and lemon flavors with other natural flavors (soy lecithin), lemongrass, lemon peel, citric acid, peach pieces, acai juice granules." The light peach and lemon flavors are what I detect most, and I like that these infusions aren't sweet or sugary like Kool-Aid and truly are just a flavored-water beverage. (And as hot as it's been around here, I'm drinking lots of these each day!)

And of course I have always liked the fact that Bigelow's tea bags are packaged individually. Have you tried this flavor? I think it's my favorite of the cold water infusions I've sampled this summer!

A day for family and friends … and tea!

Saturday was a super busy day, and it included lots of visits with family and friends! One of the most fun things I did was meet my high school friend Cindy, who nows lives in Tucson, Arizona, at a coffee shop in Tallapoosa. We graduated together way back in 1982 and hadn't seen each other since! We reconnected on Facebook a decade or so ago, and she was kind enough to request a face-to-face meeting the next time she was in town so that I could sign a copy of my new book for her. What an honor! Cindy is a registered dietitian and always shares the most enlightening articles on FB, so I've enjoyed being her "friend" for the second time in life!

We met at K & M Coffee Co. in Tallapoosa, the town where our beloved Haralson County High School is located (and where my dad now lives).

I was surprised to discover the many collections on display (but not for sale) in the shop, like these teacup-shaped pieces that I discovered are (I think) part of an espresso maker.

The old coffee grinders were fun to see.

And the Jadeite cup and saucer set caught my eye, but the dancing cats in front of it really made me smile.

I got there early, so while I waited, I had a vanilla chai latte and a cinnamon scone, and both were delicious.

And as if all that weren't enough to make my Saturday a treat, the day ended with a visit to my niece Cari's home to see new baby Ezra, my first great-nephew, who was 11 days old. I hadn't seen him since a few hours after he was born, and it is amazing how quickly a baby seems to change and grow up. A fun day indeed!

I (Heart) My New Cake Pan!

I made a favorite pound cake over the weekend, and although it was tasty as always, I was most excited about the pretty design of this cake!

For my birthday this year, my friend Susan gave me this beautiful heart-shaped Bundt pan featuring roses, and I just now got around to trying it out.

Even the interior is pretty!

I love the floral details of the cake, and it’s safe to say I now have a new favorite Bundt pan. I do love all my Bundt pans, but this one is so pretty that I imagine it will see much use in the years ahead!

Seven Teas Georgia Peach Iced Tea

 Yesterday afternoon, I had some errands to run, and it was so hot and humid out that all I wanted to do was get back home to the air-conditioning. But a trip to the grocery store was in order before I could return home, and during my run through Publix, I spotted a brand of tea that was new to me, Seven Teas.

This Georgia Peach Iced Tea was calling my name, and to be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for it, because most canned teas I’ve tried have been absolutely dreadful. Still, the skinny can with the pretty graphics was so inviting that I had to give it a try. And I’m happy to report this tea is quite tasty!


One likely reason it tasted good? The first ingredient was "Craft Brewed Organic Fair Trade Black Tea Leaves." And after the water, it listed "Organic Fair Trade Evaporated Cane Juice," which likely gave it the sweet-but-not-too-sweet flavor that was perfect for quenching my boy-is-it-hot-out-there thirst. (When I was in and out of stores yesterday afternoon, the car's temp read 115 degrees at one point!) This tea was $2.99 a can, which is a little pricy, but certainly a nice treat now and again. Have any of you tried Seven Teas teas before?
 

"Christmas in July" reminders

Christmas in July reminders are welcome at my house, because they make me aware that Christmas will be here before we know it, and I know I need to craft now and shop now (or at least *think* about shopping now!) if I want to avoid that rushed feeling once December gets here. And so I was happy when some mysterious algorithm showed me an ad for this Impressed Obsessions stamp it predicted, accurately, that I would want to purchase.

When this Christmas teapot stamp arrived, I was surprised to see that it was a nice thick red rubber stamp, as so many of the stamps are clear these days. I like the clear ones for positioning, but I've heard (and sometimes agree) that the rubber ones give a crisper image.

And of course I had to go ahead and make a card to try it out. So far, I've made two whole Christmas cards, but at least they're on my radar. If you're a stamper, too, I found my stamp here, and while it's just gone out of stock, it looks like they'll notify you once it's back in stock. Mine arrived quickly, and I was very impressed with the service!

Teacups, a "teapot," and a tole tray

Saturday morning was a rainy one, so I decided to stick close to home and visit a local antique mall that’s just a few miles up the road, Treasures Lost and Found. I ran into an old friend whose mom I used to work with in the newspaper business, and it was so fun to catch up with her. And despite the rain, I spotted a few outdoor things that caught my eye, like this pretty teacup chandelier. 


They also had a more colorful one that I think would be perfect in someone’s garden. 

My fun find was this odd teapot-shaped piece, and I wasn’t even quite sure what it was until I turned it upside down and saw the PartyLite sticker, meaning it was some sort of candle-related item.

Then I realized the bowl-like portion up top was designed to hold wax melts, which I happen to love, so I decided to get this. When I got home and looked it up online, I discovered that this piece originally had a lid! Oh well, at least mine was just $9, and I do plan to use it for wax melts, not use it as another teapot on display, so that’s fine. 

And the back of the piece made me smile because it looks like it's overjoyed that I bought it!


My best find, though, was probably this vintage tole tray. I’ve collected a few of these over the years and enjoy decorating with them, and I never, ever see them for just $10 anymore. Score!


It's in great condition, and the green colors will be perfect to decorate with around St. Patrick’s Day next year. Not a bad haul for a rainy Saturday!