Homemaking Week in the Life | THE ART OF TEA

Welcome to a new homemaking week in the life. Today we do some gardening, celebrate another birthday, and explore the art of tea.



The Art of Tea... what does it mean to you? Certainly the art lies in the choice of tea and the treats to accompany the beverage of repose. Although for me, the art of tea is more about taking the time to enjoy the meditative qualities of that glorious afternoon ritual.



I'm reading this beautiful hardcover book The Art of Tea by Victoria Magazine in today's video. I have been feasting on this beautiful book, full of gorgeous images and delectable recipes. I adore it. What a treat.

Speaking of treats... I'm making Shelby from The Queen's Cabinet's Caramel Pecan Turtles... a very easy treat to make. You can visit The Queen's Cabinet here.



The beautiful Wedgwood teapot and tea set was a housewarming gift from my mother and father in-law. I was so delighted to receive it!

The Reward
I have some rather mundane tasks,
To complete before my repose:
Dinner to cook, and tidying to do,
And then there’s laundering the clothes,

I can get through elemental chores,
Knowing well what lies before me.
For when all my tasks are checked off my list,
It’s time for a cup of tea.

- Jennifer L. Scott

I was getting tired of making the same birthday cake over and over again. (In a family of 6, we can get tired of birthday cakes easily. Ha!) So I tried out a Texas Sheet Cake this time for our son's 2nd birthday. I can't tell you how delicious this cake is. I replaced the walnuts with pecans and found the cake to be absolutely delectable. The original recipe is from All Recipes. I am also leaving a printable recipe card down below with my adjustments for your convenience.



PrintTexas Sheet Cake with PecansPrep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 MinIngredients:Cake2 cups all-purpose flour2 cups white sugar1 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1/2 cup sour cream2 eggs1 cup butter1 cup water5 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powderFrosting6 Tbs milk5 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder4 cups confectioner's sugar1/2 cup butter1 tsp vanilla extract1 cup chopped pecansInstructions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 10 x 15 cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture until incorporated.Pour batter into the greased and floured pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.For the frosting: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then fold in the pecans, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake. (Please note: nuts may be omitted entirely or walnuts may be substituted.) Created using The Recipes Generator.ccm-wrapper, .ccm-wrapper *{box-sizing: border-box;}.ccm-wrapper h3{margin: 0;}.ccm-show{display: block !important;}.ccm-wrapper{color:#000;max-width: 620px;position: relative;padding: 20px;margin: 20px auto;background: #f2f2f2;border: 6px double #6672E5;}.ccm-name{font-size: 20px!important;font-weight: 700!important;letter-spacing: 0px !important;}.ccm-info{position: relative;font-size: 13px;text-transform: capitalize;margin-bottom: 20px;}.ccm-author,.ccm-yield{display: inline-block}.ccm-yield{margin-right: 30px}.ccm-wrapper img{margin:0!important;padding:0!important;}#ccm-printbutton{margin: 0;color: #fff;padding: 5px;font-size: 14px;border-radius: 3px;cursor: pointer;width: 80px;height: 35px;background: #555;text-decoration: none;display: inline-flex;align-items: center;justify-content: center;}.ccm-print-options{display: none;white-space: nowrap;position: absolute;top: 32px;right: 0;z-index: 2;background: #fff;border: 1px solid #ccc}.ccm-print-options button{display: block;background: 0 0;border: 0;cursor: pointer;padding: 10px;width: 100%;text-align: left;}.ccm-print-options button:hover{background: #555;color: #fff}.ccm-head{color: #000;font-size: 20px !important;font-weight: 700 !important;margin: 30px 0 0 !important;text-transform: uppercase !important}.ccm-section-title{font-weight: 700;font-size: 16px;}.ccm-section{padding-left: 20px;line-height: 1.7;margin: 10px 0 30px}.ccm-section ol,.ccm-section ul{margin: 0 !important;padding: 0 0 0 30px !important;}.ccm-section li{margin: 0 0 6px !important;padding: 0 !important;}.ccm-section-steps li{line-height: 1.6;margin-bottom: 10px !important}.ccm-posturl{padding-top: 10px;border-top: 1px solid #ccc}.ccm-posturl a{font-size: 13px;}.ccm-notes{font-size: 15px;margin: 10px 0;padding-left: 30px;font-family: inherit;line-height: 1.7;white-space: pre-line}.ccm-link{color: #4193f0;}.ccm-copyright{font-size: 13px;font-style: italic;line-height: 1.6;margin-top: 15px;padding-top: 15px;border-top: 1px solid #ccc;}.ccm-credit{font-size: 12px;padding: 10px;text-align: center;background: #fff;margin: 15px -20px -20px;border-bottom-left-radius: 10px;border-bottom-right-radius: 10px;border-top: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);}.ccm-credit a{color: #00f;text-decoration: none}.ccm-keywords,.ccm-categories,.ccm-cuisine,.ccm-video,.ccm-section > br,.ccm-time br{display: none}.ccm-time{text-transform: uppercase;font-size: 12px;text-align: center;background: #fff;padding: 10px 0;margin-bottom: 20px}.ccm-time-child{padding: 5px;display: inline-block;white-space: nowrap;}.ccm-time-child:not(:last-child){margin-right: 12px}.ccm-time-child:not(:last-child):after{content: '';display: inline-block;height: 10px;width: 1px;background: #000;vertical-align: middle;margin-left: 12px}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-wrapper{border:0;padding:0 20px!important;border-radius:10px;box-shadow:0 0 10px rgba(0,0,0,.25)}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-image{text-align:center;height:300px;margin:0 -20px -22px!important;overflow:hidden;border-bottom:3px solid #6672E5;}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-image img{width:100%;height:100%;min-height:100%;-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;-o-object-position:50% 50%;object-position:50% 50%;border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-btns-wrapper{position:relative;margin-bottom:40px;text-align:center;}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] #ccm-printbutton{float:none;border-radius:25px;width:120px;height:40px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;background:#6672E5}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-print-options{right:calc(50% - 53px)}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-name{text-align:center!important;margin-bottom:20px!important;text-transform:capitalize}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-info{display:-webkit-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:center}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-time{border-right:0;border-left:0;margin:0 -20px;border-top:1px dashed #000;border-bottom:1px dashed #000}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-summary{margin-bottom:25px}[data-ccmcardnum='1'] .ccm-summary:after{content:'';display:block;width:50px;height:2px;background:#000;margin:auto;margin-top:10px}