Chicken Noodle Soup - ThermoWorks Wand Review and Giveaway

Chicken Noodle Soup is the favorite of one of my friends, so when she became ill last month that's what I made for her. It's my go-to soup to deliver to sick friends or to enjoy myself when perfectly well. You'll find the recipe below. 

But speaking of illness, let me tell you about my new thermometer. I love it so much I'm telling you about it and giving one away, which makes sense in the middle of all this this that's been going on for more than a year now.

At my very first inkling of the pandemic I began checking my first aid kit and making sure I had everything we would need to care for ourselves at home. The one item I was not happy with was my thermometer.

Over the years I've tried a number of digital oral thermometers. Without exception, they've made me wish I still had an old-fashioned mercury thermometer. My first complaint is the probe covers. They never work well. "Just insert the thermometer and peel back the strip." No! I always rip up a couple of them trying that then give up on peeling back the paper strip and just use it that way. Not pleasant.

If you have a child, you know how difficult it can be to place the thermometer correctly under the tongue and then get the little squirmer to keep his or her mouth closed for 30 seconds. I feel sorry for those having two sick kids at once and dealing with that and the pesky probe covers. No thanks.

ThermoWorks Wand
non-contact digital forehead thermometer
Giveaway

So 13 months into the pandemic I decided it was time to upgrade to a non-contact digital forehead thermometer. I had been looking at various ones for several months, then I realized that ThermoWorks made one (actually, two—this one, Wand, and a Bluetooth version, Wand Blue, which you techie people can read about for yourselves). Knowing what quality products they make, I had to have their ThermoWorks Wand.

Love it! Turn it on, hold it about an inch from center of forehead, press and hold the Start button until you hear a beep, about 1 second, read the temperature, then turn it off or let it turn itself off in 60 seconds. I had fun playing with it, then took out the batteries for storage until such time as one of us gets sick. 

But back to the soup. I made it with ingredients on hand, which meant boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use bone-in skin-on chicken breasts or thighs. And, of course, you can increase the amount of ginger, crushed red pepper, and turmeric—all thought to have health benefits—to suit your own taste.

Tell me your favorite thing to eat when you're sick. Or well. And, if you (or a gift recipient) are in the US, enter the giveaway below. Stay safe and well.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

(Makes about 3 1/2 quarts)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) boneless skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup (4.5 ounces/128 grams) peeled and diced carrots
1 cup (4.5 ounces/128 grams) diced celery
Some of the celery leaves, chopped
1 cup (4.5 ounces/128 grams) diced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
5 cups (40 fluid ounces/1.18 liters) water
4 cups (32 fluid ounces/946 milliliter) lower-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups (8 ounces/227 grams) mini farfalle

1 In large pot (I use a 5.5-quart Dutch/French oven), heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and cook the chicken until done, salting and peppering* lightly. Remove to a plate to cool.

* I measure out the salt and pepper into two tiny prep bowls and use them throughout the recipe.

2 Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and cook the onion, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper, adding a bit of the salt and pepper, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped celery leaves, thyme, marjoram, ginger, crushed red pepper, and turmeric.

3 Stir in chicken broth, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken and remaining salt and pepper (or to taste), and continue simmering for about 10 minutes. Stir in mini farfalle, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

ThermoWorks Wand Giveaway

This giveaway is open to readers in the US* who are 18 years of age or older. To enter, leave a comment below (one entry per person). Tell me why you want a Wand. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. If your name is drawn and I have no way to contact you, you will be disqualified. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday April 28.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone you know in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter!

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday April 29. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Saturday May 1, a new winner will be selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: ThermoWorks provided a Wand for review purposes and one for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support.

Jean

Sheet Pan Home Fries - New West KnifeWorks Review and Giveaway

We all need comfort food, like my Sheet Pan Home Fries, now. And I thought giving away a really good knife would be a real perkative in the midst of all this this. But first ...

The Sheet Pan Home Fries

While there's nothing difficult about making home fries, it's more trouble (and mess) than it needs to be when you're in the middle of making other things as well. Too much checking and turning, and I always end up using too much oil to keep them from sticking. 

It took me a long time, but I finally wised up and haven't looked back since. I thought, why not just throw them on a sheet pan and put them in the oven? I didn't want to get fussy about that either. I know a lot of people roast vegetables in the oven and do a lot of turning, and I didn't want to be bothered with turning.

So I lined a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking problems, tossed my potato chunks with a few simple ingredients (you can season them however you like) and just a modest amount of oil, popped it in the oven and just let it go. Fabulous! All part of my streamlined cooking strategy to save time.

It also saves time on cleaning because there are no grease splatters on the stove to clean up. No skillet with stuck-on bits to soak and scrub. And, even more important for those of us who really care about making every simple dish as good as it can possibly be, the potatoes are perfectly cooked, evenly cooked.

And if what you're looking for is Roasted Potatoes for Sunday Lunch, just hit that link and make a batch of the most perfect Roasties. Are you a home fries person or a hash browns person? If the latter, you must try my Pomme Rosti.

The New West KnifeWorks Knife

I grew up with a mother who was a world-class cook with the worst --THE WORST--knives in the world, so I was determined that when I grew up I would have good knives. And I gradually acquired very good knives. But a couple of years ago I discovered the truly remarkable knives made by New West KnifeWorks (NWKW).

The NWKW knives are as beautiful as they are useful and a joy to work with. Call me shallow, but the first thing I noticed about the Ironwood 5-Inch Chopper was that it is the most gorgeous knife I've ever seen. That desert ironwood handle is beautiful. It is a richly textured, incredibly dense hardwood that with minimal care will last forever, making this an heirloom.

The handle is ergonomic, the blade is razor-sharp, and together they make a well-balanced knife that is just big enough to be my go-to "chef" knife for most of my cutting board work. For the tasks that require a bigger blade, I can pull out a chef knife; but this should take care of about 90 percent of my slicing and chopping. It cuts through tough potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower like butter. Chopping chocolate and nuts is effortless.

Go to the section below the recipe for details on this very generous giveaway. If you don’t happen to need a knife, you know someone who does; and this knife would make a great and generous gift.

Sheet Pan Home Fries

(Serves 4 or 5, can be easily doubled*)

2 to 2.2 pounds (32 to 35.27 ounces/0.9 to 1 kilogram) russet potatoes

2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce/ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon thyme

* To serve a crowd, double ingredients and bake on 18x13x1-inch half sheet pan.

1 Preheat oven to 400F/205C/Gas6. Line a 13x9x1-inch quarter sheet pan with baking parchment paper.

2 Peel potatoes and cut into roughly 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes. In 1.5- to 2-quart bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, marjoram and thyme. Spread in a single layer on parchment-lined quarter sheet pan.

3 Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.

New West KnifeWorks Knife Giveaway

This giveaway is open to readers in the US* who are 18 years of age or older. To enter, leave a comment below (one entry per person). Tell me the first thing you'd make with the knife. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday April 22.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone you know in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter!

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday April 23. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday April 26, a new winner will be selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: New West KnifeWorks provided a knife for review purposes and one for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Adagio Teas Review and Giveaway

Adagio Teas has a wide selection of full leaf loose teas and herbal tisanes. But if you prefer teabags, you'll love their pyramid teabags that contain the same quality full leaf tea and that are roomy enough to give the leaves room to unfurl properly. They have herbal tisanes and decaf teas, iced teas and flavored teas, and green, white, matcha, oolong and pu-erh teas, as well as the black teas I prefer.

The Tea

The Adagio Teas I've tried so far are all black teas and all loose teas (except for the Ceylon Sonata Iced Tea Pouches): Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey Bravo, Earl Grey Moonlight, Darjeeling Sungma Summer and Fujian Baroque. I've not yet tried the Ooooh Darjeeling, which is an oolong.

I'll start with the Ceylon Sonata Iced Tea. Of course, you can steep it hot just as you would for hot tea; but I did it the cold-brew way and loved it. I just dropped 2 pouches into a glass pitcher with 2 quarts of water and refrigerated it for 12 hours. The result was the smoothest, most crystal-clear iced tea I've ever had. I will never make iced tea the hot-brew way again!



Even when I added the inadequately strained freshly squeezed lemon juice to make Arnold Palmers, the cold-brewed Ceylon Sonata iced tea remained very clear.

The next tea I tried was the Irish Breakfast, a seamless blend of the bright Ceylon Sonata and malty Assam Melody. Irish breakfast teas are sometimes a bit harsh without a good splash of milk, but I found myself drinking this one straight and loving it. Even when I was distracted (usually by the cat or something I was reading) and oversteeped it, it was good.

A teaspoon or other measure of one tea won't be the same weight for all loose leaf teas. Whenever you try a new tea, experiment with the amount of tea to water and the steeping time (3 to 5 minutes for black teas) to get the perfect brew for you.

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When I made this pot of Darjeeling Sungma Summer, I used 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup), which was 9 grams, with 28 ounces boiling water. I was happy to find that the infuser works in my new Old Country Roses teapot and was large enough to allow the 1/8-cup scoop of full leaf tea to unfurl properly. 

The Infuser Cup

As you might have observed, I have no shortage of teapots, from 17 ounces to 3 quarts (It's a bruiser!). But for those tea-for-one moments throughout the day, you can brew a proper cup/mug of tea in this infuser cup, a lovely porcelain cup and lid with stainless steel infuser (photo below). It comes in white and eight other colors.

The extra-fine stainless steel infuser is quite deep and works well in other mugs too and even some teapots. Of course, you can leave out the infuser when you're using teabags. Whether using the infuser or a teabag, the ceramic lid makes the cup act like a teapot and gives you a better brew.

Update 07/26/17: Giveaway is now closed.

Adagio Teas Infuser Cup and Gift Certificate Giveaway

The winner of the giveaway will be sent the infuser cup in your choice of 9 colors and a gift certificate for $50 that will allow you to choose your own teas and other products. 

This giveaway is open to residents of the US, Canada, UK and Europe, 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person); tell me which color infuser cup you'd like and perhaps your favorite kind(s) of tea. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday July 26.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday July 27. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday July 30, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Adagio Teas provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Harney and Sons Fine Teas - Organic Tea Review and Giveaway

Several years ago I was introduced to Harney and Sons Fine Teas by master tea blender John Harney himself, the founder of the company. I was saddened to learn of his death five years later, but his family is carrying on the fine tea tradition.

Wait! Not a tea lover? Don't go away just because you aren't one! Someone you know and love is, and this will make a wonderful gift for that person!

Update 04/27/17: Giveaway is now closed.

Harney and Sons have white, green, matcha, oolong, black and decaffeinated teas as well as herbal infusions. Since I drink mostly organic teas, I was happy to learn that they currently offer ten organic teas and herbal infusions.

The 24-ounce teapot, which happens to have an excellent non-drip spout, makes up to four teacups or two or three mugs of tea. It comes in six colors: ivy (green), red, blue, white, lime and turquoise. Choose your color!

24-Ounce ForLife Curve Teapot with Infuser

John Harney favored a 5-minute steep for most black teas, as do I, so I went with that for all my tastings. And for each I put 25 fluid ounces of water in the electric kettle (because about an ounce evaporates in the boiling) and 6 grams of loose leaf tea in the fine-mesh stainless steel infuser.

In the case of the Earl Grey, 6 grams was 4 1/2 teaspoons (3 scoops with my 1 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon or 3 "rounded" teaspoons). If you're an Earl Grey fan, you probably know you can get more or less pronounced bergamot flavor by playing around with the amount of tea and/or the steeping time, but I was quite pleased with the balance the first time.

(Oh and try my Earl Grey Shortbread!)

The measurement was the same for the Assam, though the leaves are not quite as bulky as the Earl Grey and so make measuring a "level" 1 1/2-teaspoon measure more, well, level. The resulting brew was perfect, strong enough to stand up to the teaspoon of milk I like to add, but not too strong on its own. Mr Delightful, who never adds anything to his tea and who is a real Earl Grey fan, liked this Assam a lot. Don't worry ...

I'm going to stop now and move on to the giveaway! I'm sure I've already lost some of you who like to drink tea but not go on and on about it they way I do!

Update 04/27/17: Giveaway is now closed.

Harney & Sons Tea and Teapot Giveaway 

The winner of the giveaway will be sent: a 4-ounce tin Organic Assam, a 4-ounce tin Organic Breakfast, a 4-ounce tin Organic Darjeeling, a 4-ounce tin Organic Earl Grey, a package of Walkers shortbread and a 24-ounce ForLife Curve Teapot with Infuser in your choice of several colors.

This giveaway is open to US residents* 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person); tell me which color teapot you'd like and perhaps your favorite time of day for a nice cup of tea. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday April 26.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter! 

Winners will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday April 27. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday April 30, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Harney & Sons provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

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(And tell your non-virtual friends as well!)

Mighty Leaf Tea Review and Giveaway

Only my earliest followers (charter followers?) might know that Delightful Repast is now 7 years old! In honor of my 7th blogiversary, I'm doing a wonderful giveaway for tea lovers. Wait! Don't go away just because you aren't one! Someone you know and love is, and this will make a wonderful gift for that person.

About the Pastry Heart Jam Tarts in the photo above, I made that batch with a store-bought refrigerated pie crust just so I could tell you whether it will "do" or not. No, it won't. Not even in a pinch. If you don't have time to make the pastry, just make something else. Store-bought pastry might be okay for something, but for these in which pastry is the star, no. Just no.

Pastry Heart Jam Tarts
This batch made with the proper pastry

But back to the tea.

The Tea

Mighty Leaf has a wide selection of whole leaf loose teas and whole leaf tea pouches. They have herbal tisanes and green, white, matcha, oolong and pu'er (pu-erh) teas as well as the black teas that are my beverage of choice. Since I prefer organic tea, I was delighted to find they offer an extensive array of organic teas as well.

The ones I've tried so far are: Organic Breakfast, Organic Earl Grey, Organic Darjeeling Estate and Organic Darjeeling Kalimpong. All whole leaf loose black teas. One of their mottos is "Discover the magic of whole leaf tea." And once you do, you are not going to want to stuff those whole leaves into a tiny little "tea ball" that doesn't give them room to unfurl.

The Infuser Mug

Besides brewing it in a teapot, you can brew a proper cup/mug of tea in their lovely infuser mug. The 15-ounce Curve Tall Tea Mug with Infuser and Lid is available in white, with or without the Mighty Leaf logo on one side.

Since you don't fill it to the brim, it actually holds about 12 to 13 ounces. To make that amount of tea, a fairly level 2-teaspoon measure (3 grams) of the Mighty Leaf Organic Darjeeling Kalimpong steeped for 4 minutes was perfect. (I prefer a 5-minute steep for the Breakfast and Earl Grey teas.)

The extra-fine stainless steel infuser is quite deep, so if you prefer to make a smaller amount of tea in the mug you can. Of course, you can leave out the infuser when you're using tea bags. In either case, the ceramic lid makes the mug act like a teapot and gives you a better brew.

Everyone should have a Curve Tall Tea Mug with Infuser and Lid. It makes enjoying loose leaf tea just as convenient as using tea bags.

Tea Tips

If you're new to tea, see the basics at How to Make a Proper Cup of Tea. If you have any questions, just ask me in the comment section below. I'm always happy to answer tea questions. And if you are in the US, or have someone in the US you'd like to have it sent to, be sure to enter the giveaway!

When you try a new tea, experiment with the amount of tea to water and the steeping time (3, 4 or 5 minutes). I make a stronger brew when I'm in the mood to add a splash of milk. Which reminds me ...

You may know about the milk first/milk last controversy brewing on at least two continents. Let me tell you why it makes no sense to add milk to your cup first. Until you've tasted the tea you won't know if it's strong enough to stand up to the addition of milk. There's nothing worse than weak tea except weak tea with milk in it!

Update 02/15/17: Giveaway is now closed.

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Mighty Leaf Tea and Tea Mug Giveaway 

The winner of the giveaway will be sent: a 4-ounce tin Organic Breakfast, a 4-ounce tin Organic Earl Grey, a 3.5-ounce tin Organic Darjeeling Kalimpong, a 3-ounce bag Organic Darjeeling Estate, a black storage tin and a Mighty Leaf Curve Tall Tea Mug with Infuser and Lid.

This giveaway is open to US residents* 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person); and perhaps you can tell me your favorite time of day for a nice cup of tea. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday February 15.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter! 

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday February 16. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday February 19, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Mighty Leaf provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think! 

Jean

Tea Travel Kit - Bonavita Giveaway - Dual-Voltage Travel Kettle

I guess there's no use denying that I'm a tea snob. And, when traveling, no self-respecting tea snob would ever drink tea made in a coffee maker in the room. And I don't want to wait till breakfast to have my first cup of the day. And who knows if that's going to be up to standard!

The answer I came up with on my last trip was: a tea travel kit. The question: which kettle? It seems most are made of plastic, and that just won't do. A few hours of research led me to the Bonavita Dual Voltage 0.5L Electric Travel Kettle and convinced me that it's the kettle for me. 

Perfect for the person who is the lone tea-drinker in the office, it could also be used in a college dorm room, RV or boat. And for pour-over coffee as well as tea. Hmm ... I do happen to have a 0.5L French press.

The Bonavita Dual Voltage 0.5L Electric Travel Kettle is stainless steel, no plastic in contact with the water. It is compact, lightweight, easy to use and has auto shutoff after boiling. Dual voltage means it works anywhere; just take along an adapter plug and a coin for turning the button on the bottom of the kettle to the voltage required.

At 0.5 liters, it's just big enough to make 2 cups of tea, but my husband isn't quite as desperate for his morning cuppa as I am, so I put together my kit just for me. A mug setup is much simpler for travel purposes than a teapot, cup and saucer; so here's what I put together.

Update 03/18/19: These Amazon links are to the non-dual voltage version as the dual voltage version is not currently on Amazon. Here is a link to Bonavita Dual Voltage Kettle at the Bonavita site.

Tea Travel Kit

1 The Bonavita Dual Voltage 0.5L Electric Travel Kettle

2 A mug and infuser for loose leaf tea. Like this ForLife Curve Tall Tea Mug with Infuser and Lid. Or whatever mug and strainer you are already using at home.

3 A small tray that is big enough to hold the kettle, mug and whatever else you might want to put on it AND small enough to fit into your bag. My tray is 11x7 inches/28x18cm.

4 A leftover tea tin into which you've measured the amount of tea you think you'll need for the length of trip you're taking; and don't forget the measuring spoon. Or just take a tin of teabags.

5 Paper towels for easy cleanup. (And maybe a few shortbread or digestive biscuits!)

6 A bag to hold everything. Like the squishy and easily packable Thermos Raya Duffle Lunch Bag, which was available at my local Target in only a riotous multi-colored pattern, so I ordered this tamer one from Amazon. A soft cooler is not needed for this purpose, but it happened to be the right size and shape. Between trips, I can use it for lunch.

Having along one of my major comforts of home makes travel much more enjoyable. How about you? Do you take along tea or coffee kits or any other comforts from home when you travel?

Since January is National Hot Tea Month, I thought I'd celebrate by giving away a Bonavita Travel Kettle!

Update 01/11/17: The giveaway is now closed.

Bonavita Dual Voltage 0.5L Electric 

Travel Kettle Giveaway

This giveaway is open to US residents* 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person) that includes where you want to take your Bonavita Travel Kettle. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday January 11.

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter! 

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday January 12. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday January 15, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Bonavita provided a kettle for review purposes and one for the giveaway. I received no compensation. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Jean

Afternoon Tea Party Tips - Le Creuset Giveaway - 3-Tier Stand

Great gift idea! A 3-tier stand is a stylish way to serve hors d'oeuvres at your next party, though of course it is tailor-made for afternoon tea. 

Afternoon tea, the classic British-style afternoon tea, is something I enjoy as often as I can, at home or at a friend's home, at a posh hotel or a cozy tearoom. 

My first posh hotel afternoon tea was at the Empress, now the Fairmont Empress, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was only fitting, since I had heard so much about it from my mother and grandmother who had emigrated from England to Victoria (then eventually to the US). And, of course, we had tea at home. Tea has been my beverage of choice since the age of two. 

I give afternoon teas for my friends and have "converted" many to tea over the years. I've had smaller and larger teas, but most often have four to six people, sometimes indoors and sometimes in the garden in the gazebo. I make two or three different tea sandwiches; scones with clotted cream, lemon curd and raspberry or strawberry jam; shortbread and other sweets. 

The good thing is, nearly all the work is done in advance, so you have time for a bit of a lie-down before putting on your tea frock and greeting your guests. And, if you are new to giving afternoon teas, do keep it simple the first few times. Here’s all you need to know!

How to Throw an Afternoon Tea Party 

1 The three courses, the three S's of tea—sandwiches, scones, and sweets—can be extravagant or simple. Indoors, I usually have guests serve themselves at the tea table and sit round the living room. Outdoors, we sit at the table in the gazebo and have a sideboard for the things that won’t fit on the table. 

The afternoon tea pictured here was what I call a Table Tea in the corner of my kitchen. Did you notice that beautiful red Le Creuset 3-Tier Stand (available in 8 colors)? A 3-tier stand is just the thing for afternoon tea. Sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middle and sweets on top makes sense to me because I like to eat more sandwiches and fewer sweets.

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2 Invite your guests to dress for the occasion. It will add to the ambience. For the ladies, this means dresses, gloves (removed before eating, of course) and even hats, if they have them. For the gentlemen, the male equivalent (though I usually don't ask anything more than long trousers and polo shirts of the men!). 

My friends and I always create somewhat of a sensation when we go out to tea in our tea attire. We like to think we bring up the tone of the place!

3 Since afternoon tea is a brief occasion, anywhere from one and a half to two hours or so, be sure to put the word “precisely” in front of the time on the invitation (as in “precisely three o’clock”). And, please, don’t call it “high tea,” which is the informal main evening meal sometimes called a “meat tea.” 

4 To make a proper pot of black tea, just before a kettle of freshly drawn water comes to the boil, warm the teapot with hot water, empty it, add one teaspoon of tea leaves for each 8 ounces of water. Immediately pour in the freshly boiling water, let it stand for 5 minutes, stir, and then strain into cups. If you prefer to use a tea ball, be sure it is large enough to allow the tea leaves to unfurl. Serve with sugar or sugar cubes, thin slices (not wedges) of lemon and a small pitcher of milk (never cream).

You'll want to experiment with tea amounts and steeping times, shorter or longer by a minute or two, with each new tea you try to get just the brew you like. 

5 Make one to three kinds of tiny, crustless sandwiches (six to eight total per person), and cover them properly* before refrigerating for a couple of hours until serving time. You might also include savory tartlets, mini quiches or mini meat pies. 

* You'll see the method in the directions for my tea sandwich recipes.

Since this tea was just a "simple" Table Tea in my kitchen, I made just two kinds of sandwiches: Almond Chicken and Egg and Dill Tea Sandwiches. 

6 Scones, another afternoon tea essential, can also be made ahead; just reheat at the last moment. Homemade are vastly superior to store-bought and so easy to make. Serve with raspberry or strawberry jam, lemon curd and clotted cream. 

I nearly always cut my scones into wedges because that's the shape my mother and grandmother made. And if you read the recipe, you'll find another good reason. 

7 Make or buy a selection of dainty sweet treats, perhaps three of the following: shortbread or other biscuits (cookies), miniature cream puffs, mini muffins, petits fours and pecan tartlets. 

In addition to my homemade fruitcake, I served Walker's Shortbread and mini eclairs that I bought for the occasion. 

Update 12/01/16: The giveaway is now closed

Le Creuset 3-Tier Stand Giveaway

This giveaway is open to US residents* 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person) that includes what you want to serve on the 3-tier stand. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday November 30.

*If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter!

Bonus entry: If you are on Twitter, you may have one bonus entry by following Le Creuset on Twitter and Delightful Repast on Twitter. Leave a second comment below with your Twitter name. (Must include Twitter name!) 

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday December 1. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday December 4, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Le Creuset provided a 3-tier stand for review purposes and one for the giveaway. I received no compensation. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Coffee Chocolate Gelato - Cuisinart Giveaway - ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream Maker

Coffee Chocolate Gelato. Something I never thought of making myself until I got the Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato Maker. Besides the regular ice cream paddle, it has a gelato paddle specially designed to incorporate less air into the gelato; less air is one of the differences between gelato and ice cream.

I've owned the Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream-Sorbet Maker for several years and still love it. I liked to keep the freezer bowl in the freezer at all times so it was ready to go on a moment's notice. But I have very limited freezer space I'm trying to maximize more than ever just now, so the ICE-100, which is a self-refrigerating compressor machine has replaced it in my affections.

And don't even get me started on the old-fashioned ice-and-rock-salt-wooden-bucket kind. You know I think "old-fashioned" is a good thing, so I'm not using it in a pejorative way here, just by way of description! In theory, I love that kind of ice cream maker and even had one back in the day. They are perfect for making a large batch of ice cream for a crowd. 

But these days I just make small batches and so appreciate the just-plug-it-in convenience of the compressor unit. No rock salt. No ice. No insert bowl that needs to be frozen for 24 hours. It's so easy! And Cuisinart is going to send one to one of YOU! 

Some gelatos (actually, I think the plural might be "gelati") have eggs, but I developed this recipe to be a no-egg gelato. I use all organic ingredients. If you can't get organic milk and cream, at least get a brand that doesn't have hormones.

I've posted lots of ice creams, including Chocolate Ice Cream, Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream and Chocolate Frozen Yogurt.

Mr Delightful says this recipe is "the perfect balance of chocolate and coffee; I can taste both." What is your favorite ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, sorbet or non-dairy frozen dessert?

Chocolate Coffee Gelato

(Makes about 1 quart)

1 tablespoon ground coffee*
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) boiling water
1 3/4 cups (14 fluid ounces/414 ml) milk (I use 2%)
2/3 cup (4.67 ounces/132 grams) sugar
1/4 cup (0.75 ounce/21 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa powder*
3 tablespoons (27 grams) non-GMO cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml) heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

* I always buy organic fair trade coffee and cocoa

1 Put the coffee in a single-cup filter bag, place it in a teacup and pour over 1/3 cup boiling water; let brew for 2 minutes, then remove bag, pressing out all the liquid, making about 1/4 cup triple-strength coffee. In 1-quart saucepan, heat milk just to a simmer.

2 While milk is heating, in 2-quart saucepan whisk together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the cream until mixture is smooth.

3 Whisk in hot milk. Over medium heat, stir constantly and cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes; do not boil. Whisk in vanilla extract and brewed coffee.

4 Pour into a 1-quart glass measure (the spout will make pouring mixture into the machine easier). You should have 3.5 cups; if you don;t, just stir in a bit of milk or cream. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours or up to a day or two (I always aim for 24 hours).

5 Put the gelato paddle into the mixing bowl of the Cuisinart ICE-100 compressor ice cream and gelato maker; whisk the chilled mixture, pour it into the mixing bowl and put on the lid. Turn unit on, set timer for 30 minutes* and press Start; let spin until thickened. Or follow the directions for whichever ice cream maker you have. While gelato is churning away, put the container you'll be storing the gelato in into the freezer (cuts down on the melting when you're transferring the gelato from the freezer bowl to the storage container).

* Directions said to set for 40 minutes, but I found my chilled mixture took only 30 minutes. So I would suggest checking it every 5 minutes after the first 20 minutes or so, at least when making a new recipe the first time.    

6 Turn the unit off by pressing the power button, remove the lid, lift the mixing bowl out by its handle and remove the paddle from the bowl. Transfer the soft gelato to the chilled freezer-safe airtight container, and place in freezer for at least 4 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. That will make it soft enough to scoop (or spade) and to have that softer (than ice cream) gelato thing going on.

Cuisinart ICE-100 Ice Cream Maker Giveaway 

Update 09/14/16: The giveaway has closed. The winner has been announced in the comments.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person) that includes the first thing you'd like to make with it. Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday September 14. 

Bonus entry: If you are on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest, you may have one bonus entry by doing any or all of the following and leaving an additional comment below with your Twitter, Facebook and/or Pinterest name:
Follow Cuisinart on Twitter; like the Cuisinart Facebook page.
Follow Delightful Repast on Twitter and Delightful Repast on Pinterest. 

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday September 15. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday September 18, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Cuisinart provided an ice cream maker for review purposes and one for the giveaway. I received no compensation. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Jean