Tea at Enola Gay's

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Tea at Enola Gay's

I love a good tea party. For a number of year, 3 friends and I have gotten together regularly for tea. It used to be that we managed a get-together about once a month, but as our children have gotten older, our tea parties have dwindled to almost nothing. We do, however, always manage to celebrate our birthdays together. Because of our limited time together, our parties have become regular celebrations. We all talk a mile a minute and try to get everything said that we have been waiting so long to say. We determined years ago that we could talk about things together that make our husbands eyes glaze over - so we save a lot of earth shattering discussions for our rare tea parties.

When our children were smaller, we would get together for a "home-schooling" group, but it just turned into a tea party - with children. We would all bring "locust food" (as we called the food for the kids) because they had the ability to clean out the goody trays in record time. We then tried our hand at a "sewing circle", but it turned into, you guessed it, a tea party. Sewing never got done.

At one time, 3 out of the 4 ladies were expecting so we called our tea parties "Fertili-teas". The husband of the 1 lady that was not expecting threatened not to let his wife join our little parties! He obviously had no sense of humor!

These tea parties drew our families together. Our children have grown up together (all 26 of them!). Our husbands have fellowshiped with one another. They have shot together, paintballed together, rock climbed together, camped together, worked together and prayed together. We have rejoiced over births and grieved over deaths. We have seen each other through injuries, family crises and the loss of jobs. But we have always had tea. Our get togethers are an island of calm and support and encouragement in the sea of life's turbulence. One friend has a magnet on her refrigerator that states "Where there is Tea, there is hope". I couldn't agree more!

Lemon Curd

Saturday, January 16, 2010

NOT Martha Stewart's Lemon Curd!

Yesterday I got a hankering for scones with Devonshire Cream and Lemon Curd. Of course, no stores around here sell lemon curd ( and I wouldn't have bought it anyway!). I generally have a few jars sitting on my shelf that I have canned, but I was out, so out came the canning kettle (why make a little, when you can make a lot and can it?) and the Weck jars. In the summer, I have to make it on the gas range, but in the winter, with the wood cookstove, I get to make it with "free" energy!

First I melt the butter:


Then in goes the lemon juice, lemon rind, and sugar:

Eggs get beaten:


The eggs are poured into the lemon, sugar mixture:

I stir while it gets thick:

Meanwhile, I sterilize rubber seals and canning jars:

Next comes filling the jars:

Canning jars in the canning kettle:

The finished product:

And then, the best part of all, is my friend, "P", came over in the afternoon and had scones and tea with me. We had a wonderful time visiting, talking (sometimes loudly) about current events and discussing with my son and his friends the merits of various boyhood activities. We did get some good pictures of the boy rolling each other in the mud like so many puppies. I'm not sure their mom is going to let them come over anymore!

Here is our "delectable" (that's a fancy word for good) scones, devonshire cream and lemon curd:

For anyone who wants the recipes:

Lemon Curd

1 1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C lemon juice
2 T lemon rind
4 1/2 C sugar
12 whole eggs
6 egg yolks

Melt the butter in the top of a saucepan or double boiler. Add the juice, rind and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Beat the eggs and egg yolks together until thick and blend into the butter/sugar mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until quite thick. Cool and refrigerate.

To Can:

Pour into sterilized jars, seal. Water bath can for 20 minutes.

I have never seen a recipe for canning curd. I made this up on my own. I am positive that your local extension office would NOT approve, but I have been doing it for about 3 years with NO problems!


Now for the Devonshire Cream:

1 package cream cheese (8 oz.) - of course, homemade is best!
1/4 C sour cream
6 T powdered sugar (more or less for desired taste)

Split open a fresh scone, put a liberal amount of devonshire cream, a liberal amout of lemon curd (or raspberry, blackberry jam), sit back, and know that God is good!

As I said in the title, this is NOT Martha Stewart's lemon curd. She may make lemon curd, but I have the feeling she misses the real point. The point is relationship. It is not about impressing people, it is about knowing people. As "P" and I sat together and enjoyed our tea and scones, the important things going on where not the tea and goodies, they were the relationships that we were forming. The relationship with each other, with our children, with our children's friends. We were enjoying with each other what God created us to enjoy with him - Relationship.