Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Tea Time with the Bunny Family!

It was easy to decide what I would make for tea today! I recalled those wonderful cupcakes that my mother would make when we were little (1950's) and could hardly wait to taste them!

I am sure many of you have made cupcakes and topped them with icing, then coconut and jelly beans so I don't need to take you through the steps for that recipe. Just in case, though, here are the steps to delicious Easter cupcakes. Start with your favorite cupcakes. I baked up a batch from Pillsbury's German Chocolate Cake mix (my mother, of course, did not use a mix and I will offer up her chocolate cake recipe for a post later this year) and then frosted them with Pillsbury's Chocolate Fudge frosting. I added green food coloring to Baker's coconut and mixed it up really well, then dipped the frosted cupcakes in the coconut mix (same way I did for my white Snowball cupcakes in January). Then I added old-fashioned jelly beans. Didn't want any fancy flavors or colors. I was going for great taste with a dash of 1950's memories tossed in!! I was not dissappointed!! Oh, they were yummy!! Just so you know, I did not eat the entire plate full of cupcakes. They are a treat for the Easter weekend. :-)

The tea I chose for today was a sample packet I had in the cupboard and I thought I would give it a try. It's Lipton's White Tea with Island Mango & Peach Flavors. Oh, did it smell delicious. But oh, it did not taste delicious. Sorry but it was a dissapointment. To my tastebuds, it seemed a bit tart and I like my tea more sweet. I think I am very happy with my Irish Breakfast tea or Earl Grey blends and will probably not stray again.

There are a few items in my tea setting that I will tell you about. This little miniature setting is one that I did in the 1980's. It was first a candy jar and then it took on new life when I placed the floor in the jar, then added the table and decorations.
The cake is a plastic bunny that I covered in glue and then rolled in glitter to make it look like a coconut bunny. The little eggs are made from Fimo clay and if you click and enlarge the photos, you can see that I painted Happy Easter on the egg that is sitting on the table. The tiny basket is made from needlepoint canvas and the bunny is just made from pink pom-poms.

The bunny family that watched me eat my cupcake were made in the early 1980's. It's a little pattern I drew in 1970 and made the larger size for my daughter Collette when she was a baby. She would suck on the ears of the thing as if it were a pacifier. I made a number of them for baby shower gifts and little ones all did the same thing. They loved those ears!!
I decided to make up a set in pink and a set in blue sometime in the 1980's and there would be one that could go to my daughter and one to my son someday. There were four of each. During our move a couple of years ago, the tiniest pink bunny became seperated from her family but I am sure she will one day pop up in a box of craft and holiday items. On my "drawing board", there is a quilt design that incorporates these bunnies. Maybe I'll get to it by next Spring!!
Hope you all enjoyed today's Tea and Stitches. Have a wonderful spring weekend and a Happy Easter, too!
Sandi

12 comments:

Val said...

The cupcakes look great. I love seeing your Easter pictures. Thanks for sharing. I have not learned to drink hot tea yet. Which kind do you suggest I start with and how do I fix it?

Pat said...

Oh, Sandi......this was such a FUN tea party setting! I am SO envious of you to be able to make those minis. They are super-terrific and I have loved every single one I've seen! Those baby bunnies are too cute. And....GOOD GIRL for not eating all those cupcakes. I'm sure I'd not have done as well as you in that regard! :)

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

I just love your tea parties. The cupcakes look delicious - and the bunnies are the cutest things. I love white tea - but just white tea - nothing mixed in - it is very soothing.

Anneke Potgieter said...

Hi Sandi thank you for a very intresting Tea and Stitches and other delights. I also love my tea. The first one is Rooibos Tea and is a caffeine free tea,the tea is 100% natural and contains no colourants, flavourants or preservatives. The other tea is a traditional Indian Spiced Tea called Pukka Chai, its delicious hot or cold and the flavour is a blend of cinnamom, ginger root, cadamom and clove. May is wish you a blessed Easter with family and friends. Anneke Pogieter Klerksdorp South Africa

Kaye said...

What a nice tea party you hosted! I especially Loved the mini scene, and the Bunny Family. You have great will power. ummm chocolate cupcakes, gone in a flash in m y house LOL. There is no end to your talent and creativity

quiltingnana said...

so cute and festive...brought back memories. I agree about the Irish Breakfast Tea and Earl Grey! I have not had great success with fruit flavored teas.

xashee's corner said...

oh the cupcakes look so YUM YUM YUMMY! :) and i ADORE the Bunny family!! :) How CUTE! Thank you so much for sharing! i really MUST remember to stop here more often! :) Have a BEAUTIFUL day!

Pat said...

I had a wonderful time at your tea. Thanks for inviting me.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tea Sandi. I personally like my No. 10 black tea (by mailorder). The bunnies are sure cute, the stuffed ones and the ones inside the glass candy jar...how fitting! Thanks also for the pattern...another one to add to my WIPs or GTs (get-to). I hope the spring has properly appeared or appears properly this week-end!

Peggy

libertythreads said...

Just darling!

GeeGee said...

Thanks for a lovely tea party! Your Bunny families are darling and what yummy cupcakes. Have a wonderful Easter!

Owl Lady said...

Your chocolate cupcakes and the pretend coconut bunny remind me of an Easter cake that I made about 30 or so years ago. I had been passed a family cake mold in the shape of a lamb with its legs folded under and its head held high. It was traditionally made with a white cake recipe that I thought was rather heavy and dry. I wanted chocolate. (I always want chocolate.) I used a regular chocolate cake mix, poured the batter into the well-greased and well-floured mold, put on the well-g and f lid, and baked it. It looked so good coming out of the mold, just perfect. I was already imaging the compliments that I would get the next day. I started the white frosting near the tail and worked forward. So easy -- until I got to the neck, which was the most narrow area of the cake. I swiped the first knifeful of frosting along the neck, and the head promptly rolled off the body onto the table. I picked it up, put a patch of frosting on both sides of the break and stuck the head back onto the body. It didn't roll, but it slid! I tried to patch it back on with frosting several times with no luck. The lamb's neck was getting longer, however, from the buildup of frosting. Finally, I decided that I needed an armature. I looked through my utensils. I chose a salad fork, poked the handle down through the remaining neck and into the body. Then I lined up the head and pushed it down until the fork tines disappeared inside. The frosting went just great, and the coconut made it look perfect. Of course, the next day, amid the compliments, there were questions about "why I had stabbed the lamb with a fork". We still have lamb cake each year. I don't bake it. And occasionally we all laugh about the chocolate cake with the fork. Someone always adds,"That cake sure was good though."

A little stitching poem.........

This little poem was written for one of my beginning quilting students - only 8 years old but her stitches were those of a natural seamstress!

For Bailey Anne . . . .
When this you see, think of me.
Sit down and have a cup of tea.
Then place your quilt upon your lap,
begin to stitch . . . no time to nap!
Stitch patiently and you will see . . .

how fine a quilter you can be!

©1999-2008 Sandra E. Andersen