Welcome!  Do come into the kitchen where I’ve prepared a place for tea.  Are you ready for Valentine’s Day?  How has 2017 been treating you?

I’ve always thought celebrating on February 14th provided a lovely break in the winter during the long stretch between New Year’s and Easter.  After a pause from the string of parties, commitments, and gatherings  from October through January 1st, I’m ready for Valentine’s Day!

Saint Valentine’s true identity seems lost to time, although it is widely agreed that he was martyred for his Christian faith during the 3rd century.  Tradition says he performed a miracle when his jailer’s blind daughter received her sight.  Before his execution, he supposedly left her a farewell note that said, “From your Valentine.”  Known for performing secret marriages, he remains a symbol of love to this day.

     

I’ve chosen to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day this year with a Victorian-themed tea table.  Utilizing multiple shades of pink, I’ve created a girly tableau, complete with metallic blush chargers, lace tablecloth, and a vintage silver plated tea service.  I added the pink tulle, studded with tiny rhinestones, for a touch of glam.

     

I stumbled upon some of my favorite chocolate biscuits the other day, and I wanted to share them with you.  I first experienced these delights on a ferry between France and England.  Made in Belgium, they’re called crepes.  Delicious silky milk chocolate robes individual layers of fine, wafer-thin cookies — folded like a tiny blanket … perfection!  I still cannot figure out how they make them.  Also, I’ve included some bakery-made short bread treats decorated to resemble those tiny message hearts we loved as children.  Cranberry tarts, along with vanilla and dark chocolate custards, complete our sweet treats.

     

     

By chance, I discovered a new tea that I’m obsessed with.  I’ve decided to serve it today, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  Tazo’s Orange Chiffon Black Tea is a delicious blend of orange, vanilla, earl grey, and butter cream.   Its delicate flavor is superb!  We received the tin of bags as a gift, so I have to discover where to source it for myself!

     

For gifts, I’ve dressed up inexpensive small boxes of chocolates with heart-shaped doilies and ribbon flowers.  Because what would Valentine’s Day be without chocolates?  Bright pink polka dot ribbon, trimmed with a die-cut wooden sparkly ornament, serves as a napkin ring and small present for my guests.  Reproduction Victorian cards add the final touch to the theme.

  

  

Thank you for joining me.  I wish each of you a beautiful Valentine’s Day filled with love, chocolate, and tea!

 

 

 

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