Happy Equinox! Every solstice and every equinox we have a family tea to mark the occasion and usher in the season.
The tea tradition is something that works for our blended family. Everyone likes it and it's really low key and very little stress involved in terms of family dynamics or issues with traditions that come up with other holidays. And personally, I love taking a moment to sip tea and notice the change of seasons, and I like thinking about the people throughout time also observing the changes in the earth and in the position of the sun and having some festival, large or small, to mark that.
That said, the food preparation part of our tea tradition bugs me. I love to bake, but the teas always fall on a busy Sunday where I'm also trying to get ready for Monday and all that that entails (a lot!). Every season I wonder if we'd be better off just steeping a pot of tea and opening a package of Pepperidge Farm cookies. But so far I haven't resorted to that; maybe next time, I always reassure myself.
So today the menu included apples and plums from the yard, berries from the store, "little tea sandwiches" (love to say that in a high pitched lilting voice and I always do) including the family favorite, cucumber sandwiches, and cupcakes in "mix and match" flavors: two types of cake (chocolate and vanilla) mixed and matched with three different icings (vanilla, raspberry, and chocolate butter cream). The cupcakes come from the September '07 issue of Everyday Food and I love how they turned out (but they were a ton of work). On the upside? A happy family and
lots of leftover cupcakes.
And what does fall hold for us?
- lots of crafting of gifts and Halloween costumes and birthday presents.
- a fall birthday (a first ever for our family)!
- lots of Saturday morning hikes (I hope).
- and lots of cuddling with our "new" books on the couch.
Happy fall everyone!
Happy Equinox! Every solstice and every equinox we have a family tea to mark the occasion and usher in the season.
The tea tradition is something that works for our blended family. Everyone likes it and it's really low key and very little stress involved in terms of family dynamics or issues with traditions that come up with other holidays. And personally, I love taking a moment to sip tea and notice the change of seasons, and I like thinking about the people throughout time also observing the changes in the earth and in the position of the sun and having some festival, large or small, to mark that.
That said, the food preparation part of our tea tradition bugs me. I love to bake, but the teas always fall on a busy Sunday where I'm also trying to get ready for Monday and all that that entails (a lot!). Every season I wonder if we'd be better off just steeping a pot of tea and opening a package of Pepperidge Farm cookies. But so far I haven't resorted to that; maybe next time, I always reassure myself.
So today the menu included apples and plums from the yard, berries from the store, "little tea sandwiches" (love to say that in a high pitched lilting voice and I always do) including the family favorite, cucumber sandwiches, and cupcakes in "mix and match" flavors: two types of cake (chocolate and vanilla) mixed and matched with three different icings (vanilla, raspberry, and chocolate butter cream). The cupcakes come from the September '07 issue of Everyday Food and I love how they turned out (but they were a ton of work). On the upside? A happy family and lots of leftover cupcakes. 
And what does fall hold for us?
2 comments:
I baked for 2 whole days for our Equinox gathering. At one point I thought, I should just go to the bakery or store - but am so glad I didn't! What a beautiful Equinox Tea you & your family had! Creating memories and traditions are priceless and in the end, worth it, right? :)Happy Autumn!
Yay lets here it for Saturday morning hikes!!
Happy fall to you!
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