An English Tea Picnic

I have such fond memories of  many distant lands and different cultures from travelling with my family as a child.  Since it is not possible for my little family to travel to faraway places, I am teaching my children about different countries here at home!

Since 'tea' is the iconic drink of England, we are having an English tea picnic!  We learned many facts about the country, such as, where it is located on a map, who is in charge and the basic structure of the government.  Of course, my girls were fascinated with the 'Queen!'  We also discussed a few of the great names like Shakespeare, Jane Austen and famous musicians like the Beatles.

It was a beautiful weekend with lovely weather, so this was a nice way to conclude our little study! 'Visuals' seem to help my children learn, and we got to practice our manners!

The last of our knock-out roses makes a very 'English' presentation in this teapot!

The breakfast menu was strawberry scones with fresh berries, Devonshire cream and of course, hot tea.

I have been collecting these beautiful mismatched English teacups for some time.  They were perfect for our morning tea. 

Did you know that the only commercial tea grown in America is in Charleston, SC?  The Charleston Tea Plantation produces American Classic Tea, and it is still the official tea of the White House!  The peach tea is my favorite!  Just a little plug for SC!  You can visit the plantation for free when you are in Charleston!

The tarnished silver was my grandmother's and the rose melamine plates add a nice 'English' touch.

In the scheme of life, it doesn't really matter if you hold the saucer a certain way or not, but it seems that children who learn manners, also learn respect for others around them.  This is an ongoing process, I will assure you! I feel like I say a thousand times a day, "Chew with your mouth closed" and "Please don't interrupt!"

I always think of England as being rather damp or 'rainy.'  We had several days of rain before this picnic, so the ground was still a bit wet...perfect for our 'trip' to England!

Do you hold the saucer or not?  Well, it depends if you are at the table or a buffet!

Never wave the tea cup in the air!  Ummm, we missed that little fact when we were invited to a birthday tea party recently.  It seems like common sense, but not to my four year old, who waved it in the air and dropped it...hence, the lesson in how to hold a tea cup!

Wherever we go, I bring a little tea set for my youngest child.  She loves to pretend and it keeps her focused and sitting in one spot!

These vintage shoes are finally the perfect size for my little girl!

As the sun came up through the trees, it was the most beautiful morning!  I am not much of a 'morning person', but it was worth it on this day to crawl out of bed early!

This wicker chair was a recent find in Asheville, NC.  It is a 1930's beach chair from Jacksonville, Florida.  It just looks kind of 'English-y!'

The vintage metal picnic basket and plaid wool blanket help set the tone for our picnic.

We are all done, but I wish we could have stayed at our little spot in the 'English' countryside all day!  I have a large imagination, don't you think!  It was funny to hear my kids act like they knew how to speak in proper English!  Good times, I tell ya'! (said in a long southern drawl...I can't even fake proper!)

As his shirt says, 'toys will be toys' and boys will be boys!  He came straight from his cozy little bed!  I can assure you that he would rather have a hammer in his hand than this teacup!  Can you tell by the way he is holding the cup?!  But...he needs to learn manners, too!  One day, his wife will thank me!

St. George's Cross, the English Flag



Devonshire Cream 

5 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1 tablespoon heavy cream, reserved

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

Beat softened cream cheese, sugar, and one tablespoon reserved cream with a hand mixer until smooth.  With a spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream.  Do not over mix.  It will be a bit lumpy.  This is so easy for the children to do! Enjoy!

(In Chelsea's Kitchen by Hudson and Campbell)

I wonder where we will go next!  Maybe France?  Maybe Germany...from the comforts of our own backyard!

I am linking to these great blog hops and parties!