Spouting Off About Teapots

by Nancy Jill Thames

A Mother's Day Gift

"Queen of Afternoon Tea"

From Wikepedia we learn a brief history of a clever invention - The Teapot!

The teapot probably derived from the ceramic kettles and wine pots which were also made in bronze and other metals and were a feature of Chinese cultural life for thousands of years. The earliest example of a teapot that has survived to this day seems to be the one in the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware; it has been dated to 1513 and attributed to Gongchun.

Early teapots are small by western standards because they are generally designed for a single drinker and the Chinese historically drank the tea directly from the spout. The size reflects the importance of serving small portions each time so that the flavours can be better concentrated, controlled and then repeated. *I would also add that the spout was designed with a grate to keep the tea leaves from getting into the person's mouth or later into the cup.

"The sweetest melody is always found in the heart of a friend."

From the end of the 17th century tea was shipped from China to Europe as part of the export of exotic spices and luxury goods. The ships that brought the tea also carried porcelain teapots. The majority of these teapots were painted in blue and white underglaze. Porcelain being completely vitrified will withstand sea water without damage, so the teapots were packed below deck whilst the tea stayed on top in the dry.

My Everyday Teapot

Tea drinking in Europe was initially the preserve of the upper classes since it was very expensive. Porcelain teapots were particularly desirable because porcelain could not be made in Europe at that time. It wasn't until 1708 that Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus devised a way of making porcelain in Dresden, Germany, and started the Meissen factory in 1710. When European potteries began to make their own tea wares they were naturally inspired by the Chinese designs.

A Gift from London, England

In colonial America, Boston became the epicenter for silver production and artistry. Among the many artists in Boston, there were four major families in the city's silver market, including Edwards, Revere, Burt and Hurd. Their works of art included silver teapots.

A Wedding Shower Prize

I'll refrain from posting a photo of my silver tea service because currently, it's wrapped tightly in plastic and I'm not ready to use it. We'll wait until the weather turns cooler and we can sit by the fire.

I used to own a simple white teapot, but one year I decided to give it to my Mom along with a Thistledown tea cozy for her birthday. She has entertained many of her neighbors serving tea using this gift.

Teddy

The heroine in my novels enjoys afternoon tea whenever she gets an opportunity, whether at the Ritz-Carlton or serving it to her garden club friends. Her little Yorkie companion Teddy adores a few morsels from the fare as well!



From "The Mark of Eden"

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Teddy appreciated the morsels of chicken salad sandwiches, but when someone gave him a bite of cucumber sandwich, he only ate the bread spread with cream cheese. Later, she would find bits of cucumber behind the sofa. After enjoying some bits of scones with the lovely crème fraiche, he hopped up onto the sofa, nestling in his favorite mohair throw. The ladies’ soothing chatter soon lulled him to sleep for a lovely nap, while Jillian continued to refill teacups with the blackberry sage tea, and offered more of her tempting specialties.



Here's an excerpt from "Murder in Half Moon Bay."

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I never tired of the Ritz-Carlton’s afternoon tea. Warm sunlight filled the soft peach and muted green lobby where they serve tea every afternoon. Ann waited for me, sitting comfortably in a green and white printed booth. A white tablecloth lay across the table adorned with a small bouquet of fresh fall flowers. Ann smiled upon seeing me come toward her and moved over a bit to make room for me to join her.

“Hello, Jillian,” she said. “You look pretty discouraged. The tea ought to revive you. Here’s our server.” A young dark haired woman wearing the hotel tan and green print uniform smiled and asked if we would like the ‘Set Tea.’ After answering in the affirmative, Ann and I put our heads together and debriefed...

The server brought our tea—a pot apiece, steaming with our individual choices, and then a three-tiered plate stand filled with sweets and savories of every description.

We helped ourselves to the delicacies as the server, Alicia, poured out. “Milk?” she asked. We both nodded a “yes,” and then she asked, “Sugars?”

From the Dollar Tree

Teapots, for me, hold wonderful memories. I've poured many a cup for my garden club friends, neighbors, nieces and nephews. 


What about you? Tell us about your teapots.



Next week I'll share some cups and saucers from my collection. Each and every one also holds a particular memory of the person  or occasion from where it came.

A Gift From My Sister-In-Law

A Miniature Beatrix Potter Tea Set

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries.

Find out more about her on the About Us page, here on Cozy Mystery Magazine.

Thanks for joining us today!

Take Your Dog to Dinner

'When Dogs Dine Out' You Tube Video

If they're well-heeled that is. Now, more and more restaurants around the country are catering to pooches. As of February 27, 2012, LA county gave the okay for dogs to eat on restaurant patios and there's even a Dog Restaurant Week coming September 16-23 this year. Of course your dog must be under 40 lbs, leashed and well-mannered or you may be asked to leave! If you're interested in participating restaurants here's the list. And not only are dogs allowed - they're catered to with doggie menus featuring anything from lamb stir fry to meat loaf to scrambled eggs with bacon bits. One restaurant even provides a space behind the restaurant, complete with waste pickup bags for bathroom breaks. So cool! Why is this important to a cozy author like myself? Because my heroine Jillian Bradley takes her Yorkie companion everywhere with her - including restaurants. 

For example in "The Ghost Orchid Murder" I had to write Teddy into having lunch with Jillian and her assistant:

 'The elements restaurant was buzzing with customers. I’m sure it was due to the notoriety of the criminal guests they were hoping to get a glimpse of. The maitre d’ seated us right away in one of the private booths overlooking the terrace. I placed Teddy in his satchel comfortably on the seat next to me and gave him a little treat. “Now I expect you to behave yourself and be very quiet, Teddy.” He looked at me with those warm brown eyes as if to say, “Would I ever give you trouble, Mistress?”' 


And in "The Mark of Eden" I wanted to write Teddy into a lunch date as well:

'The parking lot was full but she found an empty space and pulled in. Delicious aromas of seafood being prepared wafted on the air as she and Teddy entered the restaurant, nestled on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Sam’s was reminiscent of an East Coast style seafood house, with a large patio overlooking Half Moon Bay.

Ira was waiting at a table perusing the menu when the host mentioned discreetly to Jillian that dogs were only allowed on the patio. Seeing that Jillian was experiencing difficulty with Teddy, Ira motioned to a server and whispered in his ear. The server walked to the front desk and spoke softly to the host, who in turned blushed slightly.

“I do beg your pardon, Mrs. Bradley,” he said. “Won’t you and your companion please follow me? So sorry for any misunderstanding. Dr. Sinclair is one of our best customers.”

Jillian was a little surprised but impressed at the influence Ira had with the locals. She glided toward his table, Teddy scrunched down in his tote, as Ira stood to greet her and make sure she was seated comfortably.

“Why thank you, Ira,” she offered. “We could have sat on the patio. I really wouldn’t have minded following the rules.”

“Rules were made to be broken, or at least I enjoy pushing the boundaries, but that’s just the scientist in me speaking. Have you ever eaten here before?”

“No, not this particular restaurant. I have eaten at The Distillery many years ago.”

“With the Blue Lady Ghost?” he chuckled.

Jillian chose not to comment but cast her mind back to an earlier case involving the said lady ghost.'

How many of you enjoy taking your dogs with you whenever you go out? Do you take your dogs out for their birthdays? I used to take our Maltese 'Chloe' to the drive thru at McDonald's on her's and got her a cheeseburger. Oh how she loved it! Some drive thru services even offer dog treats when your pooch is along for the ride. What's been your experience?

THIS JUST IN: CONGRATULATIONS TO DAPHNE AND BRENDA - THE WINNERS OF THE BOOK GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!!

COZY CUSTARD PIE

FROM MY COZY KITCHEN:

FEATURED RECIPE OF THE WEEK IN THE COZY KITCHEN

 

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of "Jillian Bradley Mysteries," a series often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years. Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.”   She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild. Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills. She has won awards for her blogs,  a pie contest for her Chip Chocolate Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit: 
http://www.nancy-jill.blogspot.com ,
http://www.nancyjillthames.wordpress.com
http://www.authornancyjillthames.webs.com

A FREE GIFT FOR YOU!

A free gift for you this weekend ($3.99 value)! Murders, mysteries and new character on the scene - meet Daisy Larsen - a bustling plant lady who gets embroiled with Jillian, Teddy and the rest of the gang in 

 "THE MARK OF EDEN."

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of "Jillian Bradley Mysteries," a series often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years. Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.”

She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild.

Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills.

She has won awards for her blogs, a pie contest for her Chip Chocolate Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit our COZY BOOK STORE or at the following links: 

http://www.nancy-jill.blogspot.com ,

http://www.nancyjillthames.wordpress.com

http://www.authornancyjillthames.webs.com

A COZY WORLD

So what do you think living in a 'cozy world' means? Is there such a place? My youngest daughter, who is just graduating from college, told me I live in a protected world. She thinks I'm lucky. Yes, there are different worlds out there, but the one I choose to live in reads like the books I write and enjoy reading the most - cozies!
     To keep tea warm, a cozy is placed over the pot. Much in the same way, a cozy story covers the reader in warm prose. Agatha Christie (my favorite author) often used getaway weekends to country estates as settings for her murder mysteries. She vicariously put me on a terrace having tea, or going for a walk in the garden or traveling along the coast, staying in hotels by the sea. As an only child, left to herself much of the time, Agatha Christie created her stories to alleviate boredom. What an amazing contribution to mystery lovers she made to the world. Her cozies were never gory or profane. She set the standard for cozy authors to follow.

     Like Agatha Christie, I began writing out of boredom while traveling to a conference with my husband. Fashioning the heroine after myself, I then created characters from a myriad of people I met - from a valet at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel I named Walter Montoya, Jr. in "Murder in Half Moon Bay" to a fellow passenger on a plane trip I named Helen Morningstar in "The Ghost Orchid Murder." Their permission was always obtained before using their persona of course.
     My family rolled their eyes at my becoming an author. But there were others who encouraged me enough to believe I could write. Did I know what I was doing? No. Was I determined to finish the course? Yes! My cozy world is one I've created, and after two years and five books later I can honestly say there has never been anything as fulfilling as writing the Jillian Bradley Mystery Series. Except for reading other author's works, which is also part of my cozy world...
     The cozy world is where even though there is conflict, evil characters and murder in the books, the stories themselves revolve around protagonists who are able to win. My protagonist's world isn't perfect, but Jillian Bradley lives in a lovely home, collects beautiful works of art, has a personal shopper for her clothes and has men perusing her. She is a childless widow, but don't be fooled - Jillian has a knack for solving murders along with her dear little companion, Teddy, a Yorkie with a nose for sniffing out clues.

     I hope you'll step into Jillian's cozy world and read about her adventures. As a gift this weekend, book 4 in the series, "The Mark of Eden" is available for you to download on your Kindle, iPad or iPhone. Enjoy this $3.99 book absolutely free. And when you leave a comment you'll be entered to win a bonanza of our books! So why do you enjoy reading cozies? Do you read them exclusively or like a mix of genres? 

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of "Jillian Bradley Mysteries," a series often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years. Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.” She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild. She has won awards for her blogs,  a pie contest for her Chip Chocolate Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times.

     Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit our Cozy Book Store or http://www.authornancyjillthames.webs.com

FRESH SPINACH WITH LEMON

VISIT OUR COZY KITCHEN FOR THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE!