made it to the new Year 2024

The beginning of the New Year, wow, last year went by so fast, able to gain a few new followers.

Last years tasks to just bring up to date, early in the year started a small marketing company, Weaved Trends Marketing and with the writing talent of writing some small fictional novels a publishing company was started.

Although part of my lovely years was merchandising horticultural products by the thousands, I had shelved and moved around so many plants last summer, I didn’t achieve a small garden for myself. I believe I was so overwhelmed from the plant product that I simply didn’t have the energy to create a small garden.

The prospect of re-doing this again this summer, well it has left some after thoughts of the hard work that I put into the task with all the horticultural product lines. Do I have the energy to do it all over again?

The longest huge shipment of products was a massive amount of 30 pallets in one day. Taking us a little less than one week to figure out where all the product was going to go.

We achieved it, and made a whole new garden area of its own, outside, wow, rows upon rows of products, it was almost like a huge maze.

It would of been cool to create a huge English maze, but I don’t think it would be good to loose customers in there and confuse them, so it was never created, but the thought was there.

Then final part of the season came to an end.

Focusing on marketing my business with Weaved Trends Marketing on Instagram has created a whole new scheme of marketing scenarios. Just getting templates to work and not cut off the bottom or top of the ads, it has been challenging to say the least.

This year will bring so many exciting new trends……keep in touch…thanks for reading my blog.

Springing into the season

The beautiful summer here is soon to begin, the warm summer winds, light rains and superb sunshine. Flowers blooming throughout the city’s gardens and the fresh fragrant scent is in the air of fresh flowers.

The ambience of the newly planted gardens or simply adding to the existing one. Where ever you go to shop for those special new additions to your property or patio’s.

Maybe its that new umbrella with a beautiful bamboo table with linens to invite your friends over for that wonderful barbecue or its just a few friends over for cocktails.

Enjoy the wonderful season, as for here the summers are not long enough, but on occasion the summer extends into the fall season with autumn.

Creating the backyard with a wonderful fountain or quoi fish pond with a lovely arrangement of tropical plants.

Brewing that special cup of tea or herbal tisane with a few tasty desserts.

Have a wonderful couple of months……thanks for following, teabytheocean…….more later.

It’s a new year and a great beginning

It has been a long while to update this blog, but we have begun a new company and would like the opportunity to share this with you.

Also have a another great site below to view, blooming feather creative.

Check out, weavedtrendsmarketing

Feel free to have a look at Blooming Feather Creative

Cheers.

“Italian Vegetable Soup”

A great warm soup for the wintry days, easy to make and simply delicious.

“Italian Vegetable Soup”

“Betty Crocker’s – Working Woman’s Cookbook”

1           pound bulk Italian sausage

1          medium onion, sliced

1          can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes

1          can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained

1          can (10.5 ounces) condensed beef broth

1-1/2  cups water

2          medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2      teaspoon dried basil leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and stir sausage and onion in 3-quart saucepan until sausage light brown; drain.  Stir in tomatoes (with liquid), beans, broth, water, zucchini and basil; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.   Sprinkle with cheese.

Recipe – “Carrot and Celery Soup”

 

Carrot and Celery Soup

 

3              cups celery (use tops and leaves)

2              cups carrots

¼             cup chopped onion

Add to the above, 6 cups of water and cook until just tender.

 

Process in blender:

1              cup powdered milk

1/3           cup butter or margarine

Add these ingredients to the above liquid.

 

-Flavor with a little basil, dill, salt and pepper (to taste), 3 tblsps.,  chicken-in-a-mug (or equivalent in cube).  Bring to a boil and serve.

 

Can be frozen.

“GLAZED LEMON BREAD”

“GLAZED LEMON BREAD”

“Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook”

 

 

1/3      cup melted butter

1-1/4  cup sugar

2          eggs

¼         tsp. almond extract

1-1/2  cup sifted flour

1          tsp. baking powder

1          tsp. salt

½         milk

1          Tblsp. Grated lemon peel

½         chopped nuts

3          Tblsp. Fresh lemon juice

 

 

-Blend well the butter and 1 cup sugar; beat in eggs, one at a time.  Add almond extract.

-Sift together dry ingredients; add to egg mixture alternately with milk.  Blend just to mix.  Fold in peel and nuts.

-Turn into a greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-3/4” ovenproof glass loaf pan.  Bake in slow oven (325 d. Fahrenheit) about 70 minutes, or until loaf tests done in center.

-Mix lemon juice and remaining ¼ cup sugar; immediately spoon over hot loaf.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool on rack.  Do not cut for 24 hours (it will slice easily).  -Makes 1 loaf.

“Earl Grey chocolate tea” by Gilles Brochard

“Earl Grey chocolate tea”

“The Tea Box” by Gilles Brochard

1        cup whole milk

1        cup heavy cream

2        tablespoons brown sugar

1        vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved

¼       star anise

½       cinnamon stick

1-1/2  teaspoon Earl Grey tea

4         ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate

Combine milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla bean with seeds, star anise and cinnamon.  Bring almost to boil, then remove from heat.

Steep the tea in this mixture for 10 minutes.   Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Pour the tea brew into the chocolate, whisking until smooth, Strain.

 

Serve hot.

“Italian Vegetable Soup”

A great warm soup for the wintry days, easy to make and simply delicious.

“Italian Vegetable Soup”

“Betty Crocker’s – Working Woman’s Cookbook”

 

1           pound bulk Italian sausage

1          medium onion, sliced

1          can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes

1          can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained

1          can (10.5 ounces) condensed beef broth

1-1/2  cups water

2          medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2      teaspoon dried basil leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese

 

Cook and stir sausage and onion in 3-quart saucepan until sausage light brown; drain.  Stir in tomatoes (with liquid), beans, broth, water, zucchini and basil; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.   Sprinkle with cheese.

Recipe – “Blackberry Iced Tea”

“Blackberry Iced Tea”

Victoria – “The Pleasures of Tea by Kim Waller & Nancy Lindemeyer

1/2 to 1 ounce pesticide-free marigold flowers

4 cups hot black tea, such as orange pekoe or Darjeeling

1 cup blackberries

Honey, to taste

1. Remove the petals from the flowers.

2. Place 3 to 4 petals in each compartment of an ice-cube tray. Fill the compartments halfway with water and freeze for at least 2 hours. Fill each compartment to the top with water and freeze until solid.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the hot tea with the blackberries. Set aside to steep for 1 hour.

4. With the back of a wooden spoon, crush the berries against the side of the bowl. Pour the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a pitcher, pressing on the solids with the back of the spoon to extract all the liquid; discard the solids. Add honey to taste and chill for a least 2 hours.

5. Serve in a tall glasses with the marigold ice cubes.

Makes about 4 servings.

www.lavendarcove.weebly.com

***Inspired music by “Oleta Adams” – “We Can’t Stay Here” (“Let’s Stay Here – Album)

“Maple Cream Fudge”

“Maple Cream Fudge”

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tblsps. Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla

Nuts or raisins if preferred.
Dissolve brown sugar and milk in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Boil until it forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water. Remove from heat, cool, add butter and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Put into a buttered 8″ x 8″ pan to cool.