Fruity Infusions At The Berkeley

On Monday I met up with my two oldest and dearest friends for afternoon tea. Baby Plum was still a bit scabby from her bout of chicken pox, so she stayed at home with Daddy Plum.

It was a bit of a novelty having a day out and not having a pram/sling/nappy bag with me! I thought I would make the most of this rare baby free day!

I headed into town and popped to the John Lewis haberdashery department where the clearance sale was still ongoing (finishes on Sunday, I think!) and picked up some wool to knit myself some gloves with!

I then popped to work and met a friend for a quick drink to catch up on the news and gossip.

After that I met my friends for a lovely afternoon tea at The Berkeley. As you know, this is the home to the fashionista's afternoon tea and I have blogged about the wonderful cakes before. Previous seasons can be found here, here and here.  We are all fans of lovely cakes, aren't we? 

This time I was lucky enough to try out the new fruity infusions. Don't you agree that fruity/herbal teas quite often smell better than they taste? Mmmm smells of lovely fruit, but tastes of dishwater? Not these infusions!

These lovely fruit infusions are produced by Spiceway and rather than a dusty ol' tea bag in your cup you put a couple of teaspoons of delicious dried fruit into your cup ...

Add freshly boiled water ....

Allow the fruit to infuse... I had a spicy apple tea which would be absolutely perfect for a chilly winter's afternoon. All apple and cinnamony! Delicious!

Then drink (the picture below is the Funky Fruit tea). At the end you can eat up the fruit from the bottom of the cup which is now like a compote!

A lovely cup of fruit tea!

The return of the tea shop!

A couple of weeks ago, Mr Plum drove us to Bluewater for a trip to John Lewis. Very exciting!! I have only recently discovered Bluewater - it is about an hour away on the M25 from our house and far less stressful (for me and Baby Plum, anyway!) than heading into the West End for a trip to the shops!

While having a wander around we spotted a shop which was due to be opened called "The Cadburys Cocoa House" .... oooh, thought I, a shop dedicated to wonderful Cadburys choc! mmmm mmmmm

Last night on the local London news there was a feature about the Cadburys Cocoa House ... it is a TEA SHOP!!!

And even more excitingly, a tea shop in the style of a Lyons Corner House. Obviously, being 33 and a bit years old - I have never been to a Lyons Corner House - but being an avid reader ... they feature so often in novels that I do feel like I have been there many a time! What a refreshing change from all the Starbucks and Costas which line our high street. The owners are planning to roll out more of these Cadburys Cocoa Houses ... hopefully there will be one a bit nearer to me!

Unfortunately Mr Plum is off work with a bad back ... but hopefully once he has recovered we will have another trip to Bluewater to have tea!

Scones ... not the Paul Hollywood way!

My name is Victoria Plum ... and I am a baking addict.

I KNOW ... Baby Plum is asleep ... so I should be SLEEPING! Everyone tells me this

"are you sleeping when your baby is asleep?"

NO!

I'm a morning person. I always have been. Once I am up, showered and dressed - I want to get on with stuff! Once Baby Plum is washed, dressed and fed ... she is quite happy sitting in her rocking chair which I move into the kitchen if I am pottering around. She is now having a well earned snooze in her chair!

This evening I have got a friend popping round after work. This is a treat! I don't often get people popping in ... one of the downsides (one of the many!!) of living in London, I suppose. All my friends are spread out all over the place so to meet up with them takes weeks of organisation, cancellations, reorganisations ... you get the picture!

So, I thought we could have "high tea" ... so have baked two batches of scones (fruit and cheese) and thought we could have these with bagels, sandwiches and fruit cake. And tea of course.

After making the Sugar Crusted Fruit Scones from The Pink Whisk - I have to say that I didn't really like the sugar crust....so I thought I would have a look at Paul Hollywood's Scone Recipe ... I have never seen such a lengthy and detailed scone recipe! Scones are supposed to be a simple tea time treat ... you shouldn't have to read an essay of a recipe to make them!! So, I went back to my trusted scone recipe. Yum Yum!

The recipe for my cheese scones can be found here

Talking of tea ... did you hear today's "A History of the World in 100 Objects" it was very interesting and I recommend catching it on the iplayer while it is on there. The history of that quintessentially English past time of drinking tea ... with tea from China and India, sugar from the West Indies ... the only "English" element was the milk!

Have a listen now!

The Knitting and Stitching Show!

Well ... some may call me brave, some may call me just plain stupid! But ... off I trekked with Baby Plum in a papoose up to Alexandra Palace for the Knitting and Stitching Show!!

So many wonderful bits and pieces to look at and buy ... unfortunately taking a 7 week old to a show like this was a little bit stressful - and I couldn't really concentrate as much as I would have liked to on purchasing lovely crafty bits!

I had gone to the show armed with a list of wool I needed for my latest projects from The Knitted Nursery ... but, could not find the wool I wanted...it seemed to be mainly very luxurious cashmere yarns, stripy sock yarns or very exotic and strange yarns. The show did seem to be more about "stitching" too (or did I miss something?). I will be going back next year with a couple of stitchy projects in mind ...

We had booked in for afternoon tea (very exciting!!) which unfortunately clashed with Baby Plum's grizzly time ... I tried to feed her before we went in for tea - but I think that she was overwhelmed by the whole experience of being around so many people and wouldn't feed. This meant that as soon as we sat at our table (which we were sharing with two other ladies) Baby Plum decided to exercise her right to scream. It was very stressful - so I ran off to feed her somewhere nice and quiet and she calmed down. When I got back into the tea room, my friend had been chatting to the ladies who said that I should have just fed her at the table (I do have a pashmina to hide us both with) ... but you hear such negative things about women feeding in public - I just don't feel confident doing that yet, and am always worried that someone will make a comment ... anyway, when Baby Plum woke again wanting seconds, I did feed her at the table.

So, if anyone reading this blog was in the tea room at Alexandra Palace yesterday afternoon - apologies for my crying baby!!

Oops! I should have taken a picture before we scoffed the lot!!

Cup of tea cake and my final pre-baby afternoon tea!

Hello!

Here is a picture of my (now demolished!) Cup Of Tea cake ... yum! It was delicious! I will have to make another one this week!

Val from The Victorians Didn't Even Like Pink! left a comment on my original cake post saying that as an American she had not come across a cake which uses tea in the recipe ... I don't know the history of tea loaf - but it is something I have grown up with! Maybe it is an English thing? Val, have a go at the tea loaf recipe here (you can use Breakfast tea, or Earl Grey with a squeeze of lemon juice is also very nice). I would be more than happy to post you some lovely Yorkshire Tea bags for you to use, if you would like? Let me know what you think!

After admiring my cake on Friday afternoon, I headed into town to meet my pregnant friend from university (who is having a baby in September!) for ... you guessed it ...

Afternoon Tea at The Berkley!!!

Lovely!!!

Yes, I know that four (is it four? I think that I am beginning to lose count!) afternoon teas in as many weeks (ish!) is a bit excessive ... but it has been fun to catch up with my best girlfriends, over a scone and a sandwich and copious amounts of tea. I know that once Baby Plum arrives my champagne lifestyle (on a ginger beer wage!!) will have to stop ... ha ha. Maybe until Mr Plum treats me to the Christmas afternoon tea at Claridges which we had to postpone from last year!

Afternoon Tea Again!

I'm really enjoying my maternity leave!

Yesterday I cancelled my travelcard and went to the cinema to see Eclipse (the 1130 showing!!). I thought that Eclipse was so much better than New Moon ... but couldn't convince Mr Plum to come with me, so went on my own!

This morning I had a nice lie in (until 11am!) listening to Women's Hour while reading and doing some knitting. There was an interesting bit about "Mummy Bloggers" which I am sure many of you will be interested to listen to (I'm sure that it will be available on the i-player).

After popping to Tesco and doing some tidying ... I headed into town to meet some friends at The Cadogan which I booked through www.afternoontea.co.uk and got for the bargain price of £15!

Delicious!

My request for veggie and pregnant friendly sandwiches was met ... my favourite pud was the white chocolate and raspberry mousse in a chocolate shell ... wonderful!

We sat there gossiping until about 8pm ... what a lovely afternoon!

Tomorrow I am hoping that the nesting instinct will kick in ... it hasn't so far!!

Mr Plum has suggested that I put together my own guide to afternoon teas ... watch this space!

Afternoon Tea Number Two!

Off I went to The Goring this afternoon for my second afternoon tea of the week!

I met my friend Liz at Victoria Station and we walked round the corner to this little gem! I have never been there before, but my Dad had mentioned it as I think that he knows someone who works there.

As you step into the foyer - it is like stepping back in time. The room where you have afternoon tea is lovely and you can imagine Sherlock Holmes sitting in the bar. And of course, there were the cakes ....

Dainty sandwiches (I had a special plate of veggie/pregnant friendly sandwiches), scones and cakes .... again washed down with plenty of Earl Grey. Lovely. A perfect start to the weekend!

Off to The Cadogan for tea in a couple of weeks! Well ... best get as many teas in as possible while I am on a full time wage (and before the pay freeze and VAT rise!!)

Lovely bunting from an old friend ...

I still consider my three best friends from school my best friends forever (does that sound a bit American?!).

We may not phone each other regularly ... busy jobs and other commitments means that we are only able to meet up every couple of months. But I know that they are there if I need them, and I am always there for them. When we do meet up, we regress back to the silly 14 years olds, in love with Keanu Reeves, stinking of Woolworths "Fuzzy Peach" body spray and clunking around in Doc Martens!

Today, after a particularly dull day at work (although, shouldn't moan ... must be glad that I still have a job - even though am now subject to a two year pay freeze...boo!) I got home to an unexpected package on my doorstep. After coming down for my birthday tea and cakes a couple of weekends ago, my very crafty friend had been inspired to make some bunting for our "nursery corner" (the delights of having a baby in a one bedroom flat!).

Isn't it lovely? The kind thought reduced me to tears ... I can't wait to put it up in our room!

Am seeing another one of my girlfriends tomorrow for afternoon tea at The Goring. I can't wait!

Afternoon Tea Is My One Weakness ...

Oh! I am so annoyed!!

As I mentioned yesterday, today I was off to The Athenaeum for afternoon tea with my friends from work. I took my camera so that I could take pictures of all the lovely cakes and believe me, they were delicious ... orange blossom scones with lemon curd, orange and lemon cake, violet cupcakes, strawberries dipped in chocolate, banana cake and fruit cake to name a few of the delights we tried ... along with the dainty sandwiches and finished off with crumpets and tea cakes!

BUT ... I did manage to take a picture of the table before our cakes were served - I was just so absorbed by the yumminess of it all that my poor little camera was ignored.

We had such a lovely time, and sat there until 7.30pm gossiping ...

Off to The Goring for afternoon tea on Friday - I'll take more pictures then!!

A sunny day in the garden when I should have been at work ...

Hey ....

It's been a while since I last posted - and thought that I owed you an update on the goings on at Plum house ....

I had a week off work at the end of May and spent it at my parents. We had a lovely time ... days out in the Cotswolds, lots of nice food and generally relaxing! Mr Plum joined us on the Friday and then my brother and his girlfriend came up for the weekend. It's not often that we get the whole family together - it was great!

Sad news though ... on the Sunday we got home and our handsome ginger cat was missing - and sadly, he had been run over. We are devastated and being a bit over protective of his sister, Pansy. Right now she is still out and about and we are starting to get a bit panicky ... I just wish she would pop in and say hello to us!!

After a terrible night's sleep (I'm now 33 weeks pregnant, I just can't get comfy in bed ... and had a night of cramp and heartburn, a thousand trips to the loo and worrying about the whereabouts of Pansy) I stayed at home today. I slept for most of the morning and woke up in time to see George Osborn's emergency budget ... then headed outside with a glass of squash and a good book. When Mr Plum got home from work we had a BBQ and did a bit of gardening.

Here are some pics ...

(from left to right) Turnips, Scallop Squash and Courgettes ....

I have overdone it with the tomato planting this year ... here are my San Marzano tomato plants ... I'm a bit behind with everything and have only just taken them out of the propagators ....

pretty roses in the Midsummer sun

My view for most of the day as I sat under the tree reading ....

Summer essentials .... sun hat, shades, a good book and some alcohol free lager!

I have only got 2 and a half weeks at work before I go on maternity leave and have already met former colleagues for a lovely lunch by the river on Friday ... tomorrow I am going to the Atheneaum for afternoon tea with the girls that I started working with almost 10 years ago ... I've had afternoon tea there twice and it is lovely!

I'm really looking forward to it! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Afternoon Tea!

Thank you all for the birthday wishes last week ... the truth is that my birthday was a little bit rubbish as I had to go into hospital for a Glucose Tolerance Test as there is a history of diabetes in my family and I am a 'little' overweight. The GTT meant that I had to fast the night before (and for those of you who know me, going without food for any period of time is a NIGHTMARE!). Anyway - I woke up on my birthday morning to lovely pressies from Mr Plum, my family and friends ... but then we had to go to the hospital for the morning ... and a girls only antenatal class in the evening (there are some things that I would rather just not know for the time being!! ) .... we decided to postpone my birthday for a week!

On Friday, Mr Plum and I celebrated four years of married bliss! I can't believe that it has been four years! It has flown by ... we both went to work for the day, but I was under strict instructions not to wear my lovely Joules Shelley sundress (which is perfect for an expanding tum!) but to wear my smarter Mamas and Papas spotty tea dress ... and proper shoes as Mr Plum wanted me to meet him at Victoria Station at 4.30 for a surprise!!

The biggest surprise was Mr Plum paying for a taxi to our destination!! I was expecting to catch a bus! Anyway, I was still in the dark as to where we were heading ... especially as we headed past all the possible places I could think of! Where were we going?

As we drove up Regent Street I was completely flummoxed ... and then we came to The Langham hotel ... I have never been here before!

We were sat in the most wonderful art deco room - a bit like Claridges Foyer, but lighter and brighter and a bit more relaxed. We ordered the Wonderland Tea ... the hotel provided Veggie and Pregnant Lady friendly sandwiches, warm scones and divine cakes ... it was heavenly! Afternoon Tea has to be my favourite meal of the day .... and I think that I am going to be having lots of trips out for Afternoon Tea between now and the arrival of Baby Plum!

I am so lucky to be married to wonderful Mr Plum :)

Here is an afternoon tea we had a couple of weeks ago with the left over cakes (or some of them!) from my birthday party ... mmmmm

Another lovely Spring day in London

What a lovely day!

I took a days leave and met three friends to spend the morning at the Country Living Spring Fair ... so many lovely things to buy!! I was very restrained and got a lovely Babar picture, some edible glitter and some fab fairy cake cases!

After we were all shopped out - we headed to The Berkeley for their wonderful Pret A Portea ... they were still serving their Autumn/Winter 2009 collection - I will have to go back when they release the Spring/Summer 2010 collections!

Look at these lovely cakes ... with "congratulations" written in chocolate - what a lovely brother I have!

Don't these cakes look fab? And Sarah Ferguson was sitting a couple of tables away from us with one of her daughters! How exciting!!

Oh, what a shame I have to go back to work tomorrow ...

Christmas Afternoon Tea!

I'm off for my (almost annual!) Christmas afternoon tea tomorrow after I have finished work ... I am VERY excited!

Afternoon Tea!

Oh what a lovely day!! Today was the annual Winter afternoon tea ... where me and my three friends from work (well, only two friends this time) take an afternoon off and head to one of the lovely London West End hotels for tea.

I love having afternoon tea ... and will find an excuse to go whenever I can! Some people are happy spending £50 every weekend down the pub on cheap gin - I'm happier spending my weekends at home with Mr Plum and the Kittens, and then treating myself to a posh afternoon tea (two or three times a year!)

This was the first time I have had tea at The Dorchester ... and it was lovely! My favourite part was the "pre dessert" - blackcurrant coulis with whipped cream - delicious! mmmmmm

After that we popped in to see my brother who works nearby, and had a quick drink with him ... and then headed home, ready to face a Thursday back in the office.

Mr Plum is taking me to my all time favourite afternoon tea venue, Claridge's, before Christmas ... I'm looking forward to that!!

Weight Loss Wednesday and Afternoon Tea!

Another 1lb off this week - things are definitely going The Right Way!

Am off to The Dorchester with two of my friends this afternoon for tea ... will report back later with details of all the lovely scones and cakes!

Have lovely Wednesdays everyone!

Pret a Portea at The Berkley

I'm very lucky that someone close to me works at The Berkley Hotel in London and last Sunday (before heading off on the EasyBus to the EasyHotel in Luton -y'see it's not all 5 star for me!!) I went in for afternoon tea with one of my best friends (who I have known since I was 6!) and my brother's fabulously glamourous Italian girlfriend .... it was wonderful.  Have a look here 

Here is the cake stand with all the fabulous cakes based on this season's fashions! 

It was lovely and of course I wore my new Joules dress and the red patent shoes (picture to follow!) that my parents bought me for my birthday (and I wore a little bit early!)

I love cakes!!

A Sunday Tea Party

Any excuse to drink tea and eat cakes!!  As I was feeling a bit under the weather over New Year, I have invited our friends who hosted us on the 31st round for afternoon tea ... a fine excuse to try out some recipes from "Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer".  

On the menu today, I will be serving scones (with Marco Polo jelly from Paris, and lashings of cream), and "Strike Me Pink" Raspberry cakes (I tested one, just to make sure they had worked .. I'm not sure, so will just have another one ... and maybe another one ....!)

I will also be serving Christmas cake and biscuits that we have left after Christmas ... ready to start with a clean slate tomorrow!

There's only four of us here to tea this afternoon - do you think I have baked enough??! 

Today I am mostly drinking ...

Yu Luo White Tea 

This exquisite white tea comes from the Hunan province in China.

Grown at an altitude of 4,500 feet, the tea bush ‘wakes’ after the winter in April and produces delicate white buds, which often have a white down on them. They are picked by hand and sun-dried so that fermentation cannot take place.

Very little white tea is produced, as this process requires particular care, increasing its rarity making it highly sought after by tea buyers all over the world.

It has a delicate flavour, which is best drunk without milk.

Men's Afternoon Tea at The Mandeville

I have just seen the "Men's Afternoon Tea" at The Mandeville on www.afternoontea.co.uk - whatever next?  It is aimed at London's "heteropolitan"!  I hope this means that Mr and Master Plum won't be going off for afternoon tea without me! 

Tea and Cakes

I am a big fan of tea and cakes ... whether it is a cup of tea and a chocolate brownie at Mrs Brown's Tea Shop, a piece of my own chocolate cake or something a bit flashier in London - I love it all!!

My most recent afternoon tea jaunt was to The Atheneaum on Piccadilly for a friends birthday. They were serving the "Petals and Pekoe" afternoon tea - so after the sandwiches and pink champagne (I pre-ordered vegetarian sandwiches which were all fantastic!) we had lovely scones, a piece of lemon and poppy seed cake, a beautiful fairy cake with a pansy on top, marshmallows, crumpets and toasted tea cake! Washed down with lots and lots of tea.  The perfect way to spend a day....