Tea Time…….

Today we received a special “gift” sampling of nutritional, medicinal, herbal tea recipes. The art of herbal tea preparation is a ritual of creating the perfect delicious blend and flavor balance. It encompasses a mix of select herbs appropriately measured to create flavor, nourishment, and served in calm and peace ….with love and care.

Enjoyed by those who treasure

“the art of tea.”

• ••••••••••• •

Tea Pots

Tea Leaves

Tea for 2

Tea Prep

Tea Cup

Tea Lover

Tea & Writing & Books

Tea Party

Tea and Sympathy

Tea….a hug in a cup

Afternoon Tea

Tea Sandwiches

Wedding Tea

Art of Tea

Tea Samplings

Tea Mixing

Tea Shop

Sweet Tea

…….thank you dearest friend…….

……having tea now……

feeling very warm

and very relaxed!

Preparation of Broth/Stock for Chicken Noodle Soup

We have a chill in the air and rain coming tonight  Soup for this week will be welcome. Chicken Noodle is a perfect one, so we are preparing the stock now. A family favorite and it makes about ten servings. Enough to freeze a few small containers for those days when you haven’t prepared anything for lunch or supper and it’s cold outside..
……… its a good thing to do!

Remove the meat after roasting two chickens. Separate white from dark meat; bag and reserve for the soup assembly.

Break up the chicken carcass of both chickens and place in a stock pot. Cover with boiling water. Set the heat on medium high. Add two celery stocks cut up in large chunks, three carrots and one whole onion, also all cut into chunks. Add fresh parsley/a half bunch. Use a pepper grinder to add flavor. Generous amount. We add salt also….but only after the broth has finished cooking, because the roasted chicken already has salt flavoring and you may not need more. We are conserving on salt intake, so each individual serving can add their own later to their taste. In general, over salting takes away from the true flavor of the real taste of many foods. And it’s a healthy option to add it later.

Once the broth comes to a generous boil, cover and reduce the heat to your lowest possible setting. Cover. Avoid taking the lid off as then it cools down. Simmering the broth on a low stove setting creates a very rich broth. Simmer about two hours. You want it to simmer not boil.

Once it’s finished set the pot aside to cool.

Later we’ll give further assembly instructions. So keep in touch with us.

It’s way worth it.  Trust us……

“Contessa”’

Holiday Wreaths by CONTESSA (REVISED ) 12/1/22 – Thursday / 10:00 am

UPDATED  (REVISED) ANNOUNCEMENT

Our Holiday Wreath Ad has been published in the December  “Forum Newsletter.” Hopefully you will receive it electronically or in your postal mail soon. It’s usually in everyone’s view by no later than the 10th of the month. Please look for our Ad and give us a call soon to place your order for one of our personally crafted live wreaths.

Our local neighborhood garden nursery is our wreath purveyor and you can be sure they will be fresh, as they receive holiday evergreen products every week during the season.

•••••••••••••••••

THE GARDEN CONTESSA is offering “live” Evergreen Door Wreaths (22” for the Holidays. Complete with colorful  three (3) inch wide festive ribbon, woodland “white tipped” pine cones, small  colorful holiday balls, fresh Holly Berries, a string of (50) battery operated “fairy lights” complete with two batteries and a wreath hanging bracket. We will arrange personal delivery direct to your door. $65 complete.

Please phone or txt 703-548-1882

email:  ContessasHome@gmail.com

FINAL Orders must be placed by Dec 15th.

Payment by VENMO/check/cash…..please!

By ”special order” we can string holiday “live” evergreen garlands on your stair railings or over your front door. Ten days notice required for garlands, with a separate fee, depending on quantity needed. 

 

Happy Holidays from CONTESSA!

Holiday Wreaths by CONTESSA

ANNOUNCEMENT

We are coming up on November 1st and our Holiday Wreath Ad will be published in the newest Forum Newsletter. Hopefully you will receive it electronically or in your mail by November 10th. Please look for our Ad and give us a call early,  to place your order for one of our personally created wreaths.

•••••••••••••••••

THE GARDEN CONTESSA is offering “live” Evergreen Door Wreaths (28”) for the Holidays. Complete with colorful  three (3) inch wide festive ribbon, woodland “white tipped” pine cones, small  colorful holiday balls, Holly Berries, a string of (50) battery operated “fairy lights” complete with batteries and a wreath hanging bracket. We will arrange personal delivery direct to your door. $65 complete.

Please phone or txt 703-548-1882. 

email:  ContessasHome@gmail.com

FINAL Orders by Dec 15th. Payment by check please. By ”special order” we can string holiday “live” evergreen garlands on your stair railings or over your front door. Ten days notice required for garlands, with a separate fee, depending on quantity needed. 

 

Happy Holidays from CONTESSA!

Holiday Wreaths by The Garden Contessa

THE GARDEN CONTESSA is offering “live” Evergreen Door Wreaths (28”) for the Holidays. Complete with colorful  three (3) inch wide festive ribbon, woodland “white tipped” pine cones, small  colorful holiday balls, Holly Berries, a string of (50) battery operated “fairy lights” complete with batteries and a wreath hanging bracket. We will arrange personal delivery direct to your door. $65 complete.

Please phone or txt 703-548-1882. 

email:  ContessasHome@gmail.com

FINAL Orders by Dec 15th. Payment by check please. By ”special order” we can string holiday “live” evergreen garlands on your stair railings or over your front door. Ten days notice required for garlands, with a separate fee, depending on quantity needed. 

 

Happy Holidays from CONTESSA!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Hot, hearty soup on a chilly day. Perfect!

Well today we are making some to freeze in small containers so that when the middle of October arrives, along with a chill in the air, we will be ready

I had on hand three chicken carcass’ in the freezer from roasting chickens during the months of July and August. So I put together a broth from them with some celery, carrots, onions, 3 bay leaves, a bunch of fresh flat leaf Parsley and  ground black paper and sea salt. There was plenty of meat still left on the bones of one of the carcass. I reserved it to chop and add once the soup was cooked. So it made a generous rich broth “soup base.” Usually I purchase dry prepared noodles. The brand is important because they taste wonderful.

Strain the broth and discard all the bones and cooked veggies and toss. Your broth will be clear but rich looking and tasting. Approximately 3 to 4 cups. Bring the strained broth, to a rolling boil. And 3 small diced carrots and cover to cook. Then add two chopped medium sized onions and 4 stalks of chopped and peeled celery. Continue the boil and add the noodles. They will cook in about 20 minutes uncovered. And as the hot broth sits later they will cook some on their own. You do not want to overcook. You want them “al dente.”

Now add your chopped/shredded chicken. Simmer all for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. In addition, I purchase a one quart container of extra – high quality low-sodium chicken broth, as once the soup is throughly cooked, it tends to thicken slightly. You can then add the extra broth as needed to assemble a nice serving consistency. Not too thick, but not too thin. Garnish with cooked petite peas and fresh chopped parsley. It’s hot, delicious, pretty and so healthy.

I grew up on this soup ….at least once a week. I guarantee you will make it often.  It’s  simply heart warming and so delicious. The kiddos will just “love it.”

Enjoy!

A Simple/Smart Gardening Tip from Contessa

What You’ll Need

• 10″ Terra Cotta Pot (weve used an aluminum tub)
• Clean Sand
• Mineral Oil

Begin with  a simple terra cotta pot. The aluminum one I used is about 14 inches in diameter.

Paint it a pretty color if you’re feeling fancy.

Next, working in a large bowl or bucket, mix together enough sand and mineral oil to fill your pot. You’ll want to use enough oil so that your sand is fairly evenly coated. It should stick together but still have a “crumbly-ish” texture. Place your favourite hand tools down into the sand when you’re done with them.  Each time, they’ll get a little sharper (kind of like when you use sand paper to sharpen kitchen scissors) and they’ll be coated in just enough oil to keep them rust free! It’s magic.

“Contessa” says….. it’s easy – peezy!!

Home-made Chicken Noodle Soup

Hot, hearty soup on a chilly day. Perfect!

I had on hand two chicken carcass’ in the freezer from roasting chickens during the month of November. So I put together a broth from them with some celery, carrots, onions, 3 bay leaves and ground black paper and sea salt. There was plenty of meat still left on the bones/carcass. So  it made a generous rich broth “soup base.” And I had two roasted and shredded chicken breasts to add to the final pot of soup towards the end. Usually I purchase dry prepared noodles. But Today, I made homemade noodles. Pretty simple. One cup of Gluten Free flour, 2 egg yolks, a half teaspoon of salt and one/half egg shell of milk. Knead the dough and roll out with a rolling pin. Hand cut fairly thin noodles.(they thicken once added to the boiling soup broth). Place them on a cookie sheet, fairly spread out, and allow them to air dry. In the interim, strain the broth and discard all the bones and cooked veggies and toss. Your broth will be clear but rich looking and tasting. Approximately 3 to 4 cups. Once the noodles are fairly dry, you can begin putting your soup pot together. Bring the strained broth, to a rolling boil. And 3 small diced carrots and cover to cook. Then add two chopped medium sized onions and 4 stalks of chopped and peeled celery. Continue the boil and add the noodles. They will cook in about 30 minutes uncovered. Now add your shredded chicken. Simmer all for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. In addition I purchase a one quart container of extra – high quality low-sodium chicken broth, as once the soup is throughly cooked, it tends to thicken slightly. You can then add the extra broth as needed to assemble a nice serving consistency. Not too thick, but not too thin. Garnish with cooked petite peas and fresh chopped parsley. It’s hot, delicious and so healthy.

The home made noodles are way-worth the effort. Enjoy!

“heads up”

We are going to make a Gluten Free Pineapple Upside-down Cake. We haven’t had one since….forever. Have a taste for it. They are generally very moist,  but deliciously sticky, with brown sugar and butter. It’s a lovely light and fluffy dessert served with tea or coffee. Looking forward to making this pretty and delicious cake. Yummy!!

Preparation of Holiday Wreath Ribbons (Revised 12/7) and white tipping pine cones

Counting out yardage today and practicing making bows for our Holiday Wreath offering. One completed ribbon shown above is a total of 68 inches. We have enough ribbon for 20 wreaths. Hmm! Might be important to purchase additional ribbon…. just in case. We are headed out now to take care of this.

“Contessa” says it’s a very Good thing to do!

Additional Steps Today – 12/07

We have been collecting pine cones in the community from under a very generous Evergreen tree on Valley Drive. Each one has an ever so slight white natural tip, but we are enhancing them a little bit. They will show up so much nicer on our beautiful wreaths. And they have dried  sufficiently from the damp ground, as we’ve had them spread out to dry now for about three weeks.

All we are waiting for is the Forum Newsletter to be delivered to each household. The process seems a little slow this year, but we are patient. It will most  likely be a “Mad dash” at the end ….but gosh it’s Christmas, and that’s how it is with the holidays and preparation. Right!  It’s all about enjoying the process….. and we do!

 

“CONTESSA”