Tea and Toast
What is the connection between women and their families and their friends. Why do we enjoy retreats so much? What is a retreat? What are we "retreating" from?
I recently went to a "women's retreat" with my daughter, my sister, and my niece.
There I found peace, healing, comfort, sadness, forgiveness. We found fun in our imperfections. We learned what our favorite things are and what is important to us. We received and gave grace one with another. We longed for the past and despised it at the same time. We learned to have faith in ourselves and each other. We shared the bitterness of the truth. We learned about what our play was. That it is not the outcome but the process of the road we travel. We learned that tears, regrets, and forgiveness is the road that got us here.
We learned how to be comfortable with ourselves, comfortable with who others are, and how to allow them to be comfortable with who they are.
Are we filled with false expectations of ourselves and others? Are all expectations good or bad? Or are they just expectations?
This season, learn to love, allow, forgive. Begin again with your self and others.
If we hadn't tread the road thus far, we wouldn't be where we are today or who we are.
There is pain, sorrow, joys, regrets, rewards, happiness, sadness, and new goals. But, no failures.
Find someone close and dear to you and begin to share these experiences and begin again.
Here is a menu you might want to use and have them in for a nice fall tea.
Squash Bisgue (recipe taken from New Seasons Market
Wild Rice (fill the empty squash shells)
Pumpkin Muffins (baking Mix available on Ladysfortea Website)
Cranberry Relish
Pot of your favorite tea (Market Spice tea is perfect to go with this menu-also available at Ladysfortea.com
Dessert-a berry cobler would be nice
Chocolates or truffles always a must
Recipe for Squash Bisque
1 lg butternut squash
(cut in half with seeds scooped out)
Water for baking dish
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
1 teaspon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After washing and cutting squash, place it cut-side down in a large glass baking dish. Add a bit of water to the pan (about 1/2 inch). Bake for 60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. To test it, poke with a fork through the skin. If the fork is easy to remove and the squash is soft, it is done. Scoop the squash out of the skin and blend or puree with broth, cider, nutmeg, and salt.
Serve the wild rice in the empty shells.
I pray you enjoy this Holiday season. But most of all love and forgive yourself first, then others.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Lady Caroline
What is the connection between women and their families and their friends. Why do we enjoy retreats so much? What is a retreat? What are we "retreating" from?
I recently went to a "women's retreat" with my daughter, my sister, and my niece.
There I found peace, healing, comfort, sadness, forgiveness. We found fun in our imperfections. We learned what our favorite things are and what is important to us. We received and gave grace one with another. We longed for the past and despised it at the same time. We learned to have faith in ourselves and each other. We shared the bitterness of the truth. We learned about what our play was. That it is not the outcome but the process of the road we travel. We learned that tears, regrets, and forgiveness is the road that got us here.
We learned how to be comfortable with ourselves, comfortable with who others are, and how to allow them to be comfortable with who they are.
Are we filled with false expectations of ourselves and others? Are all expectations good or bad? Or are they just expectations?
This season, learn to love, allow, forgive. Begin again with your self and others.
If we hadn't tread the road thus far, we wouldn't be where we are today or who we are.
There is pain, sorrow, joys, regrets, rewards, happiness, sadness, and new goals. But, no failures.
Find someone close and dear to you and begin to share these experiences and begin again.
Here is a menu you might want to use and have them in for a nice fall tea.
Squash Bisgue (recipe taken from New Seasons Market
Wild Rice (fill the empty squash shells)
Pumpkin Muffins (baking Mix available on Ladysfortea Website)
Cranberry Relish
Pot of your favorite tea (Market Spice tea is perfect to go with this menu-also available at Ladysfortea.com
Dessert-a berry cobler would be nice
Chocolates or truffles always a must
Recipe for Squash Bisque
1 lg butternut squash
(cut in half with seeds scooped out)
Water for baking dish
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
1 teaspon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After washing and cutting squash, place it cut-side down in a large glass baking dish. Add a bit of water to the pan (about 1/2 inch). Bake for 60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. To test it, poke with a fork through the skin. If the fork is easy to remove and the squash is soft, it is done. Scoop the squash out of the skin and blend or puree with broth, cider, nutmeg, and salt.
Serve the wild rice in the empty shells.
I pray you enjoy this Holiday season. But most of all love and forgive yourself first, then others.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Lady Caroline
