Mrs. Teabody Greets the Day

This morning I made myself a bowl of steel-cut Irish oats to which I added Chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, dried cranberries and honey.  Over top I added yogurt.  What a delicious bowl!  My mind started to work - - as it does intermittently - - and I thought what a wonderful bread could be made of this combination-- much like we were served in Galway at Lawn View Guest House. I started looking for a recipe and came across this one (which I append) and which I altered slightly. (Of course.) I did rely on it for quantities and for procedures. I used Irish oatmeal in place of the sunflower seeds and the rolled oats so it is oats dense. I used almonds  and walnuts for the nuts, honey in place of the maple syrup and almond flour in place of the psyllium. I also threw in a handful of dried cranberries and two tablespoons of quinoa. Everything else and the "how-to" I followed to the letter.  This is not a sweet bread but it is delicious. *The Life-Cha...

* First published May 9, 2012. My mother and paternal grandmother with the firstborn.                                                                                                           "Wisdom from my mother? I know one to the letter: 'You're just as good as anyone  . . . not one iota better.'"   ~ Mrs. Teabody Good Morning, Gentle Reader! A fuzzy, foggy window scene announces this first Monday morning in May, and the day ahead is filled with appointments, duties and fun - - hopefully with the latter component in greater measure beginning with a morning perambulation through the green woods with Lady Glass and the Duchess Ming. This notching down in temperatures and the ambient gloom seem appro...

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert From Dublin to Wicklow to Carlow, Wexford and Kilkenny; from Waterford to Tipperary to Munster and Kerry; from Limerick to Clare, Galway, Roscommon, Mayo and Connaught, I traveled south and western Ireland with five of the best traveling companions and the best "Fearless Leader" in Philip Jones as guide/driver/ host/trip planner anyone could ask for. If you would like additional information regarding Philip Jones,  please feel free to message me. Diane, Kathy, Herself, Linda, Chris, "Siobhan" We were met at the airport by our handsome, affable guide and his meticulous and creative planning gave us all a trip to remember.  By the second day, our faces hurt from laughing - - mostly at ourselves as we conquered electrical outlets, got lost on the way to our rooms, wrestled with the knowledge that retail therapy had its direct consequences as added baggage weight...

On the road again Just can't wait to get on the road again The life I love is making music with my friends And I can't wait to get on the road again On the road again Goin' places that I've never been Seein' things that I may never see again And I can't wait to get on the road again On the road again Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway We're the best of friends Insisting that the world keep turning our way.- Willie Nelson Two weeks ago on a Thursday around noon a woman drove her Honda Pilot into the BB&T parking lot and parked. As she emerged from her car, she noticed her friend walking across Lincoln Way West carrying a purple suitcase. Almost simultaneously three other cars appeared  with one car parking along the  street and the others in the parking lot. From each car a woman emerged also carrying a suitcase.  All the women met and chatted animatedly at the back of the Honda and the door popped open...

My love for sharing the joys of tea was born in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England in 1989 when I first experienced the delight of a perfectly-brewed tea served in a bone china cup and shared with a friend in a cozy environment. In 2003 I started my first tea-based shop in a small building adjacent to our home in the Meadow Grounds. Over the next several years, I hosted tea parties, spoke at tea events and took classes to further my knowledge regarding tea. Simultaneously, I started visiting trade shows in New York and Atlanta to find exquisite and imaginative gifts. In 2011, I retired from my job as a high school English teacher and started my full-time occupation as proprietress of Tickle Your Fancy Gifts and Tea at 110 Lincoln Way West in the historic Albert Stoner building,  a beautifully preserved 1899 Italianate building owned and maintained by Glenn R. Cordell. I also began writing my blog, Mrs. Teabody Greets the Day in which Mrs. Teabody is my al...