Winter on the Calendar, Springtime in My Heart

People, and dogs, went without their winter coats at the park. The first picnic lunches were had. The playgrounds were packed. Sleds were left at home. Robins were spotted. Spring is indeed coming.

Snowdrops peeking out of the ground at my parents house.



No Alice in Wonderland movie for me...yet. But I did have a tea party for two: me and my mother, at Harmony Tea Room in Westwood, NJ.



I had the Singulari tea special: soup or salad with a pot of tea, $8.95.

My black tea: Icewine, with notes of pear, and a touch of berry and caramel.

African chickpea soup. This was so good. The ingredients, simple and wholesome: chickpeas, diced tomatoes, peanut butter, fresh spinach and a hint of cayenne pepper. Make it at home.


Tea time, and warmer seasons, were on my mind when thrifting at the C.A.T.S. Resale Shop. Hydrangea cake plate, $6, cheerful blue coffee mugs, 50 cents each, and blueberry print tea pot, $3. One of the mugs has a crack on it, so I'll repurpose it as a planter.

My usual weekday breakfast fare is something like Trader Joe's organic corn flakes with almond 'milk', so on the weekends, something special: vegetarian zucchini bread from Old Hook Farm with fresh fruit for Sunday breakfast. Veganize zucchini bread at home. I thrifted the daisy plates (six for $3), from Westwood's Our Thrift Shop, which benefits a local art school.

I couldn't resist a bunch of daffodils, $1.49, from Trader Joe's. Perfect in a lovely Irish vase.

Happy (Soon-to-Be) Spring!