Cozy up for a fall tea that’s as inviting as it is effortless.🍁 Join me at a table with warm plaid layers and favorite vintage brown transferware, to pair with a menu that’s simple, seasonal, and stress-free to savor fall’s cozy charm! You’ll also find fall and Thanksgiving tea inspiration from my Tea on Tuesday friends. ☕
Welcome to the November edition of Tea on Tuesdays,
a celebration of all things ‘tea’
on the third Tuesday of the month!
Pam and I are excited to welcome back a special guest,
Sarah, from Hyacinths for the Soul.
We’re glad you’re here too, pour yourself a cuppa and join us!
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There’s something about fall that turns me into an even bigger lover of brown transferware. . .
if that’s possible!
Ironstone and vintage patterns are beautiful any time of year, but autumn is when they truly shine, warming the table with their earthy tones and timeless charm.
This month’s Tea on Tuesday gathering is a celebration of fall flavors, good friends, with minimal time in the kitchen. Less fussing over recipes = more time to enjoy tea, treats and friends around the table!
🍁 A Table Set for Fall
I pulled out some of my favorite pieces from my transferware collection to set a warm and nostalgic table.
🍂 Staffordshire Bouquet by Johnson Brothers teacups for sipping. I love the multicolor floral motifs and swirled rims.
🍂 Johnson Brothers Windsor Ware “Dover” teapot is beautifully autumnal! I don’t use it very often due the crazing, which can make it more fragile and susceptible to damage over time, so it’s a treat to pull it out.
🍂 Royal Staffordshire Clarice Cliff “Charlotte” salad plates. The pretty flower basket details add a delicate vintage charm.
Even the backstamp is pretty and fancy!
🍂 Mason’s Ascot dinner plates are a favorite with their scalloped border, multicolored floral basket and butterfly detail
🍂 A warm brown plaid tablecloth grounds everything with cozy pattern . . .
🍂 Vintage mix-and-match flatware, gathered over the years contributes to a collected look for the table.
🍂 And a three-tier server offers and assortment of sweet and savory treats.
🍂 The Tea: Harney & Sons Cranberry Autumn
For our fall brew, I chose Harney & Sons Cranberry Autumn Tea—a fragrant, flavorful black tea blended with cranberry, orange, and hibiscus.
It’s rated:
☕Briskness: 2
☕ Body: 2
☕ Aroma: 4 (the star of the show!)
The fragrance alone feels like stepping outside into fall air. . . bright, fruity, and cozy!
🍰 A (Mostly) Store-Bought Teatime Menu
Our menu is intentionally simple and easy with a few homemade touches to elevate the flavors, but not enough to tie you the kitchen for this busy time of year.
1. Phyllo Shells with Goat Cheese, Fig Preserves & Pistachios
I always have a couple of trays of Athens Phyllo Shells in the freezer for easy entertaining.
They’re fully baked and ready to serve with sweet or savory fillings. For best texture, crisp the shells prior to filling by baking 3 – 5 minutes at 350ºF and allow the shells to cool before filling.
To fill them, I used a favorite combination:
Tangy goat cheese + a dollop of Dalmatia Fig Spread + sprinkling of chopped salted pistachios
Customize to your taste using any soft cheese such as Boursin or blue cheese, strawberry or apricot jam, pecans or walnuts.
2. Publix Pumpkin Cheesecake Scones with a Vanilla Glaze
Publix bakery came to the rescue with their seasonal pumpkin cheesecake scones. I dressed them up with a quick glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ tsp vanilla
1–2 Tbsp milk (thin to desired consistency)
Drizzle, let set, and serve for an easy bakery-to-tea upgrade!
3. Maple Crème Cookies
Straight from the package and perfect for fall, these leaf-shaped sandwich cookies are a crunchy, maple-sweet crowd pleaser. (mine were Turkey Hill from Canada, from HomeGoods)
4. Cranberry & Walnut Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
Use your favorite chicken salad recipe, or grab a container from the deli and give it a fall twist by adding chopped dried cranberries and walnuts.
Use your favorite bread and trim the crusts, slice diagonally or into neat rectangles and enjoy. Make ahead up to 12 hours by storing in an airtight container with a lightly damp paper towel.
5. Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Publix to the rescue again! These biscotti are perfect for dunking into your afternoon tea or tomorrow morning’s coffee.
6. Cheddar Cheese Straws
You can pick up ready-made cheese straws from your supermarket or whip up a quick batch using your cookie press.
You can find my easy food processor recipe here: Deliciously Festive Christmas Tree Cheese Straws
7. “Just the Fun Part” Chocolate Waffle Cones
These waffle cones reminded me of mini cornucopias, a fun nod to Thanksgiving and a treat with a little whimsy, filled with white and dark chocolate. I found mine at Publix but I’ve seen them at Target too.
🍁 Slow Down & Savor
Fall is my favorite season and always feels fleeting . . . especially since by the time it arrives, it’s time to make way for jingle bells and boughs of holly!
Tea serving pieces:
Victorian Tart Server (pictured with scones)
3-Tier Porcelain Cupcake Stand Serving Tray
Looking for more fall teatime treats?
You might like:
A taste of fall in a tender, flaky scone, filled with diced apple, spice, and a sweet and crunchy cinnamon topping
Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Bars with Sweet Streusel Topping
Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Bars start with a Biscoff cookie crumb base and are topped with a sweet streusel for some welcome texture, crunch and flavor! Warmly spiced, these layered bars make a delicious fall treat.
Pumpkin Roll Log Cake with Nutter Butter Acorns
This no-bake dessert is mashup of Pumpkin Roll and a Yule Log, using a supermarket bakery pumpkin roll. It makes a festive fall and woodland-themed dessert that is as fun to decorate as to eat, served with Nutter Butter Acorns!
This simple tea menu, paired with vintage transferware favorites and a cozy, plaid-layered table is a gentle reminder and opportunity to slow down, sip something warm, and savor the season with friends.
Raise a cup to fall, beautiful dishes, and easy entertaining! 🍂☕🧡
Join Pam and Sarah for tea:
Pam at Everyday Living
Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul
Thank you for your visit!
Sharing with: Between Naps on the Porch
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Wow! Each and every savory and sweet serving looks so good, but those phyllo cups sound delicious! I wouldnt swap out any of the ingredients you chose! Your brown transferware collection is amazingly varied and beautiful. Brown was always my favorite, and most of mine is still in storage (why??). I love the closeup photo of the mixed flatware against the plaid cloth and multi-patterned napkins, that’s so yin-yang for that feminine-masculine touch I love. Wonderful fall tea time!
My dear friend is British, and reminisces about teas with her family back home. I cannot wait to share this post with her!
Mary, your brown transferware collection is amazing! It especially shines during autumn. I am a fan of mix and match and of course, vintage. The flatware is lovely against the plaid cloth. The 3 tier server of sweet and savory is perfect, made even better by not having to stay in the kitchen all day. The cranberry autumn tea sounds delicious. Goat cheese and fig spread is a favorite combination of mine and served in the phyllo shells is ideal for teatime. Since I love all things sweet, your offerings are fabulous and I would have one of each!
Mary, it would be a pleasure to join you for your beautiful tea. Wishing you a blessed Tuesday 🧡
Mary, your blog is such a respite from the everyday troubling world we live in. Thank you for being an anchor in the storm. The nostalgia your blog invokes is truly inspiring.
Mary, I don’t think I have ever seen the brown transferware and I just love them! Something new to look for when I am thrifting. I want to say how much I enjoy your blogs….i look forward to them each week. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
You asked us to write what we are thankful for and like you, 🎶Amazing grace, how sweet the sound of salvation in Jesus Christ alone. He gives us security and purpose. I have been wondering about purpose in watercolor painting( creative art was new to me)since a surgery almost 9 years ago. Amy first public painting was hung in our church foyer last weekend. All glory to God!
What a beautiful post I too love love love brown transfer ware. There’s just something about it. Your tea posts are always my favorite.
I just love your tea time posts.I just love brown transfer ware too! There is just something about it. That tea pot is stunning!
Your collection of brown transferware is so perfect for Fall, Mary. All your wonderful treats make for an easy, stress free teatime with friends. I’d be so happy to sit at your table and give thanks for many blessings with you being one for all your creativity and inspiration.
Oh my, your transferware collection is gorgeous! I didn’t know there were so many patterns. I’ll be doing a more diligent search at the flea markets. I also thought the vintage mix and match silverware was a thoughtful idea, made that table setting so special.
I loved the pumpkin roll log, what a cute idea for dessert bet the kiddos would especially love it!
Thanks for a lovely post.
Diana
Mary, I like to think we are “birds of a feather” when I read your posts because we share so many of the same favorites. I could never match your unique talent for sharing your amazing and beautiful things, not to mention your creative talent with food. I learn from you with each new post.
Brown transfer has always been my favorite. I bring it all out during this season, fill pieces with flowers, set the table, etc. That said, even our wedding china features rims of chocolate brown and gold. Yes, the earthy brown tones ground me. Perhaps it all stems from the love of gardening.
I’ll be scrolling again and again, and saving many of these images to Pinterest as I have more time later today. It’s always a treasure trove here.
My simple tea for one, hardly seems like a tea party after visiting both you and Pam this morning. That said, I do believe that teatime celebrated on any level is an important avenue to slow us down, look around us, and focus on gratitude.
I’m most grateful for your endearing friendship across both the years and the miles. Thank you!
Happiest of Thanksgivings as you celebrate with your mom and sister. Hugs to you and Sophie and Lola.
Yum. I like the mix of different transferware pieces. . . . and throw in seasonal food and colorful tea canisters.
It seems like a very colorful mix. Layers and your good taste is what makes your blog worthy of much inspiration. I have forwarded many of your posts to others. Thank you.
Your brown transfer ware is beautiful and a perfect choice for fall. Do you have your china displayed? Knowing all the beautiful table settings you share you must have a secret for storing all your dishes. Every time I see a setting I say to myself “ohhh, I want to start collecting that” but quickly realize I’d have to give up the guest bedroom to use as china storage. I so enjoy your settings and reading your blog. Thank you.
Mary, I can’t remember if I posted this comment or not. I got interrupted, so I apologize if it hits twice! Your brown transferware is perfect for fall. I love your tea table and treats. Those little waffle cones are adorable! Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving. Clara ❤️
Oh Mary, you have such a stunning and impressive collection of brown transferware. How wonderful to have so many beautiful pieces to enjoy during the fall season. The Harney and Sons cranberry tea sounds delightful. Your savory and sweet treats are wonderful accompaniments to your tea. Wishing you a blessed week ahead!
Beautiful, elegant and delicious. Your collection is incredible. The DOVER teapot and the CHARLOTTE pattern – just takes my breath away! And thank you so much for the reminder that spending less time fussing in the kitchen and more time sipping and visiting is the key here……it is ok to buy things to make our tea time easy. It is the calm before the chaos of the Advent season. I appreciate the reminder and need to do that myself before autumn is over for another year. It’s by far my fav season too. I may need to try that H and Sons tea. It’s one I haven’t had yet and sounds great.
You know how much I love your brown transferware collection! It is all so beautiful everytime I see it.
All your sweets are such great ideas for a tea. And your tea sandwiches look so good. I wish I could be there with you!
Happy Thanksgiving my friend!
Mary, brown transferware is a favorite of mine. I have a grouping on a wall at our cabin but looks like I need to have a tea party with it!!
Your menu for your tea party is lovely! The treats look delicious. And the tea sounds like it would be a taste of fall. Thank you for the recipes and the link to the serving pieces.
Mary your brown transferware is so lovely. Love all of the treats you presented. So perfect for this time of year. A cup of autumn cranberry tea sounds wonderful. The flatware is so pretty and your plaid tablecloth. A lovely spread to enjoy this coming holiday.🍁🦃
I love any color transferware but purple is my favorite and seems to be more difficult to find therefore more expensive. The brown is perfect for fall and you have a fabulous collection.
Happy Thanksgiving Mary! Your brown transferware is so pretty. I only have a few key pieces that I love to use in Autumn. I’m going to make your Phyllo shell, goat cheese appetizers for Bunco night. They look yummy and easy, which equals perfection in my book. :) Thanks for always sharing your wonderful ideas with us!