Welcoming October With Oktoberfest

What better way to begin the month of October than by attending an Oktoberfest celebration? I saw on Facebook that Carpathia Club - a local German American Club & Cultural Center - was holding their Oktoberfest this past Friday and Saturday, so I asked my hubby if he'd be interested in going Friday. He said yes, so off we went so we could be there when it opened at 5:00 o'clock.

There was lots of lively, foot-tapping music played as we ate.

Who doesn't love German Knockwurst, sauerkraut and potato salad?

And yummy Apple Strudel for dessert!  We were definitely in the minority by not washing it down with beer!  ;-)  They were selling it by the pitchers.  This is their biggest fund-raiser of the year and since they couldn't host it last year due to COVID, it was very well attended this year.

We stayed long enough to watch the children dance in their cute little costumes, but left before the beer started influencing the adults!  ;-)   It was a fun outing.

Several years ago [2010 to be exact] I gave an Oktoberfest tea and invited a lady from Carpathia Club to come and talk about German traditions.  She even came in costume. Wonder if she was one of the volunteer workers last Friday night?

Part of the menu I submitted to the restaurant was Pork Kabobs over noodles with a side of Apple Chutney.  Do you plan on attending an Oktoberfest event this year?

Shifting gears to a different subject...

Yesterday was a work day at The Whitney.  When the house was built in 1894 it was the first residential house in Detroit to have an elevator.  Since Mr. Whitney was a lumber baron, the interior of his mansion was finished in magnificent wood paneling and wood working [even the basement].  Therefore I have to wonder if the inside of the elevator was finished with wood too?  

After the family no longer lived in the mansion, it became the headquarters for the Wayne County Medical Society for a time.  I wonder if when the elevator was upgraded it got its current metal walls?  It's been painted a couple of different colors since I've worked there, but it just recently underwent a fun transformation.  I finally got a chance to take a picture of it yesterday and thought I'd share it with you. Pardon the glare, but because the scenes are painted, they're covered with plexiglass for protection.  On the side wall below is a Whitney elevator operator.  

The back wall is so creative.  On the left is Mr. Whitney and behind him is a lady of his era [maybe Mrs. Whitney or one of his daughters?].  On the right is Bud Liebler, the current owner of The Whitney, and behind him is a gentleman on his cell phone.  From 1894 to 2021, the house is still relevant and current 127 years after it was built!  The other side wall depicts stores in downtown Detroit from yesteryear.  If/when you visit The Whitney be sure to take a peek inside the elevator.

Wishing you a wonderful October with lots of tea!

Gone With the Wind

I feel like summer has 'gone with the wind' since we're nine days into fall already.

On Tuesday [the 28th] my hubby and I made our way to Independence Village in nearby Plymouth, MI, where I did a program on the 1939 epic movie, Gone With the Wind. 45 seniors attended the tea and program held in the facility's dining room.

There was even a couple of gentlemen in attendance.

The program started at 2:00, and we arrived a little early so I could set up my display table.  I ordered GWTW fabric printed for its 70th Anniversary [in 2009] from an Etsy vendor.  For an added visual, I sewed it to fabric on the front of the table cover.  

The Director picked the subject knowing the residents would all be familiar with the book and film, and because it was a favorite book of hers in school.  We opened with a fun, easy quiz.  The winner received an adult coloring book of Old South Costumes [which were worn in the film] and a box of colored pencils.  Everyone else received a package of peanuts since peanuts and pecans are Georgia's #1 crop.  

Michigan has a Gone With the Wind expert who lives in the area.  Her name is Kathleen Marcaccio and she travels the state and beyond giving talks about the book, its author, the movie and cast members.  Presently only one credited cast member is still living, but she's met several of them over the 25 years that she's been speaking.  I've heard her speak twice and she's amazing.  I should have been intimidated to invite her to my presentation since her level of expertise on the subject is far beyond mine, but she's a very nice, down-to-earth lady, and it was a pleasure to have her there.  Unbeknownst to her, one of the residents is an long-time family friend who recently moved to Independence Village, so they got to catch up a bit.  Her attending was meant to be.

~ Kathleen and Me ~

In today's world, words must be chosen carefully so no one gets offended. I began my presentation with a brief disclaimer stating for better or worse, history is history and we can't erase it.  During time periods when things weren't as they should have been, we have the opportunity and responsibility to learn from the past to ensure things are right today. The graphic below sums up my sentiments very well.

I chose to focus on the life of Margaret Mitchell [the author of the book], the cast and people they portrayed [of course, Scarlett was center stage], David O. Selznick [the film's producer], and the costumes.  It was fascinating how costume designer, Walter Plunkett, used the  'psychology of colors' to create his exquisite outfits for Scarlett to reflect her state of mind and emotions throughout the film.  There was little time left to talk about the architecture and food during that time period, but I did point out four staircases [two very grand ones] that were used in several movie scenes.

Peach scones were served at the beginning of the tea, followed by a cup of tomato bisque soup, with pimento cheese tea sandwiches and deviled eggs as the savories.  Dessert was pecan bread pudding.  There were other menu items too, but since they ate while I spoke I didn't see everything.  A good time was had by all.

Yesterday, I drove downriver to have lunch with some girlfriends I went to high school with. We had a lot of fun catching up and solving all the problems of the world! ;-)  Next month they will all come to my house for lunch.

Yesterday was also my youngest son Jeremy's 42nd birthday as well as granddaughter Isabella's 16th birthday.  Daughter-in-law, Samantha, couldn't have given Jeremy a better birthday present than a beautiful daughter born on his birthday!  We will celebrate with them the beginning of next week.  Below are the cute yard signs Samantha surprised them with yesterday morning.  They live on a corner, so the L-shape worked perfect for visibility.

Autumn and Apples Tea at The Whitney

I've been absent from my blog for awhile.  I was happy to attend the first service in our new church building on September 12th and have all my family together for the occasion.  After church we went out to dinner together and it was a wonderful day.

On Tuesday I began to feel like I was coming down with a cold and by Wednesday I was down for the count with a very busy weekend looming ahead!  COVID19 and the Delta variant always come to mind when one gets sick these days, but I had no fever, no sore throat, and no lung congestion - just a very stuffy nose/sinuses accompanied by a cough.  With rest, cold medication, lots of hot tea, and prayers for a quick recovery, I rebounded enough to go to work on Saturday. Late in the afternoon my hubby delivered the apple basket favors to the restaurant, reclaiming our family room.  I was glad to  cross the project off my to do list.

I don't normally work on Sundays, but my boss asked me weeks ago if I could be at the Autumn and Apples tea.  It was one of 13 events centered around Cityfest.  It was a beautiful 80 degree day, so the event was held outside on the newly-built deck in the mansion garden.  The honeybees joined us too, but they harmed no one.  Guests also received a bottle of Apple Cider from Parmenter's Cider Mill in Northville.

Angie and Kristin were two of the servers at the tea, and I didn't get a photo of John.

 Kristin and me wearing the apple apron I bought for the tea.

I introduced the new tea that will be featured throughout fall - Apple Cinnamon Black Tea.  The feedback was very good.  Cocktails using the tea paired with bourbon and apple cider were served to guests along with Mimosas upon arrival, so everyone left feeling happy!  ;-)

Scones began the tea meal - apple and blueberry.  I snapped a picture in the kitchen while they were being plated.

Following the scones was the fruit course - apples, raspberries and chantilly cream.

I took a picture of Angie as she was bringing the tiered server out from the kitchen.  A special apple menu was created for the tea.

Three ladies who attended last year's tea returned this year.  Joel provided background music on the electronic keyboard while the guests dined, and at the conclusion of the tea Dave Duey [Director of Operations and my boss] took the guests on a tour of the mansion.  It was a lovely event that everyone in attendance enjoyed.   Farewell to Cityfest 2021!

A Little Bit of Everything

The Jeulia teacup pendant that I ordered as a 'trial run' arrived very quickly, nicely packaged, and as pretty in person as in the picture.

So... I took the plunge and ordered the teacup/coffee cup ring!  It was already on sale for $119 [down from $199] and with a 15% off coupon it was $101 with free shipping.

Yesterday was another bake day.  I had peaches to use up from the Peach Festival and I couldn't remember ever making peach hand pies so I got busy baking. The pastry crust called for butter and shortening, making it very flaky and delicious. The recipe made 15 hand pies and the author said to divide any remaining peach mixture into ramekins, and top with oats, brown sugar and cinnamon for a quick cobbler.  I got three cobblers in addition to the hand pies.   I'm ready to buy more peaches!

After dinner we drove to the church property for a circular prayer meeting around the exterior of the building before our first service on Sunday.  It was so exciting to witness the great turnout.  We were able to completely encircle the exterior of the building with prayer.

And the Son/sun set upon us!

On the ride home it was 8:00 o'clock and dusk had set in.  The days are getting shorter and daylight ends earlier.  [Big Sigh!]

I cloistered myself in my office today to work on the apple basket favors for The Whitney. There is a process - it's not difficult, but is time consuming.  Today I'm giving a step-by-step tutorial in case you might like to make these for a fall tea party favor.

Step 1: Labeling the tea packets and filling them.  Each packet holds enough loose tea for six cups.  

Packets are inserted inside the apples and awaiting final assembly.

Step 2:  Preparing silk leaves.  I bought maple silk leaf bushes and cut the leaves off leaving enough stem for the wire on a pick to wrap around it.  I allowed two leaves per basket.

Step 3:  Measuring and cutting 1 1/2 inch wire burlap ribbon into 14-inch strips to make bows for the front of the baskets, and hot gluing them on.

Step 4:  Filling the baskets with shred.  I opted to use brown, orange, and yellow [gold] shred and I'll alternate the colors when I place them on the tables.

I'm placing the baskets filled with shred and two silk leaves in a box for transporting, and will place the apples in the baskets the day of the event.  So far there's 40 baskets in the box and I hope to finish the remaining 40 baskets tomorrow.

Below is the finished basket, but the picture was taken with a wider burlap ribbon.  It's much easier working with wire ribbon and I like the 1 1/2 inch ribbon a lot better.

I hope this tutorial is helpful.  I ordered the apples from Oriental Trading Co. and the tea packets and 1 pt. wooden berry baskets were from Amazon.   Shred and silk maple leaf bushes came from Dollar Tree, and the burlap ribbon and wire picks came from a local craft store called Dealer's Discount.