Napkin Etiquette at Teatime

Let's talk tea today.  What's in my teacup?  It's a loose tea "Florence Tea" from Harney Tea.  I know I carry on all the time on my Instagram about the fabulous teas from Harney, but there are so many to love!  This is a China black tea with hints of chocolate and traces of almond and hazelnut.  It's delightful y'all! 

From my etiquette book collection...I love this classic book by Dorothea Johnson, "Tea and Etiquette: Taking Tea for Business and Pleasure."  Of all the etiquette tips she taught me, napkin etiquette will remain with me forever!

Today, in all dining situations, the napkin is properly picked up and unfolded on the lap, not above the table level.  A large dinner napkin is folded in half with the fold facing the body, while a tea napkin (12" serviette) is opened completely on the lap. Don't iron the napkin folds flat (iron the napkin but not the folds).  Remember that all napkin folds on your table should face the same way. 

Wait for your hostess to take her napkin and place it on her lap.  Then pick up your napkin and place it on your lap. 



Please don't wipe your mouth with the napkin.  Blot it.  Lipstick is never blotted on a cloth napkin; discreetly blot the lipstick onto a tissue before you begin to eat.  Don't use a napkin as handkerchief.  The napkin should remain on the lap during tea.

If you need to leave the table temporarily, place your napkin on your chair, not on the table.  Push you chair back under the table if the setting is appropriate.  Return the napkin to your lap when you are seated.  The host or hostess picks up his or her napkin to signal the close of the tea.  At the end of the tea, the napkin is not refolded but picked up by the center and placed loosely to the left of the plate.

Pumpkin Pretties and Goodies at Williams-Sonoma

It is that time of year when I become obsessed with everything pumpkin....the décor, the scents, and the tastes of pumpkin.  Williams-Sonoma never disappoints with their seasonal merchandise.  These are just a few of the autumn/pumpkin items on my wish list:

These pumpkin crackers will add a fun, festive look to any autumn tablescape.  They are stuffed with a party crown, jokes, riddles, and party games.





I love the colors and print of this tablecloth.  It is machine washable and available in several sizes.



The 20" square matching napkins...also machine washable.



The pumpkin-motif porcelain dinnerware is gorgeous!



The mugs would be perfect for sipping apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte.


I already have these adorable pumpkin napkin rings...they can be used now through Thanksgiving and year after year.  They never go out of style.




Speaking of the scents of autumn...this candle has pumpkin, with scents of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves!  LOVE this candle.  Pumpkin scent...all through the house!


Pumpkin Spice hot chocolate?  Lord have mercy, this sounds good!  Just combine it with heated milk and voila!  This makes staying home on a Saturday night fun!





Since I fail at making my own pumpkin bisque, I must try this.  All I have to do is heat this soup starter with vegetable or chicken broth.  I think I could do this.



I need this because I LOVE pumpkin bread and the pecan pumpkin butter sounds delicious!  The bread mix makes 12 muffins or one 4" x 8" loaf.  The butter size is 13.5 oz.  I'm sure that pecan pumpkin butter would also be wonderful on scones or crumpets!



Yes, I think a shot of this pumpkin spice coffee syrup would go well with my coffee!  It will also be delish drizzled over ice cream and pancakes.

French Onion Soup Etiquette

Onion soups have been popular throughout history.  They were seen as food for poor people, as onions were plentiful and easy to grow.  French Onion Soup became famous in the 18th century with the opening of the gigantic food market Les Halles de Paris.  At dawn, workers and night owls sat together around a fragrant, yet cheap bowl of this delicious and heartwarming dish, made from beef broth, caramelized onions, a large bread slice, and grated and grilled Gruyere cheese.  The first bowls to get reinvigorated, the second bowls to avoid any hangover.  Soupe a' l'oignon (onion soup) has always been Paris's timeless hangover cure!


The "French" in "French Onion Soup" refers to the manner in which the onions are chopped ("frenched")--cut into thin lengthwise strips.


Personally, I would never serve this soup to guests at a dinner party.  Nor would I order this soup in restaurant.  (Even though most restaurants in my small town serve it as a beef broth, with chopped onions, croutons, and shredded cheese, toasted).  If prepared correctly, it is just too difficult to break through the layer of cheese and maneuver your way through this gooey delight.  It lives up to its reputation as "one of the most difficult foods to eat."


Although healthier than a creamy soup, the bread and melted cheese in this soup has lots of saturated fat, refined carbs, and a high sodium count.  So there's another reason I wouldn't order this...I don't want my cheat meal to be difficult to eat.


So, how do you eat French Onion Soup?  One of my etiquette teachers, Dorothea Johnson, suggests using a soup spoon to eat the soup, and a knife and fork to cut the cheese on the rim of the soup cup so that it does not trail from the mouth in a long string.  Don't mess with the cheese baked on the outside of the bowl.  Lord have mercy, I'm not going to be using a knife and fork to eat soup!Still interested in serving this soup?  Here's a recipe for you:

FRENCH ONION SOUP

1/3 cup olive oil

8 sliced onions

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

8 cups beef stock

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 loaf French bread

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Sauté onions and garlic in oil over low heat until onions are tender and golden yellow. Sprinkle flour over onions, cook a few minutes more, browning the flour well. Add stock and wine and bring to a boil, add thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, slice French bread into 3/4 slices and butter both sides. Toast slices on griddle until golden brown. Ladle soup into an ovenproof bowl, add toasted bread and cover with cheese. Place ovenproof bowl on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake at 350 °F or 5 minutes under a hot broiler.