Cold November is here – brrrrrrrr! Even though the cold weather confines family to inside activities, I dare say, we do enjoy the change! The dropping temperature invites us to once again turn our hearts toward hearth and home. In the first stanza of a poem entitled “Winter Fancies,” one of my favorite poets, James Witcomb Riley, penned these seasonal sentiments, “WINTER without And warmth within…” Ah, yes, the colder temperature beckons us to slow our pace and reflect upon the many blessings of homelife, and in one of my most treasured books from the 1800’s, The Gospels in the Fields, R. C. Fillingham the Vicor of Hexton writes, “…we must keep within doors, sit by the fireside, talk over old times, read again the remembered page; and we must forego our evening rambles until the mild weather returns—in so many fashions does winter restrain our desires.” Well, it is our desire that as you gather together to read and listen to this November’s Tea Cozy Club installment, that it, too, will become a dearly remembered page.
This month’s audio conversation is with The Tea Ladies, Inc. from Bloomington, Illinois. One day, I found the Tea Ladies, Inc. when I was doing some research on the Internet. After viewing their website, I thought they would make wonderful guests for our club. The Tea Ladies are from my home state of Illinois and I hope my daughters and I can attend one of their programs in the future. Also, as an added bonus this month, I have included my audio workshop and instructions for making your own holiday recipe notebook. Enjoy!
Our November flavor of the month is pumpkin. If you’ve been receiving our tea cozies for some time now, you know how much our family loves to garden. One of the most successful crops we sowed this year was pumpkin. In the last issue of The Girlhood Home Companion, I wrote about the heirloom pumpkin seeds Eric purchased from Burpee. Along with the pie-sized pumpkins we use for baking, he grew enormous pumpkins to decorate with. Whether you plan to take a tea break before Thanksgiving or after, pumpkin, a beloved seasonal flavor, will delight any and all who are invited to converse around your table.
It is an honor to share our family’s all-time favorite pumpkin recipes with you. My younger sister claims that there is no better pumpkin pie recipe than Mother’s. This recipe made its debut in last year’s Girlhood Home Companion holiday issue. If you are new to the Girlhood and didn’t see it there, we have included it again– just for you. We have also included our famous “fall leaves” cookie recipe tutorial. I hope you enjoy making these colorful and tasty cookies as much as we do. They are a childhood favorite at our house.
November’s flower is the Chrysanthemum which represents love. May your cup be filled to overflowing with God’s love as you celebrate the joys of the season. Soon we’ll be planning holiday meals and gathering as families to thank God for His bountiful love and provision and the ultimate joy that comes from being transformed by His Word. I pray He warms your heart within.
Order the November Tea Cozy Club installment here:
Affectionately,
Jill Novak & Family