Teatime with TT and Carol

Welcome to Teatime with TT... Tressie Teegarden.  Today happens to be the birthday of TT.  So grab a cup of hot tea and celebrate with us!  There is a special discount code for a 15% discount purchase from Cornerstone Tea who is partnering with me for the Pieces in the Garden Sew Along.  The code will be at the bottom of this post.

Were she still living, Tressie would be 107 years old.  I asked my mom to share some special memories and thoughts of her mother... And here's what she had to say. 

Sixty-eight years of my life was my memory of TT ~ she's my Mom... So how can I pick out just one? I guess I will go with her love of the outdoors and camping, which began as a child, since her family would go camping. 

The earliest time of camping that I remember from my childhood was when I was about three and we went camping at Camp Crocket in the San Isabel National Forest. We spent lots of weekends there all year around as a family.

Then after we moved to Trinidad my brother, Forrie, and I were older, (I was 6 when we moved back from Pueblo, CO) and we would pack up the car with camp stove, picnic suitcase, pots, tarp and sleeping bags. Each night we would have to set up camp and each morning pack up the car to go.

After Forrie and I were on our own, Dad built a camper for their pickup. That camper saw lots of places. Then they replaced that camper with an overhead camper, it also saw lots of places from coast to coast. They spent a lot of time at Forrie’s property in their camper.  Dad dug a trench and laid electric line from a power pole to a pine tree and put a plug on a tree to so that we could have electricity in our campers. Below is a picture of the first camper Grandpa built. 

Side note: Forrie owns 15 acres located in a canyon between Trinidad and Stonewall and we still go there for weekends with our own family for the Nolan Family Camp Weekends.  Forrie built a cabin using the inheritance that he had received after their passing.

When TT wasn’t camping she would enjoy her teatime out on the patio in Tucson. She could have tea outside almost every day as it was warm enough in Tucson. After dad died and we moved her to Trinidad she had a back patio where on nice days she could have her tea and look at her beloved Fishers Peak (as shown in this photo). In the winter she had a dining room table that was in front of a big picture window where she could have her tea and at look at the peak.

Another memory of TT... Her mother taught her to sew and make fancy seams and how to do embroidery work. Mom also knitted and crocheted. As early as I can remember she made all my clothes until I started making my own.

Here we are with some of her hats
January 2003 when we were packing the house
in Tucson for the move to Colorado

She crocheted a yellow dress and hat for me when I was about one.  One Easter when I was about two, I had a light blue coat and bonnet with white fancy work on them. Each Easter I had a new outfit.

When I was about four, I had a navy-blue skirt with a cape and a red hat (she loved hats!) and drawstring bag with fancy work on them. My dresses always had embroidery, or smocking.

I was a majorette when I was seven, and she made my outfit and hat. When I was around 8, I had a red and white dress... it might have been hearts with a heart pocket with lace around it and a hoop skirt. Also had a blue poodle skirt with pink poodle.

When my own children, Kelvin and Melva, came along, she knitted sweaters for both of them and made suite jackets for Kelvin. One year as a Halloween costume, TT made Melva an orange and black majorette outfit.  

While she was at an assisted living facility in 2006 the staff helped us host a tea party in her honor.  It was a pleasant time and Tressie loved being at the center of attention.  (If my computer had not died, I'd share a picture showing the evidence of this.  The smile on her face is priceless.)  Tressie loved her sweets as much as she loved tea.  And if chocolate was involved, it was all the better!  Though she wasn't a fan of the flavored teas.  She preferred the plain black pekoe tea, lightly brewed.  Here's a recipe for a sweet "crumpet" that she would have happily enjoyed...

Butter Cookies

2 cups Almond Flour

6 tablespoons butter - softened

6 tablespoons powdered Sugar 

(I use 1/3 cup coconut sugar - pulverized in the food processor until it is a super-fine texture)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix in food processor until all ingredients form a ball.

Shape into 30 small balls.  

Use a spoon or finger to form a divot in the center of the cookie.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  

Place a small amount of mini chips or a large chocolate chunk in the divot.  Return to the warm oven for 1-2 minutes... just until the chocolate is softened. 

Gently spread the chocolate.  Let cool... enjoy!

What are some of your favorite cookies?  

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you 😍

Don't forget to check out Cornerstone Tea... here's the discount code - CAMPING - It will get you a 15% discount on your purchase, valid through March 2nd.