Tuesday, March 2, 2010

G is for a Ginger Tea Party


is for



Ginger

and you're invited to a Ginger Tea Party



In honor of this week's letter G, tea will be served in Ginori china in the Palermo Brown pattern.



I've brewed an herbal ginger tea with a spicy taste. This beverage has long been used in the Chinese culture as a warming beverage. It is thought to be an energy boosting tonic.



Even though it is the delicate color of ginger, don't be deceived. It is full of flavor.



There is a tray of ginger thins of a Swedish recipe.



A silver cake stand holds squares of delicious old fashioned gingerbread cake.



This crystal and silver overlay compote holds one of my favorite treats. These soft and chewy ginger candies are all natural and delicious. They are made by Royal Pacific Foods - The Ginger People.



Please help yourself to a plate of ginger goodies and let me tell you about this amazing plant.



Ginger a spicy treat that comes in many forms.



Ginger root is actually a rhizome, a horizontal stem of a plant. Native to both China and India, it is a delicacy that is used for both cooking and medicinal purposes. Whole raw ginger is what is commonly thought of as fresh ginger. It provides the most potent taste.



The flowers of ginger are sold as a popular tropical plant here in the states. The interesting blooms grow on thick woody stems with dark green sword like leaves. In Samoa these red blooms are used in leis during important ceremonies and worn by the royalty.



We have a ginger that grows in our garden. It freezes back in the winter, but comes back lush and green each spring. Last year it was covered with pink blooms. This year we've had a severe winter so it completely froze. I've cut it back, and shoots are already beginning to poke up through the ground.



Ginger is often used as a spice in many recipes. It is one of the earliest spices to be used in Western Europe. Powdered ginger, a ground spice made from dried root, is commonly used in baking recipes.



Crystallized ginger can be used in cooking or simply eaten as a treat. It has been cooked in a sugar syrup, then dried and rolled in sugar.



Ginger has a pungent flavor and has been an important part of Chinese medicine for centuries. It is said to help with digestion and often taken to prevent motion sickness.



Ginger Ale is also often used to settle an upset stomach. This ginger brew is made from herbs, roots, spices, and fruits, and it definitely has a strong ginger bite.



I like to eat these ginger chews from The Ginger People for a hot and spicy tidbit of sweet candy.


Logo used with permission of Royal Pacific Foods - The Ginger People

I've consumed so much ginger today while working on this post, I feel I just might turn into one of these Ginger People. If you too are a fan of ginger then you'll want to visit The Ginger People website here. They offer a wide selection of products from baked goods to candies to sauces to pantry essentials to gluten free products. There is also an extensive section of recipes that use ginger in drinks, appetizers, sides, soups, salads, main dishes, and desserts. The Ginger People also publish Chat-n-Chew, a monthly newsletter available through email.

Thanks for joining me today. For more Letter G Lessons join Mrs. Matlock's class here. To see more table settings visit Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

References used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger
http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/ginger.html



Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

60 comments:

  1. so beautiful! ginger is so good for so many ailments isn't it?

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  2. I like gingersnaps, and gingerbread, but for some reason I don't like to cook with it..
    Genuinely genius post, Sarah!
    As Tony would say...GGGRReat!

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  3. Thanks for the invite :) Lovely tea party . I'll have some ginger ale please?

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  4. You have it covered on the ginger area! Does your ginger plant actually produce ginger? Or is it just grown in tropical areas. I love it in chinese dishes. I am a huge fan. Fun post -- thorough job! Joni

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  5. i have learned much from you once again! I cook with fresh ginger and love it's pungent taste. did you know you can peel fresh ginger then it's much easier to grate!

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  6. I am a serious fan of ginger - candied, chocolate covered, as tea, in stir fries, ginger snaps and soft ginger cookies. Delicious!
    I'm truly intrigued now - I wonder if I could grow a ginger up here on the Island?

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  7. I Love gingerbread, I just love ginger and wow you make it look so yummy, I can just taste it, the table is beautiful and chic and inviting, love that, thanks for sharing sarah, phyllis

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  8. Hi Sarah!

    So what time is tea? :)

    This is such a lovely tea setting! Your photos are beautiful and all the tasty little treats look wonderful!

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  9. I Love ginger ... i just used some fresh tonight in a stir fry ... i really enjoyed your post ... the table is beautiful, the baked goods have me drooling!

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  10. I learned a lot about ginger just by reading your post. The photos looked so inviting that I wanted to jump through my monitor and sample the goodies.

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  11. Oh Great post!! thank you for letting me know ginger recipe.
    Very curiously!

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  12. I love Ginger anything I would love to have been sat at your tea table ( being English afternoon tea is a must) sharing with you.
    Thank you for fab pictures and contents

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  13. Good Morning Sarah,

    I love gingerbread and yours loves YUM-O! I'll sit down and enjoy a bite with you along with the hot tea. That sounds "G"reat this morning. I love the ginger in bloom!

    Thanks for sharing with us. Have a great day.

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  14. Ginger is a household favorite here. We make the tea by cutting up the fresh root and adding hot water...and some honey. Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  15. I didn't know half that information about ginger, Sarah! Thanks for the lesson...you never stopped being a teacher, huh? :)
    Your setting is just Grand with those Gorgeous Ginori dishes. Gee...did I use enough "Gs"? LOL

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  16. What an interesting post. I love gingerbread, it's one of my favorite treats. And the china pattern is just beautiful. What a lovely setting for all your ginger goodies. Kathy

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  17. Wow. You really like ginger. I bought some ginger for my veggie stir fry, but then it got moldy before I could use it up. Maybe I should have kept it in the freezer.

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  18. Hi Sarah...

    Dear lady, you have surely set the most beautiful "Ginger" tea for us today! It's simply fabulous!!! I just adore that gorgeous Ginori china tea set! It's lovely, my friend! Ohhh...and all those ginger sweets...my mouth is really watering right now! Hehe! I love ginger but must confess that I rarely have it! I must remedy that malady...especially after seeing that scrumptious gingerbread cake and cookies! Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous tea table with us today! Ohhh...and I loved reading all the interesting facts about ginger! I can only imagine the fragrance of your ginger that you have growing...that's awesome! I didn't realize that it had such beautiful blooms!

    Have a fabulous day, dear lady!
    Chari @Happy To Design

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  19. Sarah, as usual you leave no stone unturned. What time it must take and research too, or perhaps, and probably, you are just this knowledgeable. Love the baked goodies and your china is always beautiful

    Lovely shot of your garden too, looks so lush!

    Great post!

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  20. Thanks for inviting me to tea! Your gingerbread cake looks heavenly!

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  21. Lovely tea party! I adore ginger! Ginger snaps have been a favorite of mine since childhood (dunked in ice cold milk), Gingerale is what I drink when I have an upset tummy, Ginger is a favorite spice and goes into all my Asian inspired cooking and a few other dishes. Here's a cooking tip: mix ginger with a bit of brown sugar (not too much) and sprinkle over your sweet potatoes, dot with butter and add cashews. Bake until potatoes are tender. One of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes!

    Thanks for a very well thought out G post. I enjoyed my time here!

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  22. I'd love to come for tea. Everything looks wonderful. Very interesting post too.

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  23. Very lovely tea! I love ginger and use it frequently. I love how you compiled all the information about ginger for your post - very clever!

    Thank you for sharing your ginger with us today!

    ~ Tracy

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  24. :) And I have to agree with Rettabug's comment - "never stopped being a teacher". I seem to be afflicted with that,too. :)
    Do you think it might have something to do with our upbringing? :)

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  25. Gorgeous post, it really gingered me up!
    I love Ginger people sweets, Janet R turned me on to them several years ago.They really helped me survive a rough channel crossing when I was coming back from the UK last year.
    ~Maggie~

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  26. Lovely post with a lovely theme...I adore ginger in all forms!

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  27. Your blog is lovely...:) I love the tablescaping...I'm Meme from Screaming Meme...It is so nice to meet you! If you get a chance, stop in and say Hello! Meme

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  28. G orgeous G post of G astronimical delights and Gee whiz facts!

    Can you eat the blossoms from the ginger plant? I wonder if they could be shredded into a salad or onto an Asian dish.

    And I adore gingerbread. That made my mouth water.

    A+ for this post.

    And an A+ for the rest of the year if you bring some gingerbread to school tomorrow!

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  29. those ginger candies look delish :D

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  30. Oh my! Such a deliciously delightful post! It all looks beautiful and so enticing. Thank you for the treat! ~ Angela

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  31. What a thorough and thoroughly delightful post about different forms of ginger! (You even sneeked in some Swedish Ginger thins, which I have with me at the computer.) Happy Thursday!
    Anna

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  32. Dear Sarah
    I love the flaboe of ginger but have never had ginger tea. Thanks for a delightful tea party. Everything looks beautiful as always.
    Hugs, Rhondi

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  33. Sarah, I love everything Ginger, so for me having a cookie and sipping on this tea was Great!!~ Thanks for stopping by my G post!

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  34. Sarah, beautiful tea set...all that ginger is making me hungry!

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  35. I'm headed over for ginger tea and treats!! I learned alot from your post today...Thanks!

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  36. Hello there Sarah,

    This is my first week participating with Susan's Tablescape Thursday, and I'm having so much fun visitng as many of you as I'm able to visit!..,Such beautiful tablesacpes!~ Wow!..,

    'The Ginger Tea' party story for this week is simply fabulous!(I did a whole Ginger feature myself, several posts ago).~ It's a fabulous topic! Your your table- scape for this post is so elegant and lovely! I love all of the touches and exquiste details!

    Please pop by to visit me when you get a moment;I have featured 'a blue and white Stafforshire dogs', breakfast table place setting for this week's party..,

    As an aside I'll also metion that,I have two tea party memes of my own; a, 'Tuesday Tea for Two' blogging meme; ( we just celebrated our 20th! ~ Yay!~ Also a, Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee; (just had our 12th meme),our other little blog tea party.~ Such fun!!..,

    ..,(You will see the info. on the left side bar of my, The Plumed Pen blog).~ I'd absolutely love to have you join us for one or perhaps even two, some day soon Sarah!

    Cheers and hugs from Wanda Lee @ The Plumed Pen

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  37. You really hit the spot on this one Sarah. I LOVE GINGER. And did you know that the region I grew up in in Australia produces 50% of the world's processed ginger? O_YES! You can visit the Ginger factory in Yandina on the internet I think... I put ginger in nearly everything and my Mum made a mean ginger slice. I give ginger tisane to my kids (and me) for stomach upsets and I have a mean ginger Yogi tea which warms the cockles of your heart in winter. Working hard now on your prize!! Not long to go ;-)

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  38. love this post and tea.. Yummy Thanks for having me and stopping by...

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  39. what a spunky post. I have enjoyed that ginger ale. I got mine at World Market.

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  40. Your pictures look wonderful. I am not a ginger fan....but I know many people enjoy it! Hope you are having a wonderful week!

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  41. i am addicted to those ginger chews...just thinking about them makes my mouth water.
    the whole ginger tea party sounds like something I would want to crash!!!

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  42. I just love your pictures, as usual. And I love ginger tea. Ginger truly is a miracle root, it has so many benefits.

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  43. Sarah, that tea set is beautiful. Your ginger post has made me hungry. I'm going to check out the Ginger People. laurie

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  44. Dear Sarah,
    Just wanted to stop by and say Hello! I have been so busy...I don't know when it will ever let up! I'll email you when I have a chance to stop and breathe.

    Love ginger!! I love the way you put your thoughts and photos together..you are so very creative!

    Warm Hugs,
    Linda

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  45. Sarah everything is really beautifully displayed! I enjoyed reading about ginger as well. We just adore it!

    ~Blessings, ~Melissa :)

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  46. Wow, I never knew there was so much to know about ginger. I loved the flowers on the ginger plant. I never was aware that they flowered.

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  47. ginger tea is really good for morning sickness...it really works!
    I love gingerbread with real whipped cream....yummy...your ginger party was Great!!!!!

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  48. I awoke this morning in Paris to discover a new friend...Hyacinths for the Soul. What a delight. Thanks so much for stopping by to introduce yourself and I am thrilled you discovered FK as it has led me here. Your site is everything I adore in blogs... original photos beautifully illustrating a well chosen message. Roosters {your collection} and tea parties on the first page, made me an instant fan. Again, it has been a delightful first visit and I shall return often! ~jermaine~

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  49. YUM! I love Gingerbread and Ginger cookies! I'm going to check out the Ginger people site now! Thanks!

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  50. What a beautiful post of all things gingery.

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  51. Delighted to be here!
    Wonderful!
    Not only picturesque but informative :)mmmm
    It has been a long time since I had a ginger cookie...ooo I feel a craving!

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  52. I love ginger, and cooking with ginger.

    So different and classy and lovely. Thanks for sharing!

    Nice to meet you, too!

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  53. Ginger is so good for so many different things - great post!

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  54. Sarah, once again you have the most fabulous post! I loved reading every word and looking at the pictures, too. And that Richard Ginori tea service! Oh, how fabulous is that! Love the shape. That line is just fabulous.

    Loved all of your goodies, too. I take ginger tablets as prescribed by my naturopath. And I love anything with ginger in it. It's one of my favorites!

    Hope you're doing well. I'm behind on my blogging, but I hope to post something next week and try to catch up. I'm traveling again tomorrow. I decided to just leave early in the morning and finish blogging tonight.

    Love to you...

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  55. Who knew ginger could be found in so many places? What a great post! Thanks for sharing.

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  56. I love ginger ... ginger tea, gingerbread, ginger ale ... Great G post!

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  57. What a great post, Sarah! We used to have red torch ginger in our backyard when I was a kid, just like the photo.

    I have enjoyed catching up with your previous posts and I just love them! I especially loved the French toast and learning more about the Bonaparte's.

    Thanks for an interesting and enjoyable blog.

    Have a great weekend, Bonnie

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  58. Lovely Sarah, I love gingersnap biscuits (cookies) and gingerbread, they remind me of my childhood. I should try to make some like my Mam used to. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

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  59. As an Asian living in one of the coldest country in EU, I always use ginger even during me and my family are sick. USEFUL in every way.

    I wish I could share my ginger drink that I use every morning & before bedtime.

    STAY FRESH & YOUNG...

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  60. I have always loved ginger in all its forms. Your great post certainly taught me so much about this wonderful plant.

    I'm off to the cabinet where I have a stash of crystallized ginger, I really fancy a piece after reading this post Sarah!

    Happy weekend.

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