Here’s my very own House of Creativity, all decked out for Valentine’s Day! Wouldn’t it be great if I could make smoke rings in the shape of white hearts come from the chimney? (Someone should invent a Valentine heart chimney insert!). Right now, snow is pouring down outside my window, big heavy flakes, a little bit heart-shaped, filling the sky . . . Of course, there is perfect music for this . . .
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
See my windows full of hearts? Our house is at the end of a long street; people come to a stop sign here and face my house, just like this. Because of all the one-way streets, pretty soon everyone has to pass this stop sign in order to get where they’re going on this island. ♥ I feel a certain responsibility to provide a some entertainment for people when they get here; it’s perfect for the short attention span! So I decorated my windows with leftover spray snow from Christmas. I made heart templates, little and big, from a piece of clear acetate. I’ve also made templates from cardboard, but they get a little soggy after about the twentieth heart! You could probably do it all faster with heart doilies!
We got a Valentine from a very special person yesterday! She knows who she is! (Thank you 1000 times ♥) Here it is, on our kitchen wall this morning, before the sun came up. This will be here from now on, every Valentine’s Day, forever! ♥ I love it!
What, I asked myself, can I give the girls this snowy Saturday that has it All? It needs to be sweet and Valentiney, it needs to include chocolate (yes, of course it does), it needs to be delicious enough to give away to someone they love, but simple enough so it’s not a lifetime in the kitchen; it needs to look good on a tea table; it needs to make the kitchen smell good; and it would be very handy if the ingredients were in my cupboard NOW. I thought about my chewy, bendy chocolaty Brownies (so here’s the recipe for those, particularly appreciated by kids, in case you are so inclined ♥) but I was looking for the true Valentine coup de grace, I wanted something heart-shaped. And, so, Voila!
ORANGE and CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA BISCUITS!
I love the flavor of orange with chocolate . . . this is an easy-to-make heart-shaped tea biscuit with melty chocolate chips, the perfect little thing to put on a saucer next to a cup of tea.
Here’s how it’s done; a concise recipe will be waiting for you at the bottom of this post, (if you make it through this whole thing 🙂 and actually, that’s not all that’s waiting for you at the bottom!)
Preheat the oven to 400°; put softened unsalted butter and cream cheese into a deep bowl . . .
Add grated orange zest (P.S. I hope you have one of these wonderful zesters! They’re like razor blades you drag lightly across the fruit, easy, painlessly, gathering the zest in the tray; then pop into your recipe! Best new invention since a MacBook Pro!)
Excuse me, time out: Water came to a boil, need to stop and fill my cup!
OK, toss the orangy goodness into the bowl . . .
Use a hand mixer to beat everything together until smooth . . . mmm, cream cheese, butter and orange . . .
Scrape down the batter in the bowl . . .
Add sour cream for richness and tender crumb. BTW, Don’t you think that when the world lost Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald that an overall mistake was made? Don’t you want to say, please, put them back? They left us music divine.
♥ H E A V E N ♥
Stir in two tablespoons of granulated sugar . . .
Gradually beat in a little flour until well blended . . . Oh-oh, check out the top of the refrigerator, we have company . . .
Speaking of Valentine’s! ♥ ♥ ♥
More beating of the flour . . .
Add mini chocolate chips — if you like walnuts, which I do, you can add them here too . . . which I would if we hadn’t run out! Almost had all the ingredients; but trust me, with them or without them, the word is Y U M.
Stir well, my little darlings . . .
Put a heaping tsp. of dough into each cup of an ungreased miniature muffin pan (I took this photo to show you what a heaping tsp. looks like) . . . I used my black-iron heart muffin pan, which I’ve had for a hundred years — I’ve truly gotten my money’s worth out of it! When it’s not in use, it makes my pantry wall look cute by hanging there. I know a secret about this muffin pan, I’ll tell you at the end of this post!
You want to fill the cups completely down into the little points, around the curved tops, so you have good shapes, and level the surface of the dough.
And bake 15-17 minutes until light brown . . .
Now look who showed up . . . Girl Kitty! Speaking of heaven!
We are complete: we have Beauty on the table, Beast is on the fridge, biscuits are in the oven, and all’s right with the world.
♥ ♥ ♥
Have a basket ready, line it with a clean tea towel . . . pop the biscuits right out of the pan into the basket, you don’t have to let them cool first.
Beautiful and delicious, they can bake as you put on the tea water, and be done by the time the tea has steeped . . . the orange is what you smell first, the chocolate melts on your tongue, and you are happy. ♥
I’m only tellin’ it how it is.
I tried them with this delicious new honey I put on everything these days (it came from Door County by the way, Pat, and all you others who know about and love that neck of the woods — you have the market cornered when it comes to butter burgers and honey!) — but I have to say, although it was delicious, it was gilding the lily; these tea biscuits are good just as they are, straight from the oven; you don’t need butter, you don’t need jam or syrup; you need nothing more. If you are looking for additional cuteness, and who isn’t, you can always sift over a little powdered sugar!
Serve one of these tea biscuits next to a cup of breakfast tea; put them in a basket for a tea party; or if you have a fun Valentine’s tin — they are a wonderful surprise, arranged on a lace doily and dropped by a friend’s house.
And, the secret I had about this muffin pan? Are you ready? OK, this pan, along with the heart-shaped Emma Bridgewater tin in the picture above — they are my Valentine gift to one of you. We’re having another drawing, and even though every one of you is totally deserving, one lucky girl is going to walk away with these two memories of Valentine’s Day 2012! Just leave a comment below (click on the tiny gray letters that say “comment” and you’ll be entered! I figure if I do this often enough and long enough, sooner or later, every one of you will win something with love from the heart of the home and me! That’s my plan.
♥ ♥ ♥
SATURDAY MORNING MARTHA’S VINEYARD
XXXXXOOOOO
Have you heard Paul McCartney’s new Valentine song? Go get a tissue, this is wonderful. I hear love for his new wife in this song, but I think I hear a bit of yearning for Linda too. ♥ Sad. 🙁 But Beautiful.
Bye for now girls . . . have a wonderful weekend!
ORANGE & CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA BISCUITS
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 – 3oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
- grated zest of one orange
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 c. self-rising flour
- 1/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 c. chopped walnuts (opt.)
Preheat oven to 400°. In a deep, medium-sized bowl, using a hand mixer on slow speed, beat together butter, cream cheese, and zest until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, add sour cream and sugar and beat well. Gradually beat in flour until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Put a heaping tsp. of dough in each cup of an ungreased miniature muffin tin (heart-shaped if you have it, but just as delicious if it’s round), filling the space completely and leveling the surface of the dough. Bake 15-17 minutes until light brown. Pop biscuits out into a basket lined with a tea towel … cover to keep warm. Can be reheated. Makes a dozen tea biscuits. Make these for you and someone you love. ♥
Love the hearts….all of them…my dear dads’ name was Valentine and he made this wonderful day so special for my mom and sisters and brother…he use to hide a heart shaped box of candy for each of us and we had to hunt them, sort of hunting Easter eggs at Easter time, crazy, I know, but a truly lovely memory….thank you for sharing as you do…Happy Valentines Day…..
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
Oh Susan, you did it again!!! I am in love with your blog, your recipe(s), your beautiful home, and your kitties!!! Thank you for being a bright spot in my day!!!
xoxo
Susan -May each day be full of love! Live each day like it’s Valentines day…share the love! Teresa from Bend, Oregon
I already made a comment but had to make another about the music playing in the background of your little video. Don’t you just love the soundtrack to “Something’s Gotta Give”?!!
Just fyi, that was an Eartha Kitt CD — the song was in Something’s Got to Give? Must get that!!
Looooooove the soundtrack cd for Something’s Gotta Give, a favorite of mine too! A must get for sure!
My daughter was looking for something special (and different) to make for her boyfriend to celebrate their first Valentine’s Day. I think these will be perfect!!
Thanks!!
Hi Susan!
Thanks for the snow video. We are actually looking for below freezing temps here in N. FL tonight. No snow forecast, though!
I got so excited when I read about your giveaway tonight!!! That is just too fun! I love hearts and valentines.
I’m planning a little tea party for an old friend and a new friend soon. I think your little tea biscuits will be perfect for it! Thanks for a great blog.
Good night! Karen
I would love to win this wonderful heart-shaped pan. Valentine’s Day is also my birthday :0)
Happy Birthday Lee!
So sweet! We are going to make these bisq. for Vday on Tuesday.
Thank you!
Hugs,
Rejena
Greetings from (just outside) Vancouver Canada. I don’t know if you can send the hearts to Canada, but if you pull my name and you can’t, then no ‘heart’ feelings, heh heh. Happy V-day to you and yours!
We can send it anywhere — that’s the fun of it, we have people from all over the world come to our blog, wouldn’t want to close any gates! Good luck! xoxo
Love your blog but feel guilty as if I’m evesdropping and window peeping!!!
Drool over your snow, we usually only get freezing rain, no fun. Thanks for
all the decorating ideas and recipes.
I love your website and your blog. Now my husband is also getting addicted to it because each time I get on here, he is looking over my shoulder to see what Jack is up to. He reminds us so much of our Bentley when he was that age. I still have people asking for Bentley stories. Bentley is now 8 and acts more like Girl Kitty. I love the recipe for the orange chocolate chip tea cakes. It has alot of my very favorite ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
Jane M.
Oh how delicious and easy these are…can’t wait to start baking! Would love to win this beautiful pan…will make me smile thinking of you!
How what a perfect ending to a busy day at work. I bake and take to share with co-workers. Wouldn’t they get excited if I won the heart pan and brought them a new baked surprise. Thank you for the yummy recipe and the most delightful photo’s. It makes us all think we are there in your cozy home. Thank you for being such a special friend to us all.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you !!!
I love chocolate and orange,too. I will make these this week! I would LOVE to win the drawing, but even if I don’t, I won BIG this weekend! My husband and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary and brought home a new English Cocker we named “Annie Laurie”. She’s beautiful and brought smiles back to our hearts after losing our Nelly Bly to kidney disease in November. We’ll always miss our Nelly, but we know she lives in our hearts and over the rainbow for us. There’s nothing like an animal to fix a broken heart. And Jack would be happy to know that when we first saw our Annie, she was kissing a cat!
What a very good start! Love her name, Annie Laurie, congratulations! I was reading an old diary a couple of days ago and came upon the entry that talked about my original “Man Cat” dying that day — it’s been years, but I cried, so I know that “over the rainbow” is really not that far away.♥
Oh, I love that cutie heart shaped muffin tin! My husband’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day, so it’s an extra special day for our family! Love to you Susan and all the Girlfriends, too!!! xoxoxoxo
p.s…do you have the recipe to be used with this heart shaped pan (I think) for the little pink tarts with a graham cracker crust(I think the picture is on your shopping page)? Those are so pretty and look perfect for a little Valentine party!! xo
I Love the heart shaped pan and the wonderful sounding recipe that you shared with us in this blog. I live in the midwest, northern Illinois, and know well the Door County honey … that honey is so much better than the typical store bought honey, which I have to resort to when I run out of the “good” honey. Also, just heard McCartney’s valentine song … I agree it is heartfelt and very touching. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with Joe and the kittys. 🙂
I’m drinking it in my tea right now — SO good . . . so good I got us a few jars for the web store in case you run out again!
Oh, yummy!
Susan, the tea biscuits made me want another cup of tea. I can soooo see myself making heart shaped delights to go with it. Thank you for another delightful post.
Thank you for the recipe – it looks delish. So love to see the pictures of the kitties, so adorable. Thank you for the fab giveaway – you are so generous!
These sound wonderful! I shall make them for my daughter. She loves those chocolate oranges at Christmas. I know she will love these! I have a cast iron Santa pan! I could make them in it, but not the same as Hearts! LOL
Hi Susan- I hear you when you say that part of you is English and that you want to be IN England. ( Read what you said in one of your earlier responds.) I too am very much English with a bit of Scotch in the family tree and dream of returning there very soon. I still have relations there and was fortunate enough to have them living in one of the homes of the English artist, illustator Randolf Caldecott who you see gracing childrens book covers for best yearly illustrator. Got great inspirations there! So I admit that Im a total anglofile, adore tea, scones, great gardens, funny sayings and English manners. Hope your catching Masterpiece Theatre and the Downton Abby series that has taken this country by storm. I can see the characters in the series having your heart shaped muffins with their tea, so romantic! I hope that you get MPT, on the island ? Love all your blogging about this subject, brings it all home. Perhaps in another life we will be neighbors in some charming village, plien aire painting to our hearts content?
Anyway, my Luna kitty loved your Girl and Jack video so much that I replayed it three times. I think she is in love with Jack. She pawed at my laptop screen several times meowing. It must be the moustache! Think about putting together a Susan Branch video just for cats, starring debonaire Jack and sweet shy Girl.
Hey, Im just down the road from Door Country and know all the Good Eats there. There is a place in Door County that does the best fish boil which sounds awful to the unfamiliar at the White Gull Inn, followed up with mile high fresh cherry pie straight from the famous Door Country cherry orchards. If you ever get there try it, you will not be disappointed. And I have several Culver’s in our area… home of the butter burger. So if you start to yearn for one perhaps we could figure out a way to get a couple out to you and Joe ASAP.
My last thought is after we eat all these wonderful chocolate chip orange muffins, do we then start with the “Im not fat Im just fluffy”diet? Its a bust trying to even think diet until after Valentines do you not agree?
Putting the finishing touches on my Valentines girlfriend tea, inspiration all came from your great blog and the valentine window dressings for the neighbors is such a sweet idea….you rock Susan!
Happy Valentines….Jamie 🙂
I love the other life dream, painting in the English countryside to our hearts content! Thanks Jamie!
Happy Valentines Day!!
The muffins look very good – I love anything orange especially in the winter. I love the hearts idea – I am going to do that for my granddaughters’ room next time they come to visit!
I would love to win that pan. I am trying to get a collection of old or older looking pans together to make a display. It would fit in perfectly. I ca’t wait to make the recipe for my son and my neighbors.
It has turned cold here in MN. High today was only 8 and a wind chill of -10.
Thanks for such a delightful blog. I always look forward to it.
I love old pans, and thanks to the passage of time, I have a LOT of them! 🙂
I want to win! I want to win! But thank you for the valentine gift already – this lovely recipe that is perfect for a valentine tea!
My 5 year old granddaughter read your blog with me. What a teaching experience. Now she knows all about Paul McCartney, laughed because your valentine read Sue and Joe , her Daddy, my son, is named Joe but I explained that she and her mommy were now his “bestest” Valentines. She also has the recipe for the orange tea biscuits and assures me that she and her mommy will have some for me next week. A great way to top off our fun evening together…watched “Lady and the Tramp”. Have a lovely Valentines Day! Time to tuck in my little Valentine.
Love that whole story, xoxo to your granddaughter!
Your tea biscuits look delish! Fingers crossed and feeling lucky for that drawing! 🙂 Thanks, Susan…you are so sweet.
I’d love a pan and tin for all the goodies I could bake. ♥ Very sweet. 🙂
I just realized that I could probably bake my favorite ginger-date drop scones in a heart mold like yours. Just the thing to accompany tea in my Emma B snowdrop mug (soon to be joined by the daffodil mug that I ordered yesterday!)
I actually have a heart-shaped muffin pan (ceramic, though, not cast-iron), and I think these will be a WONDERFUL addition to my muffin recipe file—thank you so much, Susan! And a very Happy Valentine’s Day to you and all the girlfriends! 🙂
Love love love yah!
What a wonderful blog!
Happy Valentines Day!!!!!
Yum – orange and chocolate tea biscuits or raspberry and chocolate tea biscuits or mint and chocolate tea biscuits or caramel and chocolate tea biscuits…..I may not have the pan (Yet!) but it’s already giving me inspiration!
Heart shaped biscuits–what a wonderful way to say I love you! I can’t wait to make orange & chocolate chip biscuits. Yum!
Susan, I would love to be able to drive down the street, stop at the stop sign and see your wonderful cozy, decorated house! I also decorate for every occasion, after Christmas I put out snowmen everywhere, include hearts of every kind for Valentines Day etc. I use blocks to spell out all the happy words as well! It is work, but it makes me happy! Can’t wait to bring my birds out of the glass cabinet for spring! I was wondering if you could tell me the history of them? How you got them, Where, and how old you think they are? My Husband is curious! Love the music and cozy time in your kitchen watching you make these wonderful tea biscuits, can’t wait to try them! The kitties look like they would like some as well! We are getting flurries today, but also alot of wind and very cold. Don’t think the snow will stick around. But my Son took my 1 yr old Grandson out when it was coming down and powdered the ground, Granddaughter walked up with them in her cute pink pull on hat with a heart on it and her pink gloves, holding out her hand catching the snowflakes to bring to Grandma and Grandpa! She is 3. Grandson was hidden all bundled up in his warm blue jacket! What a blessing to live in our own culdesac sp? !
Happy Valentines Day to you Susan, Joe, Girl Kitty, and of course Jack on his 1st Valentines! Enjoy!
xoxo 🙂
Happy Valentine’s Day, Susan!!! The receipe looks wonderful, can’t wait to try it. I would love to win the heart shaped pan, it’s just beautiful!! Thanks for all your great blogs!! Enjoy the snow, just flurries here in the Boston area!!
Love everything Susan Branch and can’t wait to make the YUMMY sounding, YUMMY looking biscuits for my sweetheart on Valentine’s Day! Thanks for always bringing joy to my day when I see I have an email from you!
I can’t tell you how much every word, phrase and even pause in your blogs speak to me, Susan. It’s just like you read my mind, as I make my own little vignettes in my kitchen for no other reason than to have something cute and pleasing to look at as I putz and make tasty and loving creations happen at the stove. I love the attention to detail, the little whimsies that you surround yourself with, and the generosity with which you share it all with your girlfriends, of which I’m so happy to count myself one! Thanks for the sweetness! Barbzie
What a wonderful thought….that we all could eventually win! Just like you to think of something so marvelous! Thanks for the delish sounding tea biscuit recipe.
Thanks for the recipe and having the contest.
Happy Valentine’s Day! The photos of the prizes are lovely.
Oooh, these are destined for tomorrow’s breakfast! I have always added a bit of orange extract to my chocolate baked goods…it’s the best flavor marriage on earth!
Thanks for sharing snippets of your life with us. I check for a post everyday.
Thanks for the muffin recipe. I think I’ll make them tomorrow! Yum!!
I would love that heart-shaped baking tin! All I’ve found recently are silicone shape bakers, and those never do a good job. Some good old iron would be perfect. 🙂
Silicone is exciting and new and fun to look at, but I like the clunky sound of real pans and things!
I’m looking and looking but don’t find the tiny gray letters that say “comment” – but anyway, I’ll bet others besides myself would like to know how YOU started out with the heart-shaped pan “100 years ago.” Right away I noticed the jar of Door County Honey – I live in NE Wisconsin – a hop, skip and a jump from Door County. If you’re ever tempted to go there, try it in the winter … it’s a different world than the hustle and bustle of summertime there. Best wishes to you.
You did just fine Alice, here you are!
Great Valentine ideas, Susan!!! Your house looks so cute with the white hearts!
Thanks Susan! What a perfect Valentine gift. I will make these soon. I just received the Paul McCartney CD as a hostess gift tonight from dear friends who love me. My husband passed away 2 years ago and I find there are not many people who understand my continued affection for this special day of hearts. When you have had the love of your life, the memories carry you back to this special place. Thanks for sharing your sweetness with the world.
I have no doubt that what you are saying is true . . . never to forget. xoxo
Love lives forever! Hugs to you. Xoxoxoxo
Love that you decorated your windows with the sweet hearts! So very thoughtful of you! The biscuit recipe sounds yummy, thank you for sharing it. And your kitties are just adorable, they make me smile along with your wonderful posts!
I’m a big fan of yours!! Thanks for the recipes and I hope I will win!
Delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Love toasty warm biscuits. Have a wonderful Valentines Day!
Decorating for holidays is such fun….and just think about all the Islanders who will get a wonderful sur-prize Valentines greeting…..when they look at your windows and see all the heart you are sending out into the world! ……You will make their day….as you do all the girlfriends!
And …….So…..next week ……….you will have to include a blog lesson on ……”how to clean snow hearts off of every heart-felt window”….ha ha !
Thanks for the tea biscuit recipe, they look delicious, can not wait to make them. Please include me in the drawing, I’d love to use that heart pan to make biscuits and shortcakes…..and ….(dreaming of recipe ideas….).
It has been a very cold day here in Dixie, and it will be about 17 degrees tonight…seems like “Up North” weather, yikes! Very cold for the South.
So, I bought all the ingredients for your Corn Chowder recipe at the grocery today….and tomorrow will make the soup … it sounds comforting and yummy.
Girl Kitty and Jack….those are two irresistible furry Valentines….a love gift for the heart and soul!
Have a great weekend……
Every February I gather everything I own that is heart shaped and make a display on my dresser. This muffin tin would go perfectly when not being used to make yummy muffins! Thanks for another wonderful post!
What a pretty little recipe! Maybe these are what I’ll make with the new gluten-free flour my mom gave me this week! Sure do wish I had a heart baking tin. *cough cough* 🙂
Very sweet giveaway. Pick me, Mister RNG!
Thank you so much, I’m baking your tea buscuits tomorrow! My husband will just love them – we usually make scones on the weekends. Do you think they will taste good with clotted cream???? I’ll let you know! 🙂
Yummy! We love Valentine’s at my house! I hung red felt hearts on some mini-Christmas trees. Too much cuteness 🙂
Yay for Door County! We honeymooned there and have gone back for many weekend getaways. It’s great during the harvest – apple cider donuts, please!! I’d get great use out of that pan of love. My two little daughters (5 & 6) and I have a daily Tea Time at 4 o’clock and these tea cakes just would be so much more fun if they were heart-shaped. Thanks for your generosity, Susan!
I work in a wonder yarn store that sells Emma Bridgewater! I would love to give the tin to the owner! I also own that Heart muffin tin forever, but would love two to make double the goodness all at once! Where did we get those tins? William Sonoma?
We have them in our web store . . .
If pining over a muffin pan is wrong…then I don’t want to be right! Be still my *heart*!!
LOL Maggie!
Love the post today. The music was wonderful. Thanks for keeping all of us posted with such happy ideas.
I can’t wait to try this great recipe. Thanks.
Ahhhh, orange and chocolate, such a winning combination! I shall have to make us some of those tea biscuits. It would be lovely to put them in the heart pan; now that I’ve seen it, mere rounds seem rather boring! 🙂 You have so much good energy, I’m glad it’s infectious! Please enter me in the magic drawing.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you! Susan Elizabeth
Commenting late, have my grand daughters here for a visit. If I had an orange in the house I would make these tomorrow before they are returned back home to their parents. Have everything except the orange and the muffin pan which I am hoping to win of coarse. Cannot listen to the tunes right now. Sitting here in the guest room where my computer resides and the grands sleep. Youngest is snoozing away, the oldest is waiting for sleep. It is a ritual that I sit here and check my e-mail and read blogs until she sleeps. I use to climb in bed with her but that does not work anymore since she is getting so much older. She just likes me close until she falls asleep and I am ok with that. Music tomorrow. Thank you!
Wishing you ….may the love you shower on us come back to you in a zillion ways…. a Happy Sweet Valentine’s Day with your hubby and kitties…..
Looking forward to Valentine’s day cakes and heart scones for St. Patty’s day….love the muffin pan….
My mom shows me your website very often and is a huge fan! I know it would mean alot to her if she won one of your giveaways. It would also be very cool for me too. Thank you!
I never tire of seeing Jack and Girl Kitty–love your furry felines! Sharing a cup of tea and one of your delicious-looking biscuits on a snowy day would be a perfect Saturday for me. Happy Valentines Day, Susan!
Valentine’s day is such fun.
Those look delicious! I love that your kitties oversee the kitchen!
Loved seeing the hearts in your home’s windows!! And I ordered us the grater as it seemed like a must have gadget for our cooking. I can’t wait to see your Valentines Day post this year. I am sure your pretty little head is spinning with some hugs and kisses idea!!
Love reading your blog and love the heart muffin pan and the valentine tin!
Yesterday, I drove to the tiny, little town where my sister and her husband are renovating the old family home place where our great-grandparents lived. Sometimes we all wonder where enough money and energy will come from in order to pull this off! To cheer on my sister, I showed her your photograph of the yellow house with the black shutters. It looked so pretty in the snow. They have chosen those same colors and plan to paint the house later this year. She studied the picture intently, seeing the yellow fence and other details I had missed. I could tell it buoyed her spirits and helped her to imagine making her dreams for her Cinderella house come true.
These look so good. Have to give them a try. Love your blog.
Happy Valentines Day to you Susan,
I love orange and chocolate together, can’t wait to try these, perfect with tea. You and
your blog makes my ‘heart’ happy, that’s a gift enough..winning that darling pan would
be over the top!
Hugs, Susan Vicary
My kitchen (as would I) would <3 that heart shaped pan and tin!
Oh, yum! They look wonderful, and I can almost smell them! Thank you, as always, for sharing with us.
Thanks for the yummy recipe and great pics for inspiration!
There is not a Saturday evening that goes by when I don’t check your Heart of the Home blog in hopes of a new post! This one, as they all are, was so wonderful! Your heart-shaped muffin pan reminds me of a treasure I was given by a lovely lady, Dorothy, that I assisted during a difficult time in her life. She graciously gave me her iron corn stick pan, and I have loved, used, & treasured it for many years! Thanks for reminding me how much I love my treasures, in my Heart of my Home Susan!
I would love to be included in the drawing. Thanks so much!
Only you could make me regret being on vacation without a kitchen nearby! Rest assured the aroma of orange and chocolate tea biscuits will be filling my house, as soon as I get home. They look like little bites of happiness. Thanks for the recipe.
Love to start the day reading what you have to say………I’m trying the heart shapes (will mine won’t be heart shaped until I win the heart shaped pan) tea biscuits..I can smell them baking already…Thanks again….
Oh my! How you spoil us! (wish there was a heart available at the end of that exclamation mark)! It is such a joy to read your blogs (and Willard, too). Thank you for always thinking of us with pictures, recipes and musings…♥ (and give ways)
Oh goodie! I love valentines day! I love the muffin pan! I love the teacup! I love sweet Jack on top of the fridge, and sweet Girl too! And, I love your blog! I could keep going, but I’ll stop. And, sorry to everyone else, but I really hope the RNG picks me! =) What a perfect valentines day it would be! =) Love to you Susan, Joe, Jack, Girl and everyone!
PS – just finished Gladys Taber’s book Conversations with Amber – it was wonderful! Also joined Friends of Gladys Taber and can’t wait to receive my first issue sometime this month!
You’re going to love it! They do a wonderful job, very heartfelt newsletter!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this pan and all the LOVE on the blog. Thanks Susan!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!!!
Susan your blog always “warms-up” my day. We are frigid here today, snow yesterday, can’t wait to try your recipe and I love your SUPERVISORS!
Susan, I love your lovely blog. The recipe looks delicious, and I’d love to win the pan and tin. Happy Valentine’s Day!
I can’t wait to try these muffins! They looks so good! Perfect with tea on a snowy Saturday (or anyday : ). Happy Valentines Day!!!
Loving this give-a-way. Fingers Crossed!
PS I’m singing along with Eartha Kitt in the background….. : – )
Danielle xo
Susan you have such a beautiful, caring and loving heart. Thank you for your inspiration.
Happy, happy hearts all around! I am aflutter over the generous giveaway – wishing with tightly crossed fingers! 🙂
What a cute muffin tin! I love pans with fun shapes. Thank you for the chance to win! 🙂
Snow in Virginia! 🙂 Every single thing in the world tastes better when it is heart shaped! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I am sure they taste extra yummy when they are heart shaped!
Oh, my, the biscuits look absolutely yummy!
What a special treat for us. I can feel the love girlfriend!! Can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow! Do you think they will last until Tuesday? I think N*O*T!! But never mind that….tomorrow is the test run – the rehearsal – the prequel to the main event and I WILL(a) be ready for a star performance on Tuesday!! “Can’t help lovin’ dat man of mine!”
Susan,
I love the pan and I have all of your books. I don’t know why I just found your blog! A little slow I guess. Thanks for sharing your wonderful colorful talent!
Clara
Hello Susan Branch, I was happily walking along on a recent beautiful snowy evening, ( Washington State) after a “body attack class”..and forgot…with snow, also comes ICE! Yes, you guessed it, I slipped on the ice & fell just as I was almost all the way to my car. (The upside was a very physically fit man saw me on the pavement, and without hesitation, carried me to my car. ) Well even tho it didn’t hurt much at the time, it turned out to be broken, and I had surgery a few days ago..who knew? As I’m sure you can imagine its not too much fun, I cant work or go anywhere ..(& it means no midnight snow hikes, skipping or even wrestling with my children in the living room.. at least for awhile)… .. to add to this when the accident occurred, I wasn’t covered by any health insurance ( I know…). sigh .. Today everything was all spinning around in my head, and I was beginning to feel sad..then looked up & saw your calendar. I asked my son to bring it to me, which he did, & I read it cover to cover! It really did make me feel happy and remember I have so many things to be thankful for! ( My wonderful husband ,our 2 children & the roof over our heads for starters,) I then visited your website for the first time. It should be a crime to show those scones when I cant bake them,but maybe someone else here can! 🙂 So,this Valentines Day, I will be sitting on my sofa… water coloring valentines and painting, with my trusty feline friend, Polkie, #8( named after a polka dot on the side of her nose ) @ my side. ( Since I was about 7 years old, I have continually had almost the “same cat”… every time one goes to cat heaven, I somehow always find another just like her quite soon). Sorry I’m rambling, I don’t really mind if I ever win anything or not, I just wanted to say a deep heart felt thank you and let you know how you, your work and personality have brought joy, with an unexpected measure today. Happy Valentines to you and Joe!
Tam
I do like the rescue-by-fit-man carrying you part of this story! I broke my wrist a couple of years ago, silly accident, and it just pulls life to a FULL STOP, immediately. Something good about that too. Interesting you were at a body attack class and they didn’t prepare you for the attack on the body by the ice!!!
yum! and cute to boot!
Love the heart biscuits (love any biscuits)! Love the heart pan, Jack, Girl Kitty and love the Paul McCartney Valentine song…thanks for always making my day a little more fun with all the news from the Island:)
Can almost smell the orange here on the California shore, Susan! Love the pictures of the cats!
Have a wonderful weekend!
What an adorable Valentine giveaway! I live in Northern Indiana and it is currently 16 degrees—brrrr!
I’m sitting in bed recovering from a stomach virus, and my hubby will be out of town for our first Valentine’s Day in 27 years! However, I’m sure I’ll feel better by Tuesday, and I’m going to make these for myself! Happy Valentine’s Day to you Susan. Thank you for your lovely blog….and I agrree completely about Louis and Ella. Thank goodness they left us their music. 🙂
Do that, take a bubble bath, enjoy your gift of aloneness 🙂 Feel better soon!
So cute and sounds like a yummy recipe. I think I will make for my family tomorrow for breakfast. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Sue for always thinking of your girlfriends! You make my day just a little bit brighter! 🙂
Blessings!