coffee – Ruth E. Hendricks Photography

Mug Shots

The title of today’s post was created by my friend Joanne in Florida . We were talking on the phone about the different types of mugs people have in their homes. Think about the clunky white mugs in a diner, sometime decorated with a single stripe near the rim. What do your mugs say about you?

One afternoon my friend Vincie made a cup of tea. She asked me “ Do you prefer a thick lipped mug or a thin lipped mug?” Hmmmmmmm. I can tell you I had to think about it. Here’s what I learned about my preferences.

When I make a cup of coffee with a paper filter in a cone, I’m choosing a thick lipped mug. When I make a cup of tea I find I’m reaching for a think lipped China mug. I’d never really thought about my preferences before she asked me. I usually choose a family picture mug in the morning.

So I asked a few friends and family, who follow the blog, to send me some photos of their mugs. Mug racks snd mug trees seem out of style although there are hundreds of stock photos of them available .

What kind of mug do you choose? Do you have matching mugs or a hodge podge, mismatched collection? thin lipped, thick lipped, white interior, or whatever is on hand?

Joanne’s six white mugs, all matching.
Joanne can’t abide a dark interior to drink from.

Joanne’s other mug with the Canadian flag

My mugs are a hodge podge mismatched collection on this shelf. There were more in the dishwasher Anna’s second grade drawing on the left, Steve’s Edvard Munch Scream, family photo mugs created by Marlene and sent as presents. There are two gifts from former students.

(Don’t put photo mugs in the dishwasher!)

My friend Vincie has used each of these mugs for a period of time. The one on the right is in use now.

Afternoon tea with a thick lipped on the left and a thin lipped on the right thanks V and G

Daily ubiquitous glass mug with morning coffee in front. Favorite places reminder mugs in back. Purged most of life’s accumulated mugs a few years ago and kept only the special ones – Taos NM, Munich Germany, Ashville NC etc. Mostly used for afternoon tea time… **Eileen and Linda**

A gift from a woolswapper representing common interest- Knitting

A thin lipped mug called a beaker.
Perfect for a hot cup of tea

Amy’s mugs with Polish Pottery, Best Grandma and her Yarn Store mug

Colleen says- Loved all the mugs on your blog Ruth. After a lot of downsizing and a little editing this is what happens here. Joanne and Katherine prefer the yellow mugs for tea and I like the Union Jack unless I’m having tomato soup and then it’s the yellow. And, you’ll never see dark in my mugs either.
I think I need a cup of tea.
Perhaps you’ll join me….
Colleen

February 7, 2022February 11, 2022 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: coffee, diners, friendship, kitchen, kitchen cupboards, mugs, photography, postaday, tea, thick lipped, thin lipped 10 Comments

Blue Bottle Tree

Keeping evil spirits out of the garden and home- bottle trees were created to catch those evil spirits. Here’s an article about the American Bottle Tree on Smithsonian Gardens blog.

I photographed this blue bottle tree in Lenox CT as we went for early morning coffee in November. The bottle tree has African origins and has now spread across the country but was primarily evident in the South. Now you can order a bottle trees online from you know where.

December 13, 2021 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: American Folk Art, art, blue bottle tree, coffee, glass bottles, history, Lenox MA, photography, postaday, travel 7 Comments

Coffee, Earl Grey Tea Bread and a Remembered Poem

After our walk, my friends Jen snd I Went to have a coffee. There was a slice of of Earl Grey Tea Bread in the case and she’d had it before. Encouraged me to order snd try it . It was brought to the table with a generous amount butter and lemon zest on top.

We were at de Fer Coffee in the Strip District. And she was right. It was delicious. The butter slathered on top reminded me of the A.A, Milne poem the King’s Breakfast when the Dairymaid asks the Alderney “Don’t forget the butter for
The Royal slice of bread.” I’d say the cow did the butter spreading royally!

Remembering how my mother read aloud to me, this is a poem I can hear her voice recite the verses. Another she’d read with great expression was Milne’s poem Disobedience. I’d not thought of either in years.

Until the slice of bread arrived at the table in the coffee shop.

Funny how a slice of bread with lots of butter sparks a childhood memory of a poem being read aloud and the cadence and tone of a mother’s voice can come alive in your head, decades later.

Once my cousin John B wrote that my mother’s voice was mellifluous. I had to look it up!

September 10, 2021 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: A.A.Milne, butter, childhood, coffee, cow, de Fer Coffee, food, photography, Pittsburgh PA, Poem, poetry, postaday, Strip District 16 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

August 10, 2021 by Ruth Categories: Photography, Wordless WednesdayTags: Bookstore, cake, coffee, color, friend, photography, postaday, stripes, wordless wednesday 9 Comments

La Prima Espresso in the Strip District

Pandemic adjustments for serving La Prima Espresso customers delicious coffee.

I had my first cup since the beginning of 2020. You can’t go inside now but they’ve found a way to offer safe service.

The coffee as wonderful as ever!

Carrie, you would LOVE it!

April 30, 2021 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: cappuccino, city scene, coffee, La Prima Espresso, latté, Pandemic, photography, Pittsburgh PA, postaday, Strip District 3 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

November 25, 2020 by Ruth Categories: Photography, Wordless WednesdayTags: coffee, jam, Naif, photography, Pittsburgh PA, postaday, toast, turkey 9 Comments

Cannelés from Gaby et Jules Bakery

My friend R came for coffee on my front porch Saturday morning. She brought lovely French pastries. And a box of……

Cannelés from Gaby et Jules French bakery In Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh.

(Click here for a recipe if you don’t have a French bakery nearby)

(pronounced “can-eh-lay”), also spelled canelés. They come from the Bordeaux region of France..” from Chef Iso website “ basic ingredients–milk, flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and vanilla. But baking them at high heat in ridged fluted molds transforms them from a liquid batter to deep golden brown treasures. The outer shell is crunchy and crisp while the inside is delicious custard.”

August 30, 2020 by Ruth Categories: BakingTags: baking, canelés, cannelés, Chef Iso, coffee, custard l, French Bakery, front porch, Gaby et Jules, photography, postaday 15 Comments

Danish Dough Whisk Put to Use

Early in the Pandemic my friend Debbie shipped scone mix and an unusual kitchen tool. A “brodpisker”in Danish or a Dough Whisk.

Here’s an Epicurious article all about this wonderful tool.

(Of course, you don’t want to overwork you’re scone dough!)

Thanks, Deb.

Breakfast on the front porch with sock knitting on the side.

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 by Ruth Categories: Baking, PhotographyTags: baking, brodpisker, butter, coffee, Danish Whisk, friend, King Arthur Flour, kitchen, knitting postaday, photography, Pittsburgh PA, pyrex bowl, scone 14 Comments

Baking Scones

A friend sent three boxes of Scones mix.

When the surprise arrived, I didn’t have one of the essential ingredients- a stick of butter.

Today I followed the directions and baked them.

Mmmmm Thanks Deb.

They were delicious.

April 20, 2020 by Ruth Categories: Baking, PhotographyTags: baking, coffee, food, friendship, kitchen, photography, postaday, pyrex bowl, scones 16 Comments

One Week to Go – an inch of ribbing and two sleeves

One week to go in the NaKniSweMo challenge. Sponsored by McWalker Yarns of Millvale PA.

At least 50,000 stitches total in your completed sweater- Bound off, blocked, all ends woven in. Cast on was November first to be finished by midnight November 30th. The sweater party will be held at McWalker Yarns Saturday December 7th at 2PM.

You can check out last year’s sweater fashion show here

I’m a little behind this year. A lot behind.

An inch of ribbing and two sleeves. My arms are pretty long. I’d better stop blogging and knit.

With houseguests, touring the city and travel to Ohio I didn’t knit the past five days. Uh-oh.

Rhubarb colorway of Winterburn Yarn by Baa Ram Ewe spun and dyed in Yorkshire. The pattern is Purl Code Sweater by favorite knitwear designer Isabell Kraemer.

I’ve knit lots of words into my sweater using Morse Code alphabet.

No names of aristocrats for the guillotine, as the memorable character Madame DeFarge knits in Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities. We had to read it in high school but fifty years later I still remember.

The knitted messages I knit into the sweater are the people I love, place names, favorite lyrics and favorite books from childhood.

All you need is love.

November 23, 2019 by Ruth Categories: knitting, PhotographyTags: Baa Ram Ewe, coffee, hand knit sweater, Isabell Kraemer, knitting, McWalker Yarns, Millvale, NaKniSweMo, Norway, photography, postaday, sweater, sweater challenge, yarn 11 Comments

Tag: coffee

Mug Shots

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Blue Bottle Tree

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Coffee, Earl Grey Tea Bread and a Remembered Poem

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Wordless Wednesday

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La Prima Espresso in the Strip District

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Wordless Wednesday

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Cannelés from Gaby et Jules Bakery

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Danish Dough Whisk Put to Use

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Baking Scones

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One Week to Go – an inch of ribbing and two sleeves

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