We are experiencing quite warm temperatures for February here in the UK at the moment and now I have probably jinxed it. I clocked the temperature at a very mild 17 degrees C today and that is the kind of temperatures we would expect in spring going into summer. 

So I thought while everyone is eating ice cream and wearing their t shirts I thought I would pop into Costa and have a cold brew. Oh I couldn't think what to have so it's a good job there wasn't a queue. The lovely Henry at the Derby Odeon Costa knows me by now and was very patient while I perused the menu.

I plummeted for a Frostini in a salted caramel crunch style and OMG my taste buds went wild my fellow brewsters. An iced coffee with salted caramel and cream on top. Blooming lovely, so lovely that when I had sat down and had a taste I shouted to Henry that it was gorgeous.....hoping that the other customers would click on you see and go and order one too. I'm just there for marketing half the time, you all think I'm addicted to Costa. 

Not great on the old calories but hey who was counting today, I was having a taste of summer and enjoying the treat with my son. I was actually contemplating taking my car for a wash at the local Morrisons store, they have a hand car washy thing going on down there. I've become that busy I haven't had time to wash it myself so off we went. Bargain! I never realised how excited I could be after someone else had washed my car. it looks amazing and I haven't had to do it. Worth every penny of my £7 I paid, thank you washy car peeps. 

So Teapot Tuesday kind of turned into 'have something different at costa' Tuesday and I did. It's a brew.....it counts, I will get back to the tea next week, I just needed a break. 

Thanks for reading today, please join me tomorrow for What to Buy Wednesday which could be called something else by the time tomorrow comes around as that's the way I'm rolling (not really, I will behave).

Take care now.

It's been an exciting week and I have been having a lot of brews in these fabulous mugs. They were a little birthday pressie to me and my new shop and have been used quite a few times. 

I have been drinking mostly tea as it is my favourite drink but I find the sachets of latte and cappuccino coffee are ok from Aldi. You do have to make sure they mix well, otherwise you may be trying to drink big blobs of powder and that doesn't taste good. I find you just have to mix it all together with a little water first to make sure it is mixed well then pour the rest of the water in. You see there is always a bit of technique with these things.

I have to have a brew while I'm busy or taking a little break.....kettle is always on if your passing through the craft village at Markeaton Park in Derby. Failing drinking my pour excuse for a latte, you can visit the lovely cafe nearby on the park called The Orangery, they do a proper brew and food too. I did review this place back in 2017 before Suzy Blues so you can get a little read of that here a-fruity-delight-in-markeaton.html

If you would like to keep up to date with what is happening at my little shop then give my page a like on Facebook here www.facebook.com/suzybluesflowers/

So I'll carry on having my brew and selling flowers, what a combination but it is lovely so pop and see me sometime. I will be back for What to Buy Wednesday tomorrow but for now you all take care.

Oh yes I had to have my brew yesterday in Derby Royal's Accident and Emergency Department yesterday and a fine brew it was, just what the patient needed. I'm a bit surprised that I only had the one but I was so conscious of drinking lots of brews, needing the toilet and then missing my name being called out.

I was trying to be so well organised yesterday and planned to drop all my flowery stock off early at the shop. This went so well until I had a bit of a fight with a big gate and the gate seemed to want to cuddle my little finger. A bit squashed and cuddled far too much it was so I decided to take myself down to A&E to have it checked.

I was so glad of a nice brew and bless the ladies at the League of Friends Tea Bar for being there with a friendly face and lovely service. It beats a boring old vending machine, those big metal things won't smile and say 'is that too strong for you?' No it wasn't too strong it was a perfect brew and the best thing I had seen in the last three hours of waiting. 

You get so used to faces and people popping in and out while waiting around. it's not something I do that often, in fact I think it was the first time I have ever walked in to A&E. I probably waited a little longer than I should as I didn't get booked in properly but hey when I did I received tip top treatment, bless our NHS and everyone who works there. 

I came away with just a slight tiny fracture and a bit of swelling but it will be all back to normal in a couple of weeks. What a day though and so different to the one I had planned, in fact it was my one day off. Just goes to show you never know where you're next brew is coming from or where you will be drinking it.

Take care everyone and I will be back tomorrow for What to Buy Wednesday.....join me then.

One of the great decisions in life part from deciding which tea to drink is what to have with it. Do you attack a packet of digestives and partake in a bit of dunking or go for the cream tea with a scone, jam and cream?

The scone must be one little piece of gorgeousness that whips up two of the most talked about debates around. I mean forget Brexit, for starters there is the pronunciation of the word scone, in some parts of the country we say scone (rhyming with 'own') or Scon' (rhyming with 'one'). I'm a scone kind of girl so I can say that I 'own that scone' and sound like a poet. 

The other big dilemma is jam first or cream? So you've purchased this wonderful warm home baked scone (or scon) and you grab your knife and slice it in half, what are you going to do now? The Cornish way is to spread the jam on first and then the cream on top but those in Devon go for the cream first and then the jam on top.

I'm with the Cornish on this one and apparently so is the Queen when she settled this debate sometime ago. Surely if you spread the cream on first the jam doesn't spread on the cream as easy as the other way around, cream seems to be a natural topping to me. How to people do it with cream first? The jam is thicker so it will just get all mixed up with the cream, it's just not right. Calm down Sue from the Brew let's not get carried away but some people do take this very seriously.

Oh I'll probably cause a bit of a kafuffle now and I don't suppose it really matters as long as you enjoy it. There was actually a 'jamfirst' hashtag on Twitter which was trending big time last year, people do get quite heated on this subject.

Well cream teas have been served since the 11th century so we may still be discussing this subject for years to come. There is no right or wrong just pop your toppings on and get it down ya peeps with a good slosh of tea. Do you feel that tension though in a tearoom when you've done the cut? All eyes on you......whether you go Cornish or do it the Devon way. I wonder if the tension is more severe if you are actually eating your scone in Devon or Cornwall. I can almost visualise an eery silence, tumbleweed blowing down the road, a tut from people in Devon when you spread the jam on first.

I will leave that one with you.....maybe you would like to tell me which one you prefer but please no fighting it's only a scone or scon. Thank you so much for reading today, please join me again tomorrow for What to Buy Wednesday but for now.....

Take care.

Oh we have a bit of a regular thing now with the garden centre cafe at Findern in Derby. Me plus Mum and Dad from the Brew pop off for our regular weekly shop and then fall, quite literally into the lovely cafe here in the centre of one of nicest garden centre's in Derby.

It has a lovely atmosphere and the staff are so friendly it's really difficult not to keep going back. We usually opt for the soup of the day but if it isn't gluten free then there are plenty of other options available and if you tell them you have a dietary requirement they will accommodate it without any bother. 

There are a few good food offers on especially if you are 60 or over and they do a fabulous afternoon tea. Get in for their Valentines Day offer - 2 for £14 and there is bubbly on offer too, There is nothing like having a brew, munchin on a few cakes and staring into each other's eyes romantically......perfect!! Wonder if they do a buy one get one free for singles, I could take a mirror and look into my own eyes. 

Yes we are quite happy here, it isn't too busy and plenty of room to get seated. There is a soft play area, obviously we are all a bit too grown up for that so I didn't get to test that out but it seems quite popular if you have young ones. I tried, they said I was too old......shame really I could have put Frank Lampard to shame with my bouncing (Derby FC fans will get that).

The garden centre itself has lots to offer with clothes and gifts too so you could spend a while looking round if you fancy it. I was a bit miffed at first as they replaced my favourite Klass clothing store with a Regatta one but blimey there are bargains to be had there. I picked up a jacket for £24 marked down from £60 so if you like your sales and picking up a good bargain then get yourself down there.

Overall a top place and a top brew to enjoy. Food and cakes galore on offer so what is there not to enjoy? If you would like more information you can go to their website:
www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk/product/findern/2136#about-us 

Let me know if you have been, have you enjoyed it? If you do go I might see you there after doing my big shop.....phew. Thank you for reading today, please come back tomorrow for What to Buy Wednesday but for now.....

​Take care. 

It's that song isn't it? 'I can see clearly now the rain has gone, I can see all obstacles in my way'. Oh yes all obstacles - I've had new glasses and get this I'm breaking in varifocals too. Now I'm a varifocal virgin and so far it's going ok. I've had a few of the moments when I've probably shifted my head a bit quick and the shelf at Aldi looked as though it was going to fall down. I got a slightly weird look from a member of staff as I went to save the crumpets from falling to their death but you'll be glad to know the crumpets are safe and I am getting used to these babies. Woah it was like being on some sort of hallucinating drug for a moment (not that I know what that feels like, I'm just imagining).

The fact is I can Make a Brew in them which is all that is important and I have also noticed that my brew is a better colour lending to a better flavour. Oh it's been a revelation. My kitchen work top did go all floaty part way through brewing process but there again, probably moved too quick, my eyes just got excited at the sight of a delish hot cuppa. I feel like Specsavers may ring up soon and check how I'm progressing to which I will reply "I can see my brew so all is well'.

It's only been a few days but I have got quite used to them, in fact I popped my old ones on and thought 'oh noooooo the dark side, I'm not going back there.' I've driven and shopped and I've just got to road test them at Rock Choir tomorrow then I think I may progress to advanced varifocal wearer. You see at choir I had to keep taking my glasses of to read my lyrics then put them back on to look up at what was going on, not good, so it should be better now. Not sure they'll improve my singing but hey I can't have everything. 

I've studied in them so the computer is clear now, I may learn something now as I can actually see what I'm reading and even writing this blog is a better experience, what's that? I'm still writing the same rubbish? Aww you don't mean that.....well get me now, it helps if you can read proper eh?

Everything looks a lot clearer and I don't have to keep throwing my glasses off in frustration, I can see up close and hellllooooo I can see you over there, marvellous! A great experience so far. I did notice the difference a bit when going out for my walk, it was the shift between looking where I'm going and looking if I'm stepping in dog poo, at least I can see the dog poo though now so that's a bonus, just have to make sure Im not having a wobbly moment and slip over in it. Knowing my luck someone would come up to me and say ' you should have gone to Specsavers'. 

Well thank you for allowing me to tell you all about my new experience, I will be back tomorrow for What to Buy Wednesday where I will be going way down to the other end of the body, to the toes......tune in tomorrow.

Take care for now.

I ordered some more tea online, I know, as if I need more but I had run out of Rooibos and I love this tea so much. I have always liked it but after gathering quite a bit of information about it at a recent tea tasting session I decided that this might me the tea for me on a regular basis.

I have had tea from the York Emporium before as I enjoy their Decaf Irish Breakfast Tea which I did write about back in January last year here is the post if you missed it top-of-the-morning-with-this-brew.html so I was chuffed to know they sold the Rooibos too.

Rooibos which means Red Bush is available in teabag style at most major supermarkets but I just love the loose leaf, I feel you get a better taste from it. This tea has many health benefits as it includes antioxidants which can protect against cancer, heart disease and stroke. The benefits are endless really, Rooibos is known as a bronchodilator (phew that's a big word) which not only relieves respiratory conditions but is known to reduce blood pressure. It is also a decaffeinated tea so it can alleviate stress and anxiety and aid in a good nights sleep. 

Now I am not sleeping to well at all at the moment, in fact I'm writing this post at silly o' clock in the morning and I'm thinking I should really start having a cuppa of this before bedtime. I'm going to try and do that so I will keep you posted as to whether it helps. I am also back on the dreaded diet again and I find Rooibos tea a little sweeter so I don't have to add a lot of sugar to it. Also because of the antioxidants again, it is believed to balance the old blood sugar so a positive if you are dieting.

It's blooming super tea isn't it? I feel my teapot may need a little cape around it as it does everything. I love the taste though, it's a nice woody, roasty sort of flavour which is completely different to any other teas. Try it if you haven't already, you can drink it with or without milk and it certainly counts as a good health drink.

Oh I am so happy if my brew is doing some good and because it's decaf I can drink it all day, just have to be careful with my old bladder. Too much information Sue from the Brew, well it's now become an occupational hazard with drinking all this tea. I'm just going to think it's all the toxic stuff leaving my body.....be gone with you toxic stuff!!

Thank you so much for reading today, if you fancy a bit more then do join me again tomorrow for What to Buy Wednesday but for now......

Take care.

My Christmas and New Year definitely had a tea theme to it all. I suppose if you like tea as much as I do and create a blog about it then people click onto to presents based around a brew. That's brilliant by the way and I really couldn't ask for any more, just tea tea tea and more tea. 

I had a lovely surprise package from Adagio Teas which was a winter, or should I say Christmas selection of their teas. I have written a few posts about their tea and some of their products. If you click on Adagio teas in the categories section to the right of this page then you can read all about them.

The flavours in this box were candy cane, chestnut, gingerbread,  pumpkin spice, cranberry, and candy apple. All really nice and refreshing flavours which do warm your cockles ( a phrase for just warming you up). The only one I didn't get on with if I'm honest is the chestnut tea, for me it made me wonder whether in fact I should have been drinking a gravy. Not sure if I just had it in my head that I associated chestnuts more with gravy or stuffing but for me I didn't warm to that one. I cannot grumble at all though as this was a fabulous surprise and I did appreciate it very much. Thank you to them.

My niece gave me a lovely picture of a 'teacup for auntie' which is standing proud in my lounge and it makes me smile as I think of the nice 'get togethers' we have drinking tea when she takes a break from University. Her mum also jumped on the tea wagon and bought me the pants with 'positivi-tea' on and so I am now a girl with great pants who will now spell positivity very differently from now on. It's like girl power with a brew - high five sisters!! Some wear sexy undies and feel empowered well me I'm ok in my teacup positivi-tea pants. I am going places - probably to the nearest tea shop but I will feel great on the way.

I treated myself to the watering can teapot as I actually bought one for someone else and then thought that I may like one too. So Mum from the Brew insisted on taking it off me and wrapping it as a present from my boys. No I was not allowed to have it until Christmas Day, oh the pain. In fact I wrote a poem about it for my Verse for Thursday feature which you can read here if you missed it the-forbidden-teapot.html

It was quickly unwrapped on the big day and that's how I celebrated the first brew of Christmas. Oh I feel a song coming on .......'on the first brew of Christmas , my true love sent to me'.......no maybe not. Great pressie thank you Boys from the Brew (cough cough).

Overall a lovely time was had over Christmas and New Year too. Didn't go mad but then didn't really have to, it was just nice to spend time with family. We did go out and have a brew and cake after a necessary run to the supermarket for emergency supplies in between Christmas and New Year, well I didn't want to starve or run out of cheese. My crackers would have been bare and that is just not good. They are pretty bare now I can tell you, in fact I can't even have the crackers now otherwise the syn police at Slimming World will catch me. yes it's back on the diet after gaining quite a few pounds.....yikes!!!

It's good though to have a bit of a blow out or splurge and eat what you like from time to time. For me though I know it can't last and do love the feeling of losing those pounds again. I have also enjoyed getting out walking again, it's free and it keeps me fit so that's what I am going to do.

I hope you are all getting on ok getting back to your usual routines. Don't forget to relax and have a brew, it's the best thing you can do!! Me I'm off again now but I will be back tomorrow for What to Buy Wednesday.

Take care for now.

How are your heads this morning? I hope you had a great time bringing in the new year but I am going to talk about tea and cake so if your stomach is doing the old hangover shuffle you may want to put off reading this until a bit later, when the Alka Seltzer has done it magic.

A couple of weeks ago now I went to a lovely afternoon tea, no ordinary afternoon tea, this one was one was held to raise money for the lovely local charity Me and Dee. In case you don’t know Me and Dee are based in Derby and provide holidays for those people who face life threatening and life shortening conditions and also for military members with serious psychological and physical injuries. There are two holiday homes in the seaside town of Mablethorpe where these holidays can be taken with the added use of a modern beach hut which includes electricity and running water. So it really is a great opportunity for people to be allowed to make some precious memories together.

We gathered at a beautiful little tea shop called Scoff and Shop in the Derbyshire village of Ticknall and enjoyed a great selection of sandwiches, tea and cake. There were options for dietary needs and I enjoyed a very generous portion of gluten free goodies. There was a chance to buy raffle tickets and win some lovely prizes so overall we had a fabulous afternoon here. 

Scoff and Shop is a quaint village tea shop with gifts to buy and all those essentials for the home too. They have a great lunchtime menu including a Sunday roast. They open from 7am for breakfast (8am at weekends) until 5.30pm (4pm on Sunday) so there is plenty of opportunity to get down there and devour lots of food and refreshments including mighty fine cakes. I’ll definitely be returning soon. The staff are so lovely and friendly and this is a great place to go to if you are visiting nearby Calke Abbey. Check them out on their Facebook page here www.facebook.com/Scoff-Shop

Me and Dee plan to hold more of these afternoon teas so keep an eye out for more information. they have a Facebook page here www.facebook.com/MeandDeeCharity/ and also a website if you would like to know more about the charity here www.meanddee.co.uk

So a Happy New Year to you all and I will return tomorrow for What to Buy Wednesday but for now recover well and take care.

We have some funny times as a family and I think Christmas Eve was one of the funniest for a while. I bet no one else was plugging a new Virgin Media TiVo box and a new hub in yesterday were they? I've heard of Santa bringing some weird stuff but this bordered on the ridiculous. 

I can't even remember what sparked the conversation off that Mum and Dad from the Brew had tucked away a brand new TiVo box and a new broadband hub. We worked out that these pieces had been hanging around for nine months so it was time they were finally born. Mum and dad had been waiting to watch all their recordings before making the change and then probably didn't think there was any need and so it all got forgotten.

Well as soon as it was mentioned in front of Brother from the Brew that was it, it was all 'go go go' for a Virgin Media upgrade on the folks system. I've not seen anyone move at NASA this quick, in fact I don't think I have ever moved this quick on Christmas Eve. I bet the lady at Virgin Media was a bit stumped and thinking what the heck are you wanting to activate all this at this time on Christmas Eve?

Dad from the Brew kept the brews coming and it felt we had drank an ocean of tea. The living room table was beginning to look like the photo above. One of mine went slightly cold as I had broadband duty so I had the upstairs shift and left my brew on table downstairs, it's ok I'll add the inconvenience onto the installation bill later on. More tea kept coming and eventually we did get it all installed and even got a remote control triple attempted, though paired at last to the tv and everyone was happy. 

I pinched mums old remote for my old fashioned TiVo Box (I'm not even gonna mention an upgrade on mine) and now I have words I didn't even know existed on my remote. In fact my pause button fell off a long time ago so my telly has been stuck, paused in the past......I'm still ready for the results of last years Strictly. I can catch up now.....no spoilers now.

Overall it was such an entertaining evening. Christmas Eve went from a nice chilled event, just getting slightly podged on chocolate to operation tv/broadband upgrade. I didn't even receive that message Tom Cruise gets on Mission Impossible asking if I choose to accept the mission......I may have said, 'well we could do it the day after Boxing Day, it's been nine months, whats another couple of days', but no bish bosh it was done.

I'll tell you what, it will be one to remember, we will be saying for years now, 'oh remember when we installed all that equipment on Christmas Eve'? Thank you so much for popping along and sharing this lovely memory. I hope you have all had a fabulous Christmas Day. I will be back tomorrow, if I'm not installing anyone else's tv or broadband services, with What to Buy Wednesday but for now you all take care.