Brambleberry Cottage & Tea Shoppe

We love having fresh roses to add to our tea tiers!

Wonderful opportunity to have tea and see the mansion this Sunday the 12th, for Mother's Day! Tickets still available, book now before they are gone!!

Step into the enchanting world of EJ Roberts Mansion this Mother's Day. A community event for all to enjoy the grounds outside the mansion, enjoy complimentary Giant Lawn Games, a photo booth, and some special guests; including our beloved petting zoo with the famous baby goats for the kids and the young at heart.

A select few may partake in the Mansion's High Tea—an affair of refinement and delight. With tickets scarce, it is advised that you book now to ensure your place at this memorable event.

Event Details:

Date: Sunday, May 12th

First Seating: 12:30 PM

Second Seating: 2:30 PM

Activities Await:

Giant Lawn Games: Engage in friendly competition with oversized Jenga, co****le, and Connect Four.

Photo Booth: Capture timeless memories against the backdrop of our historic estate.

Petting Zoo: Meet our famous baby goats—the darlings of the day!

High Tea Affair: For the ticketholders, our High Tea awaits within the Mansion's elegant chambers. Sip exquisite teas, savor delicate pastries, and revel in refined conversation. Tickets are scarce; secure your place promptly.

Join us as we celebrate mothers, family, and the making of new memories. EJ Roberts Mansion awaits

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mothers-day-tea-tickets-902955152167?aff=oddtdtcreator

GirlsGoneStyled.Co 🌷

We feel very blessed to be mentioned in this post. Wouldn't it be fun to visit all of these lovely tea rooms! 💕

10 Best Tea Shops in Washington! Experience a moment of bliss with your favorite cup of tea in hand. From Sumner to Spokane, journey through the sweet aromas and relaxing atmospheres

We hope that you had a blessed Easter friends

We are honored to be mentioned in this article about tea, and to meet the lovely Bailey Bowerman. Thanks for taking time to have tea with us, we look forward to serving you again soon 🥰

Best Tea Shops in the Inland Northwest - Trending Northwest When I gave up coffee and cocktails to help my body and mind heal, I immediately pictured a life devoid of indulgence, celebration, and fun. I knew I’d lose all my friends, become a shut-in, and feel restricted without a way to start my day or unwind.  I was so wrong.  After a while, I...

𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

Valentine’s Day comes to an end for the Brambleberry Cottage & Tea Shoppe and the Kiki’s.

Today, I joined the ladies for a second Saturday in a row to serve them and our guests in anyway that I could: dishes. 🥰

It was a fun day of romance and celebration. So many returned to the Brambleberry for their 2nd or 20th time to enjoy the “Ladies of the Cottage.”

Some of my favorite moments today find their legacy in memories.

One long time guest talked about the years bringing her daughter, who has passed. As she left, she hugged Dawn to tell her that every time she comes to the Cottage she feels loved and comforted in her memories of taking her daughter through the years. But it is Dawn that always remembers and takes time for her.

In addition, sitting at my Great Aunt’s tea cart was a young couple. She talked about coming here with her grandma as a young girl. This was the first time back since then—with a young man. ❤️

In our upstairs rooms, we had two ladies, one in each room, that had never been to the Cottage. Before each left, they came down to see Dawn and say thank you.

One gave Dawn a big hug filled with verbal blessings. The other wanted to see where the magic took place.

Owning a restaurant is hard work, but truthfully, I don’t think we own a restaurant; I think we own a magical place that creates memories for a lifetime over tea. ❤️

Another amazing day by Dawn, Morgan, Kathy, and Rachel. We are all blessed.

❤ 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ❤

Nothing says LOVE like Valentine’s Day. For the past couple weeks, the Brambleberry Cottage & Tea Shoppe has been celebrating LOVE with our Valentine’s Day themed tea.

Personally, Valentine’s Day has always been a chance to reboot. This Wednesday—on Valentine’s Day—Dawn and I share our 32 Wedding Anniversary.

It will be the first to say that I could and should have been a husband, but this time of year always bring out my heart for my bride and I know that tomorrow always will bring me another chance—I pray.

So . . . a little over a week ago, Dawn asked if I would come help the next two Saturdays as she had a full house at the tea shop. Of course, I said yes. However, this Saturday was different than every other day I have served at our restaurant.

Today, I did dishes for almost 5 hours. Nothing says LOVE like doing dished for 5 hours. I am a competitive guy, so I wanted to keep the kitchen clean and moving, which I think I did. But for real, I just felt that this was the best way I could help the ladies do what they do best.

But the true romance of the day was in the food and staff. Patricia, a longtime customer, said it best when she shared with me—yes, I still found time to touch tables—that the true reason she comes to the Cottage is not for the tea, which is amazing; it’s for the girls and the food.

I agree 100% the girls are amazing: Dawn, Morgan, Lisa, and Kathy. Like she has done for 28 years, Dawn continues to wow customers with her vision.

It is on days like this that I find myself humbled, proud, and more in LOVE with my wife.

Happy Valentine’s Day from our LOVE to your’s. See you Saturday . . . maybe . . . I'll be doing dishes.

Here is the recipe (for all of those who've been asking) that we used for the "Cheddar Ale Stew" served at our Christmas in the Shire Tea in December. We added half the amount of ale, and garnished with fresh sage and a little crumbled bacon.

https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/cheddar-and-ale-soup-with-crispy-shallots/

Brrrrr .... it's cold! National Hot Tea Day could not have come at a better time. A day, which is for many of us, the coldest of the year! Share with us your favorite go-to cozy blend that warms your hands and your heart.
🫖☕️❄️

Pig Pickin' Cake or Mandarin Orange Cake, whatever you want to call it, you'll call it amazing after just one bite!
⤵️ recipe in the comments

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘!

Ok, Brambleberry Family, join me in raising a glass in celebration of our beautiful Dawn Kiki on her Birthday.

Year after year, she uses her special powers to bring us all memories that we will cherish for a life time. Let's do the same for her here and now.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, elegant, beautiful wife. 🥰🎂

*This picture was taken during her one week off a year when we celebrate friends at Shedderville.

Brighten 2024 with special savings on loose leaf tea!
Get ready to sip and save with our January loose leaf tea sale, happening now. 2024 is looking brighter already! ☕️💰

Update: There are no longer any spots available.

We have a couple of spots that have opened up for our Christmas in the Shire Tea this Saturday! If interested, click our booking tab and submit a request for a booking before they are gone!

See all you last-minute shoppers on Thursday and Friday! We will be closed Saturday the 23rd.

We have had so many comments about how unexpectedly delicious Bilbo's seed cakes are that we serve at our Christmas in the Shire tea. We thought we'd share the recipe so that you could bake them for your holiday events this season.

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 egg

2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup brandy

4 teaspoon demerara sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°. Grease four 4 ½-inch springform pans.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl in between additions.

In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, caraway seeds, and spices.

Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring well.

Add the brandy and combine.

Add the remaining flour mixture, being sure not to overmix.

Spoon batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon demerara sugar over the top of each cake.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Here is the original recipe link for more instruction as well as nutritional and storage information. Ingredients

1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 egg

2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup brandy

4 teaspoon demerara sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°. Grease four 4 ½-inch springform pans.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl in between additions.

In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, caraway seeds, and spices.

Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring well.

Add the brandy and combine.

Add the remaining flour mixture, being sure not to overmix.

Spoon batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon demerara sugar over the top of each cake.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Here's the link https://goodcheapeats.com/wprm_rint/62935

What fun we've had so far serving all who traveled to the Shire for Christmas Tea this year! From Elves to Hobbits, visitors have certainly dressed for the occasion and enjoyed spending time by the fire in Bilbo's sitting room 📖

We have been busily packaging all the loose leaf tea & Quin-tea-ssential box orders at the Cottage, and wanted to remind everyone that it is not too late to make your purchases online to get them shipped out before Christmas!

#

Congratulations Dawn Harmsen! You have won our prize of two Cottage Afternoon Tea services. Thank you to all who participated and to Page 42 Bookstore for hosting this event. We had a great response and met lots of new friends!

𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐄

Dawn and her team at the Brambleberry Cottage & Tea Shoppe have done it yet again—I include myself as part of her team . . . husband and all. Last year, guests had Christmas in Narnia; this year, they will be visiting the Shire.

Guests will journey with us to Middle-earth and step inside the home of a Hobbit where we will be celebrating 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞. Afternoon Tea, the fifth meal of the day, will be served offering an assortment of savories and sweets that are traditional of Shire-folk.

Guests will be sure to wear their best cloaks, jackets, waistcoats, breeches, and hose. Before leaving the Shire, each guest will also receive a small gift as is customary for a Hobbit celebration.

When you visit the home of a Hobbit, you must enter through a large round door. Well, after I spent a few hours in my shop with scrap lumber I have been saving, I brought Dawn’s imagination to reality. A special thank you for Jason and Larry’s help.

Upon entering, spend some time lingering around various classic Hobbit relics. You can cozy up next to the fireplace while you wait for a seat. I am blown away by what Dawn and I created for the fireplace. It is faux. Again, made from some scraps around the shop.

Inside, the girls did an exquisite job decorating and crafting the menu for the fifth meal of the day. I can't wait to try myself . . . if they let me.

Though Christmas in the Shire is already 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭, you must still pay a visit to the Shire and shop for our tea and goods.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from our tea house to your home.

Today is the last day to get your stamps and turn in your bingos! We are open from noon to 6 pm if you need to come see us 🫖

It's our 28th anniversary and we are celebrating by hosting a walk-in weekend on Saturday the 25th! We will be offering our Cream Tea service to-go or to sit and enjoy for a few minutes while browsing our Sip & Shop Mini Flea Market. This is a great time to get your Small Business Bingo card and stamps if you haven't already...there is still time to win!

We will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holiday and look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

We are now on week 2 of Spokane Small Business Bingo friends. Stop by Thursday, Friday or Saturday to get your stamp for chances to win!

Even though we are closed today due to an event, we took some time to enjoy this beautiful warm weather by visiting . We had such a lovely time, the flowers are amazing! They are still open today and have lots of blooms left 🌸

Happy National Chai Day! Celebrate with us by taking 15% off of all your chai tea orders today and tomorrow!

Use code CHAI-LOVE. Offer valid September 21st and 22nd, 2023

Happy sipping

Hello friends! We will be closed today, but back open next week during our regular hours. See you then!

Thank you to all who attended our Mother's Day Afternoon Tea services. We enjoyed serving you all and helping you make memories with your loved ones 💗

Dear Moms,

As Mothers Day approaches, keep these words of wisdom in mind. 💕

𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

A few days ago while I was at the pool I saw a young mom and her little daughter walk into the pool area dressed in very pretty coordinated swimsuits.

The mom, with her perfect loose curls tied in a coordinated tape, spent the first few minutes talking aloud on her phone to a friend while her daughter stood waiting to get into the pool.

Mom ended the phone call and proceeded to scatter pool toys and sunscreen on a matching towel.

Then, after finding the right angle and the right light, mom took out her tripod and took a few selfies with her daughter.

Little girl asked to get in the pool. Mom said to wait and then posed her daughter in front of the pool, then entering the pool and then back out of the pool.

Little girl smiled big and said cheese like she had done it a million times. So Mama told her she could play now.

The little one swam for a couple of minutes.

Mom called a friend from her phone and started another conversation while her little girl asked politely and repeatedly:

“Mom, can you come to the water with me please?”

She was ignored.

"Mommy, will you come to play with me?" She asked 4 more times.

Mom looked at her, but never hung up the phone. After 10 minutes mom finished her call, picked up the sunscreen that never applied, the water toys that never touched the water, and then her daughter and left the pool.

I sat there thinking about what I had witnessed for a while later. I imagined the photos she took being perfectly edited and posted on social media with a caption like "Pool time with my girl!

Somewhere another mom will be at home with her kids, the house a mess because of her game, her hair rebellious for Mother's Day and her dirty laundry with saliva or peanut butter.

She's going to be tired because she spent the day cooking, caring, cleaning and playing with her kids.

She's going to look at that picture and compare herself to the perfect mom in the pool.

Guilt will whisper in your ear:
"You're not good enough... "
"You don't look like that mom in the pool... "
“You don’t have money to buy expensive swimsuits like that and you don’t have time to make memories like her”... and that young mom is going to believe it. She's going to feel like a failure. She'll never know that how she spent her time that day, was far better in the eyes of her children than that "perfect mom" in the pool.

What we see on social media is not always real.

Sometimes and often it's a complete set up.

It's staged and filtered, it's fake.

Sometimes we see absolutely wonderful vacation photos and beautiful homes and freshly-styled hair, but it's just ONE moment.

It's the best moment of a whole day spent like ours.

Working, cleaning and putting up the mess...

Mama don't compare yourself.
You are enough!
You're amazing and the best part is, you're REAL!
Your dirty beach, your messy house and your happy children are real and are proof that you are doing it right!”

- ✍🏼 Jen Flint

The real take away from this is to not compare yourself to others. If the mother at the pool was needing a break, that’s totally understandable. However, don’t let digital life take away from reality. If you need a break, take a break. If you need to get out of the house, get out of the house. Build memories with your kids and do what is right for you and your family. Touch the link below 👇 for more

https://www.facebook.com/groups/575700766194378/?ref=share_group_link

🫖 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 🫖

Help me lift up our cottage girl as today is her Birthday.

Dawn spends 365 days each year loving on all in her path. Her kindness and compassion for others fills our cups when needed the most.

Her love ❤️ extends to animals of all kinds as well. To her friends, she is known as Snow White.

For all the love she gives freely to all those she meets, let’s take this day to say thank you and wish her a Happy Birthday.

Let us return today what she shares with us all year.

🎈🎉🎊 Happy Birthday Dawn Kiki! 🎊🎉🎈