Authentic Tea Towels

And by authentic, I mean from a country that knows its tea: the United Kingdom! I mentioned on the bulletin board that I wanted to know where to get the "tea towels" that so many chefs use on Food Network. Several of them use these tightly woven non-terry cloth towels for things like straining thawed frozen spinach or shredded potatoes, covering bread while it rises, or rolling jelly roll cakes, but every time I searched for "tea towels," I came up with these frilly decorative things, many of which were still terry cloth! Um, no.

Several people pointed me to various types on the web, which I appreciated. Then a woman I have only known via the board and her blog offered to send me some real English tea towels. No exchange, no payment, just a gift from her to me. Since she was sending them all the way from "across the pond," she figured they'd better look the part. I just love them! Thank you so much, Joy!!

For everyone who suggested that glass cloths is what I was probably looking for, you were right.



And just in case I ever get lost on the London Underground, I can use this. Guess I should keep a towel handy! (Yes, I just made a Hitchhiker reference without having read the book.)



I love this sentiment; it's just so... so... British! I'm sure that's why it became so popular after the discovery of this wartime poster that wasn't really used during the war. (Not a bad sentiment to remember in cooking, either.) It's a cool story you can read about here. I almost don't want to use it; just frame it and hang it in my kitchen!



This is part of what I love about our board; it is a genuine community of genuinely nice people who do things for others "just because" all the time. I've been on both the giving and receiving end of such generosity in the past, and I love that we all continue to "pay it forward." I have frequented this board in all of its various incarnations for over 10 years now, and I don't know what I would do without my friends there. We've been through laughter and tears, hope and heartache, marriage and children and divorce, literal life and death in the last decade plus. No matter what anyone ever tells you, you *can* make REAL friends in an online community. Love you all!

Currently feeling: loving my friends