In the Victorian days, Anna Maria Russell, Duchess of Bedford of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, England, had the idea of asking her lady's maid to bring all the tea making equipment to her private boudoir at 5 o'clock so that the Duchess could enjoy a cup of tea with a slice or two of bread and butter. Anna Maria found this afternoon tea such an enjoyable time she soon started inviting her friends to join her in her sitting room for this new social event. Eventually, the growing middle class imitated the rich and found that 'tea' was a very economical way of entertaining several friends without having to spend too much money, and afternoon tea quickly became popular.

To make a wonderful cup of tea start with good quality tea. Tea bags are not usually made of the best tea leaves, so try several to find the right one for you. I prefer loose-leaf teas, but I do regularly enjoy Red Rose brand tea bags. My favorite loose-leaf tea is the China Black Tea from Hubbard and Cravens.

Next, fresh drawn, cold water and a teapot are all you need. Always use fresh water as the tea will not be at its best if the water has been boiled once already. Fill the tea pot with hot tap water and let it warm the pot while you boil the tea water. Heat the water in the tea kettle to boiling and take the tea and the pot to the boiling water. In this way the water is just under the boiling point. If you took the tea kettle to the pot, the water would cool before hitting the tea leaves and the tea would not brew properly. Empty the tap water from the tea pot and add the tea leaves or bags; use about 1 teaspoon loose-leaf tea, or one tea bag, per cup of tea desired. Pour the still boiling water onto the tea and cover the teapot. Let steep for 2 to 5 minutes, the longer it brews the stronger it gets. Don't steep any longer as it will make a bitter, astringent brew. Remove the tea bags or tea leaves, most teapots today have an infuser basket to lift the leaves out. Serve immediately. Popular additives to tea include sugar or honey, lemon, milk, and fruit jams. Most connoisseurs don't use cream because it overpowers the flavor of tea. The exception to this rule is with very hearty teas. Milk, however, is thought to neutralize remaining tannins and reduce acidity.

A good, basic afternoon tea can be as simple as tea and scones.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, (I use my fingers) cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Mix egg with cream in a small bowl; pour egg mixture into the well. Blend with a spoon, and then mix with hands to make a smooth soft dough. Knead 5 to 8 time but do not over knead.

Roll out dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a sharp knife cut the single round of dough, like a pizza, into 12 triangular pieces. Place on cookie sheet and bake in preheated 375-degree oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Serve warm with strawberry preserves or lemon curd.

This is easy to make, and tastes a lot better than anything you can buy in a store.

Wash the lemons and grate the rind finely. Place the lemon juice, grated rind, butter and sugar in a saucepan set over low heat. Stir until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add slowly to the lemon mixture, stirring constantly. Cook until the curd thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Pour into warm jars, stirring occasionally. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Serve with scones, makes about 6 cups.