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... then tea and scones are absolutely delightful!
Raise your cups to an act of winter whimsy: the tea party. In attendance were two children (at heart) and two teddy bears. In the oven, a batch of maple-cinnamon scones. In our cups, well, tea of course - in fact, thee kinds were consumed over the
course of the afternoon. I don't recall being one of those tea-party-loving little girls, but here I am, a tea-party-loving woman.
After a cold-but-pleasant January walk, we whipped up some super-tasty scones (the mix had been a holiday gift) and boiled a pot of hot water. To make it even more of an event, we put cream in my grandmother's creamer (usually we pour milk straight from the carton) and drank our tea from fancy-schmancy mugs that look like little elephants. After ensuring that we had photographic evidence, we chowed down. The scones melted in our mouths as the tea warmed us from the inside out. Now that's what I call a relaxing weekend afternoon.
If your tea parties need a jump-start, here are a few ideas that will please kids and adults alike:
- Base your menu (whether it's extensive or not) around a colorful theme. A Valentine's tea could feature rooibos tea, scones with strawberry jam, and raspberry thumbprint cookies. Green tea, cucumber sandwiches, and shamrock cookies work for St. Patrick's day. You can even ask guests to wear the appropriate color. (If you're throwing an impromptu at-home "party," go ahead and change - it'll put a smile on your face.)
- Try a "T" party - think toast, tomatoes, or tiramisu.
- Or go for a "no T" party, where you'll rack your brain to avoid using words with the letter 't' in conversation. ("Could you please pass some more warm beverage?")
- Get fancied up. Everything will taste better while you're wearing your pearls and holding a silver spoon.
- Relive the royal wedding with elaborate hats (homemade or not) and across-the-pond accents.
- Stage a blind taste-test of different types of tea, or play guess-the-tea.
- Have each attendee adopt a funny character of his or her own creation. Give yourself an unusual name (Lucinda Catterbottom, Mr. Sledright, Oddball Jones, etc.) and act as outlandishly as your character would. If you have the time, this one just screams out for costumes!
Remember: a tea party is a tea party simply because you say it is. Plan one weeks in advance, or throw one together last-minute. Commemorate a special event or counter rainy-day boredom. Above all, be creative, and enjoy!
 What is High Tea exactly? Low Tea and High Tea are like small meals, almost like snacks, served with tea. Low tea, which gets its name from being served on a low table, like a garden table or coffee table, would be served somewhere between noon and 5 PM and hence sometimes goes by the name Afternoon Tea. High Tea is typically served around 5 - 6 PM and is a heartier snack, with meats, breads and of course tea. High Tea got it's name from being served on the dining table which was typically the tallest table in the house.
In today's nomenclature 'High Tea', which the name itself strengthens, is considered a fanciful event with fine finger foods, scones and gourmet tea. Historically, High Tea was drank by both the working class, as they would want a small snack when getting home after a long day, and also by the children of the upper class as a snack before a heavier dinner that they may not have the patience for. Either way, if you use the term 'High Tea' in today's society, expect to need reservations and a jacket.
Now to the important information; how to host High Tea or throw a High Tea party. Here are a few things to consider:
1) Sending written invitations always adds an air of sophistication to a party. If you feel snail mail invitations are a little above the call of duty, try sending an evite from evite.com. It's free, and you can choose tea related themes which will set the tone for your party.
2) Include the dress code in the invitations. Dressing up is fun, but only if everyone knows about it. Large hats for the ladies are great for conversation and photo opportunities.
3) Think of the aesthetics of your menu as much as the taste. White table cloth and serving on crystal or fancy serving platters will make the simplest of cookies look like the queen's affair.
- Tea Sandwiches are perfect - think special ingredients like nuts, unique spreads and herbs.
- Anything miniature is good - think Mandarin Oranges, Baby Corn and miniature Artichoke. These bright colors will help dress up the table as well.
- Small cookies and crackers for adding delicious spreads are a must. Want to really impress your guests? Consider finding a scone recipe and make at least one of the menu items homemade.
- To stick with tradition, serve two or three finger foods that involve meat. Cold cuts are always easy and go well with just about everything.
4) Now for the tea. Try serving a multi-course tea menu.
- Start with a traditional tea with a twist, like Vanilla Creme Earl Grey. This can be served with the scones to get things started.
- Bring out the veggies and meats with a kettle of a soft, but well rounded tea like Silver Needle.
- Finish up with the desserts while serving a unique, decaf dessert tea like Tiramisu Rooibos.
Let us know how it goes. We'd love to see photos of your High Tea parties. Post them in our Spill It Forum under Tea Photos.
When it comes to your health, what's in your cup is a very important topic. The beverages that we take in on a day to day basis really add up and can take from or add to your life in a big way. If you're drinking 60g of sugar sodas, even if it's one a day, you'd better have a pretty good workout schedule or be blessed with a super high metabolism to keep that off your belt line. If you're having more than one soda per day, you are raising your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
On the other hand, enjoying a cup or more of tea a day can extend your life by helping eliminate cancer causing free radicals from your body. Drinking tea can also help promote healthy gums, skin, hair, weight loss.... the list goes on and on.
This holiday season, and as we approach the new year, I want to focus on a different side of what's in your cup though. Have you ever considered that if everything is made of energy, then your thoughts are actually energy? This energy has a larger outreach than you may know. You may have heard or read, "As a man thinks, so is he." Well, these thoughts extend beyond affecting only the individual. More and more studies are being conducted that indicate that collective thought can actually change the outcome of situations. That's a story for another day, so before I get off the subject too far, I'd like to propose that you do two things between now and New Year's Eve. Actually, if you're up for it, continue these things throughout the new year.
One; drink more tea. Do it for yourself and for those who love you. Two; each time you enjoy a cup of tea, focus on a new world peace. Focus on and believe in the possibility of an end to all the bloodshed and violence in the Middle East, Somalia, throughout the world and racial tensions in all societies. All issues and points of view start with individuals. The right mind set and focus can make a remarkable difference and bring about real change.
I lift my tea cup to you as we enter 2012. Good things are headed our way!
A while back I embarked on a journey to try every recipe printed in the fabulous book, Culinary Tea by Cynthia Gold and Lise Stern. My journey was interrupted by a gift from God…I became pregnant with my first child. As I could not reap the fruits of my labor, i.e., as I was now prohibited from consuming caffeine, I decided it was best to wait until now.
With my son sound asleep right next to me this 3rd month of his birth, I have shaken the dust off of my copy of Culinary Tea and am ready to dive back into trying all recipes.
 What I have discovered is that a copy of the book in its entirety can be found in Google Books. So rather than typing in all of the recipes into my own blog, you can follow along as I post the link to each recipe I try. This way, you can be sure to get them verbatim and I can be free from any blame for a typo of something like 2 tablespoons of sugar vs. 12 tablespoons of sugar. Not that that has happened so far…but anything is possible.
Yea! I get to cook with tea again! Is it strange that I like being a housewife? And a mother? How old fashioned can I get really? I’m 33 years old, grew up in the states, have a graduate degree, worked full time in a high profile profession, run an online business and I still believe that wives should cater to their husbands.
We have friends where their wives don’t know where to find the measuring cups in their own kitchen. These same friends come to potluck dinners with the husbands making the food. I must really be old fashioned because this notion always bothers me. Either way, I believe being a great cook is part of being a strong, well-rounded woman, and I'm excited to share ideas and recipes when I come across a good one.
Back to the amazing tea recipes. I recently cooked up a batch of Smoky Tea-Spiced Almonds, a variation from Smoky Tea-Spiced Pecans because I didn't have pecans and I was determined to do a recipe soon and not be held back any longer.
Not having a tea spice grinder, because I haven’t heard of one until today, I used my hubby’s coffee grinder instead. Yes he does drink coffee. Que lastima! I wonder if he will notice the hints of smoky Lapsang Souchong in his morning cup tomorrow, hehe!
Nuts and Lapsang are like tailgating in football. They were made for each other. Smoky Tea-Spiced Almonds are an excellent, healthy snack to any sporting event. It has the smoky touch that Lapsang provides but not too overbearing, in fact, it could be a bit smokier. It also has a sweet and spicy combo from the cayenne and allspice that makes you want to pop one after another into your mouth. It makes a perfect snack for football playoffs.
In today's busy society, it seems like everyone wants more time with family and friends. And yet for many of us, hosting a dinner or even a lunch is daunting: there's the preparation, the cooking, the cleaning, the dishes -- oh, the dishes!
An afternoon tea can be a quick, painless way to host a get-together. All the host needs to do is brew tea, set out some snacks if desired, and enjoy the company!
The key to a successful tea party is variety. Decades ago, our grandmothers may have served one simple black tea at a tea party: today, this simply would not do. Many people avoid caffeine for various reasons while others adore it; some people prefer herbal teas to decaffeinated black or green teas; and tea lovers have simply grown accustomed to having ready access to a wide variety of flavors.
For that reason, it is a wise idea to allow your guests to choose their own favorite tea from a selection of at least three or four varieties.
The hostess should always pour for her guests; this can either be done for each individual guest as she arrives or all at once after all guests have arrived. The former is typically a bit of a time saver, while the latter is more formal.
Because tea parties can be held at any time of the day and are typically relatively brief and flexible affairs, they can easily be scheduled into any day, no matter how busy, which makes them a great choice for working parents, stay-at-home moms, and busy students.
Tea parties can also make an excellent choice for larger events like graduation parties, engagement parties, etcetera, especially for those on a budget: tea is relatively inexpensive and can be served in one's own home. To make things a bit more formal, the host can serve tea after all the guests are seated, as stated above, and use good china and place settings, as well as a centerpiece such as flowers.
Tea parties are a great addition to any social calendar!
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