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Here in Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia International Flower Show’s one of the big social events of the year and the largest harbinger of spring. This year’s theme was Hawaiian. Think leis, orchids, and hibiscus. Also think many judging categories and the crowds befitting the largest indoor exhibition in the world. So, when my husband and I discovered that the Pa Horticultural Society was offering a garden tea in a converted conference room away from the bustle of the crowds, we leaped.
Each tablecloth in our delightful improvised tea room was of a Hawaiian floral design and each was graced with an elegant large silver teapot in the shape of a watering can. As a matter of fact, the large teapot really did contain just water and we were offered a selection of bagged teas to steep in individual ceramic pots.
I first chose a black mango coconut which I sipped while eating crust-less tea sandwiches. We were served 5 varieties of those which included salmon with cream cheese, deviled ham, cucumber, watercress, and egg. My favorites were the cucumber and the salmon. My husband loved the deviled ham as did some of our table-mates. We were also treated to cheese, a strawberry garnish, and seedless grapes as well as a few yummy bites each from a pineapple upside down cake and of a tasty basic scone with the option of adding the classic accompaniments of cream and lemon curd.
While finishing up all my goodies, I drank a cup of mango passionflower herbal tea and combined it with some black tea. That was both to cut the tea’s sweetness and to get just a little more energy for round 2 in the Flower Show’s exhibit area. To keep my aloha spirit going, I’m planning lots of tea breaks with macadamia nut cookies and green mango tea.
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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!
When you think of your history textbook from high school, you think back on wars, bloodshed, gunpowder... and tea? Tea has been part of revolutionary movements in politics and has caused several wars over the past few centuries.
Despite its relaxing properties, tea has caused some of the largest and most widely studied conflicts in the world. The most famous instance of rebellion and tea came in 1773 with the Boston Tea Party where disgruntled Americans took our their anger on the tea tariffs by dumping all the tea from a cargo ship in to the river, creating one of the major tension sparks for the American Revolution. This action has been adapted throughout history and inspired the creation of the Tea Party, a conservative, libertarian party concerned with the government's involvement in private life.
Aside from these two obvious tea-related conflicts, tea has also started (in ways) conflicts like the First Opium War in China because it was in such high demand in Britain, causing Britain to interfere in Chinese trade to fulfill their demand. Empires in China have been overthrown because of tea trade.
Next time you pick up your cup of tea, think about everyone who has fought for their love of tea. Tea revolutionized the way cultures interact and has forever stained our history. Enjoy that tea for thought!
 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!
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