How to Throw a Tea Party
Mother’s Day is fast approaching. Wondering what to do for Mom? Throw her a tea party!
Now that my kids are getting bigger (soon to be 5 and 7), they have very simple wishes for their birthday parties. They want to go to Pump It Up, or Chuck E Cheese, or some other Birthday Party Factory, serve some pizza out of the box, and have a character cake from our local supermarket. However, back when they didn’t know any better, I could throw them some fun and unique birthday parties. My husband and I once threw a Cars birthday party for my son where we made our driveway look like a road and our backyard like a used car lot. It was a little over-the-top.
One of my favorite parties ever was when my daughter turned two. I threw her the best Tea Party ever. It was really more for grown-ups than for kids, but since my daughter was only turning two, she didn’t notice!
Here are my tips for throwing a tea party:
1. Research tea. I first fell in love with tea (the real kind, not the bagged kind) when I went to London on a business trip in 1996. After that, there was no going back to tea bags. Invest in a tea pot, a tea strainer, and some loose tea. You will be so glad you did. Visit the English Tea Store for tips on how to brew the perfect pot of tea.
2. Make some traditional tea sandwiches. Traditional tea sandwiches are little and they have the crusts cut off. For this party, I made Cucumber Chive Sandwiches:
1/2 pound softened cream cheese (Regular Philadelphia Cream Cheese scores a 20, Fat Free scores a 28)
2 T half-and-half (I used Garelick Farms Fat Free Half and Half, NuVal score 65)
2 T snipped fresh chives (NuVal score 96)
1 loaf or 12 slices dark rye or pumpernickel bread (Rubschlager Danish Style Pumpernickel, NuVal score 29)
1 English (seedless) cucumber, cut into thin slices (NuVal score 96)
1/2 Roma tomato, seeded & minced (NuVal score 96)
Beat together the cream cheese and half-and-half until it reaches the consistency of soft butter.
Stir in the chives.
Spread the cream cheese on the bread, tip with cucumber, chives and tomato. Cover with a second slice of bread. Carefully slice off the crusts. Cut into very small sandwiches.
3. Ask your guests to dress up. You don’t have to provide entertainment. Let your guests do it for you!
Long time readers of A Better Bag of Groceries know that my party guests always take this Dress Up thing very seriously!
My Sister-in-Law, Christine:
My Sisters, Kristin and April with my niece:
And the most competitive Dresser-Upper of All, my sister Julie:
4. Make it fun for the kids.
Have them dress in their tea party best.
Set up a cookie decorating project.
Teach them some tea basics, like stirring and sipping.
5. Round things out with some lovely hors d’oeuvres and maybe even wine.
I made some Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese & Honey:
36 slices (1/2 inch thick) baguette bread (not scored yet)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (NuVal score 11)
8 oz Gorgonzola, sliced (I used Athenos Gorgonzola crumbles, NuVal score 22)
3 T. honey (NuVal score 1)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Arrange the sliced baguette on a baking sheet.
Brush with olive oil.
Bake until bread is pale golden & crisp, about 10 min.
Arrange the cheese on the toasts and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
Drizzle the toasts with honey.
Place on a serving platter and serve immediately.
These were a huge hit!
I also made one of my Go-To hors d’oeuvres, Fig & Gruyere Palmiers
1 (17.3 oz) package frozen phyllo dough, thawed (I use Athens Phyllo Dough, NuVal score 5)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese (Swissrose Gruyere, NuVal score 23)
1/2 cup fig preserves, melted (NuVal score 1 – you can use apricot if you can’t find fig)
Unroll one phyllo dough sheet.
Sprinkle w/ 1 cup Gruyere cheese.
Roll each short side, jellyroll fashion, to meet in center.
Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo dough sheet and cheese.
Cut each roll into 1/4 ” slices.
Place slices on parchment paper-lined baking sheets; brush with melted preserves.
Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Note: You can make these pastries ahead and freeze the uncut, unbaked rolls. Wrap rolls in heavy-duty plastic wrap and freeze. To serve, let rolls stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing. Brush with preserves and bake as above.
The highest scoring item in the Palmier recipe is the cheese! Oh, well. It’s still a great recipe to have when you need an appetizer that looks fancy but took only minutes to prepare.
Like I said, those were the good old days – when I could choose the theme and plan the party just the way I wanted. Now, I must go. I need to order a Disney Princess cake at my local supermarket, get some tacky plastic Princess tablecloths and call to confirm the Birthday Party Factory we booked for my daughter’s party next week. I need a cup of tea!
Posted by: Melissa 10 comments
Posted in: appetizers
