Tea Suggestions

[Rosie]

Hi Ladies. I'm having a formal garden tea in two weeks. I'm using Emily Post's Etiquette and Entertaining as guidelines. I want to use a red tablecloth and pink and white lillies to decorate, is this appropriate? None of the women I have invited have been to a formal tea and I don't want to seem pretentious or "uppity". Also, I've come up with the following menu, is this good enough? What suggestions do you ladies have?

crab salad
assorted cheeses
whole wheat crackers

fruit plate
vegetable plate

cream scones
sugar cookies
butter cake
cheesecake squares

hot tea
sweet tea
lemonade
hot coffee

entertainment:
scrabble
bridge

 

[Mr_Misanthropy]

No chocolate?

 

[Rosie]

hot chocolate? or chocolate foods? I was thinking chocolate cake but, ladies in dress and white gloves? I'll add it though. Thanks!

 

[VintageJess]

Rosie,

I love tea parties! That sounds terrific!!

Check out this thread from awhile back, I recall that it had some great stuff!

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=7744&highlight=tea+party

I'm always partial to chicken salad sandwiches and cucumber too--but they have to be all cut up and cute.

The most important question is: What will you wear??!!

Jessica

 

[LaMedicine]

Cucumber sandwiches?
I believe they are a staple of English high tea.
If you read Agatha Chiristie's Miss Marple series, there's lots of scenes set at tea time. An excellent discription of traditional English high tea early on in "Bertram Hotel", I think it was.

 

[decodoll]

I just had high tea earlier today. This is what we had:

~Tea (of course ) I had Earl Grey and I've forgotten what my friends chose to have.

~Tea Sandwiches:

roast beef and horseradish
salmon mousse
salmon and cream cheese
cucumber and cream cheese
egg and onion
pear and stilton cheese

~Spring greens with mandarin oranges

~Coleslaw

~Scones with Double Devon Cream and raspberry preserves

~Shortbread Tea Biscuits

Other additions we could have chosen:

~Lemon Curd

~Petit Fours

~Fresh Fruit

A tiered serving tray is always very pretty for serving tea. Personally, I like frilly tea things. I think your colour scheme sounds very pretty.

 

[Lady Day]

I dont think you CAN have a formal tea, and not seem a bit 'uppity'. Its alright tho, thats not a bad thing.

Just make sure you have a tiered sandwich caddie. Those are cool!

LD

 

[RetroModelSari]

Your Tea Party suggestions sound so yummy! I wish I could join!!!!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Another vote for cucumber sandwiches -- but as Jess says, they have to have the crusts trimmed into tidy little finger-sized bits. They're actually very tasty and refreshing, especially on a warmish afternoon. Keep 'em in the fridge until right before serving and they'll be nice and cool and crisp.

It might also be quite nice to have some soft string-quartet music playing in the background to help emphasize the refined atmosphere.

 

[Paisley]

Some people like lemon or milk in their tea.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Cucumber sandwiches?
I believe they are a staple of English high tea.
If you read Agatha Chiristie's Miss Marple series, there's lots of scenes set at tea time. An excellent discription of traditional English high tea early on in "Bertram Hotel", I think it was.

These are the traditional tea sandwiches. Cucumber with cream cheese on little squares of white bread with the crust cut off. Sometimes they have dill on them or others add smoked salmon.
Your menu sounds great. It is going to be a lovely time. Make sure you take lots of pictures, and kick butt in scrabble! Definitely a fun game for white gloved ladies to play.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I just had high tea earlier today. This is what we had:

~Tea (of course ) I had Earl Grey and I've forgotten what my friends chose to have.

~Tea Sandwiches:

roast beef and horseradish
salmon mousse
salmon and cream cheese
cucumber and cream cheese
egg and onion
pear and stilton cheese

~Spring greens with mandarin oranges

~Coleslaw

~Scones with Double Devon Cream and raspberry preserves

~Shortbread Tea Biscuits

Other additions we could have chosen:

~Lemon Curd

~Petit Fours

~Fresh Fruit

A tiered serving tray is always very pretty for serving tea. Personally, I like frilly tea things. I think your colour scheme sounds very pretty.

Wow, does that sound yummy! You just made me hungry for tea and petit fours.

 

[DancingSweetie]

There are a couple of tea restaurants here in town where they provide vintage hats to wear while you enjoy your tea, sandwiches, and scones. My ex mother-in-law takes her granddaughters every year, so my daughters get to do this. I went with them a couple of years ago and I just loved the scones with lemon curd.

 

[BettyValentine]

I love afternoon tea! My fiance does too. Hmm, maybe I'll get him to go for one this weekend. (Oh, or not. He's eschewing simple carbs and sugars right now. I don't think you can eat anything at afternoon tea without consuming white flour or sugar! :eusa_doh: )

I love tiny scones and tiny sandwiches with the crusts off! (when you add in all the miniature silverware and the tiny saucers, I sometimes feel like I'm dining in Lilliput!) Will you have the little tiered treat caddy? I think that is my favorite part of afternoon tea!

I hope it goes well! I'm sure everything will be lovely.

xoxo,
BV

 

[Caledonia]

How about having camomile tea as an option too? And can you work lavender into the scent scene anywhere, honeysuckle, primrose, jasmin?

 

[Rosie]

Thanks for all of the suggestions Ladies! I'm expanding my menu.

I wish we all lived closer to one another (or had access to some futuristic transportation machine) because of course you would all be invited.

Vintage Jess- I'm not sure as of yet. I want to wear my hostess apron that I made a while back which is pink with white lace so, I'm thinking I may wear

a white black polka dot "new look" circle dress, a black sash which ties into a big bow in back, white gloves, black heels

or an off the shoulder beige with brown print circle dress that I haven't finished as of yet brown heels, white or brown gloves

or white circle dress with pink sash, pink heels, pink gloves (which I've never had the pleasure of wearing)

Most of the ladies aren't vintage wearing but know that I am. I wrote "please wear your afternoon best" on the invite.

I have a tiered serving plate and saw another at the thrift store the other day, I didn't get it because I already had packages and my dog, I'll go back today and pick it up.

Thanks again ladies!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I really like those tiered cake holders. They are the perfect accent for a tea party. My very good friend has a few of these tea parties a year. She found very pretty, victorian inspired saucers, cups and little plates, perfect for a tea, at the dollar store. They are all so pretty. Everyone had a different cup and saucer set, which made the table look incredibly beautiful.

It sure sounds like you have a great menu planned. I had some links to websites that we used to help plan the last tea party we had. Old Fashioned Living this site has a lot of cute little tea things and recipes. Daisy's, no relation to me. Interesting recipes. About.com always has a plethora of information on a lot of different subjects. And He and She has a lot of different menu options for all different types of tea parties.

I hope you find these sample menus and recipes helpful. There were a lot more on-line, I searched under tea party menu's, too many to list. Your day is going to be lovely, and I'm sure your friends will enjoy themselves. I don't know about you gals, but hosting a tea is one of the rare occasions I actually feel grown up! It also makes me feel even more like a lady. It's a sweet thing to do for your friends. A lovely way to spend an afternoon.

 

[VintageJess]

Daisy--those are some great links!

Rosie,

Wow, all of those outfits sound spectacular. The white and pink outfit sounds really nice for a tea party.
I was also thinking that if you are having some guests that are new to the tea party scene, you may want to offer a little education session. You could just talk a bit about the history and traditions.

Jessica

 

[Kt Templar]

A couple of months ago I had some collegues over from abroad who were desperate to go for afternoon tea at Harrods. So I took them to the 4th floor tea room. It was a fabulous spread. You chose your own tea and it came in an enormous silver pot (about 4 cups), and they gave you the tiered sandwich rack. Each person got: 4 finger sandwiches on the bottom, 2 large scones with clotted cream and jam, and a couple of sweet pastries each. You had to be pretty hungry to eat everything. It was all great value and in great surroundings. However the cost makes it an occasional treat only! £20 per head, at current rates that's about $38. It's a long lime since I has tea in a proper china tea cup, and you know it's a revelation, completely different to your day to day cup of cha.

I you are in London and looking for tea, you have a few good choices, Fortnum and Masons looks fabulous as well. But if you get near to Kew Gardens I have to recommend Maids of Honour just across the road, they do a beautiful tea just as good as Harrods for £6.50! About $12.30.

 

[Rosie]

You know Jess, my mom just said that. She suggested I give a little history about the tea. I think I'll do the white dress with pink, thanks!