Suggested tea Parties

Having a tea party can be as spontaneous as inviting a neighbor over for a cup of Earl Grey and bakery-bought muffins, or as elaborate as a wedding shower high tea.

Children love the idea of having friends to tea. Provide them with miniature cups and teeny sandwiches and sweets.

A web site titled tea.com, an afternoon tea page compiled by Jean Britter, offers some simple and clever menus for a weekday or special occasion tea. A few of her suggestions follow:

Teddy Bear Picnic Tea
Teddy Bear peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (cut prepared sandwiches with a bear-shaped cookie cutter)
Ants on a log (celery sticks with cream cheese or pimiento cheese and raisins)
Strawberries
Dirt Dessert (chocolate pudding topped with chocolate cookie crumbs, garnished with a gummy worm)
Wild berry tea
Apple cider

Tea for Out of Town Guests

Cucumber tea sandwiches
Chicken salad tea sandwiches
Scones
Lemon tarts
Assorted cookies
Rasberry Framboise tea
Vanilla almond tea

Mothers Day Tea

Cucumber tea sandwiches
Chicken salad tea sandwiches
Currant scones
Chocolate covered strawberries |
Ginger cookies
Cherry orchard tea

Breakfast Tea

Fruit cup
Quiche Lorraine
Blueberry scones
French vanilla tea

Sayings...

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” ...Henry James

“Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.” ...Henry Fielding

A Cup of Tea

When the world is all at odds
And the mind is all at sea,
Then cease the useless tedium
And brew a cup of tea.
There is magic in its fragrance
There is solace in its taste,
And the laden moments vanish
Somehow into space.
And the world becomes a lovely thing!
There's beauty as you'll see,
All because you briefly stopped
To brew a cup of tea. ...Author unknown

Carrot Cake

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

dash salt

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 eggs slightly beaten

3/4 cup grated pecans

3 cups grated carrots

Sift together twice, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix sugar and oil and then add the eggs. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients. Add 1/2 cup pecans and grated carrots. Pour into 9” X 13” pan. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The cake is done when the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Icing

4 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1/2 lb. sugar

1/4 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients thoroughly. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pecans.

Chicken Pot Pie

1/3 cup margarine

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cups milk

2 cups cutup chicken

1 pkg. 10 oz. frozen peas and carrots.

2 Pie crusts

Heat margarine over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in chicken and frozen vegetables. Pour into pie crust. Cover with top crust and cut slits on top to allow steam escape. Bake uncovered in 425-degree Fahrenheit oven until crust is brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Chicken salad tea sandwiches

2 cups cooked, diced chicken

1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

1 cup chopped celery

2 tbsp. pickle relish

1/8 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. dill

8 slices white bread

Mix together ingredients. Chill for several hours. Spread chicken mixture on bread. Remove crusts and cut into squares or triangles.

Cucumber tea sandwiches

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin

1 cup white vinegar

1 tbsp. sugar

salt/pepper

8 slices of thin white bread.

Miracle Whip

Whipped, softened cream cheese

Marinate cucumber slices in the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper for at least an hour. Drain well. Lightly spread Miracle Whip and cream cheese on the bread. Layer the cucumber slices on top. Add second slice of bread and remove crusts. Cut into squares and triangles.

Quiche Lorraine

Pastry crust for 9 inch pie

12 slices bacon, crisply fried and crumbled

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz.)

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup finely chopped green pepper

4 eggs

2 cups half and half

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne red pepper

Prepare pastry. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion on pastry-lined pie plate. Beat eggs slightly; beat in remaining ingredients. Pour egg mixture into pie plate. Cook uncovered in 425-degree Fahrenheit over for 15 minutes

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Cook uncovered until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean, about 30 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Barb's Best scones this side of London

Mix 2 1/2 cups self rising flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and cut in one stick of softened butter. Add 1/4 cup currants and about 3/4 cup milk until dough pulls away from the sides. Knead 10 times, roll out to 1/2 inch, cut, brush with milk, sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar and bake on ungreased sheet at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 13 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and strawberry jam.

Vegetable Bisque by Barb

Make a rue of 4 tablespoons butter, 1 tsp. salt and pepper and 4 tbsp. flour in a large pan. Add 2 cans chicken broth at medium heat. In a blender, liquefy 2 cans of asparagus cuts (including liquid) and 2 celery stalks, wash but don't trim ends, leaves or strings. Add asparagus mixture to broth and bring to a boil and add 1/4 cup milk (skim or regular). Garnish with paprika or crushed ginger snaps.

Egg salad tea sandwiches

4 boiled eggs

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

2 tbsp. pickle relish

1/8 tsp. prepared mustard

1/8 tsp. dill

8 slices white bread

Dice eggs and mix with other ingredients. Chill thoroughly. Spread egg mixture onto bread. Remove crusts and cut into squares and triangles.

How To Brew a Perfect Pot of Tea

1. Empty kettle and refill with cold water. Bring to a boil.

2. While the kettle is on, pour hot water into a teapot to warm it. Ceramic, china, porcelain or stoneware work best.

3. Pour hot water out of teapot and add the loose tea, measuring a spoonful of tea for each cup desired, plus one spoonful for the pot. If using a tea bag, fill halfway, allowing the tea leaves to expand.

4. When the kettle reaches a rolling boil, remove.

5. Bring the pot to the tea kettle and pour water over the tea leaves. Let steep three to five minutes.

6. Stir the tea and decant into another warmed pot if using tea leaves.

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