Thoughts on a Tea Party

Well, I'm getting ready for my little tea party this Saturday.

Invitations have been mailed out (well better late than never with those).

Now I need to plan the menu.

I have a plethora of tea party books to choose from.

Maybe an Orange Sour Cream Tea Bread from this book?  Doesn't that sound yummy?  

This book is full of all sorts of sweet treats.  The recipe for Strawberry Tiny Tarts looks delicious.  

 I'll need to have some savories too.  Mary's book doesn't exactly have recipes, but it has wonderful ideas for tea sandwiches.  Maybe pecan studded cream cheese with chive butter?  Or how about almond chicken salad with basil butter?  

 Taking Time for Tea is divided into seasonal teas.  Well, technically it's spring, but the weather is supposed to be rainy and cool on Saturday.  A recipe for Warmed Brie on Toast Points with chopped dried apricots sounds yummy.  A little bit of comfort food sounds good, doesn't it?

This is one of my favorite tea books.  This one has such intriguing recipes.  Some are a little too ambitious for the amount of time I'll have to prepare.  Lots of savory treats - Ham & Tomato Scones, Chive & Potato Scones, Roquefort & Pear Brioche Slices........

Now we come to my favorite tea party book.  It makes me want to have a tea party every month.  (That might be because it has a theme tea party with plans and menus for each month!  LOL)  Some of the themes are The Queen's Tea, a Hiker's Tea, Tea & Roses, and my favorite - Mother's Day Tea.  It is so beautifully illustrated by Carolyn Bucha.  There are tips on how to have a large tea party, how to make tea sandwiches, how to make a tea cozy, and tons of recipes.  

Shhhh.....don't tell Baby Bee.  I snuck into her room and "borrowed" this book for some ideas.  Hmmmm...it also has a special tea for Mom.  Do you think I should bookmark that page for her?  That wouldn't be too strong a hint, now would it?

Did I ever tell you that Baby Bee dressed up as Fancy Nancy for Halloween?  She was in second grade and my mom - the Sewing Bee - made the costume from a just a picture in the book.  I found the perfect fabric - lilac silky stuff (clearly I don't know my fancy fabric names) and a lilac sequin dotted tulle (hey - I knew that one) and it was FABULOUS!  MARVELOUS! AND GLAMOUROUS!  (Oh and yes, I "borrowed" this one from Baby Bee too.)

But, then again, I digress.  I certainly do have a tendency to do that.  Miss Fancy Nancy does have some great ideas for a tea party.  We could play Fancy Freeze Tag or have a doll tea party.  

Well, I'm going to have to make some decisions and soon!  I sure wish you could come to my party.  

But I know you'll be there in spirit.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to come by.  It's such a treat to see you!

Oh, and if you happen to head on over to my ebay auctions, I am donating a portion of the proceeds for the next few weeks to the American Red Cross.  It is such a worthwhile charity and I know some of what we raise here will go to help those in Japan.

Blessings to you!