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Tea Party

© Giao Duong Williams

Although most of our lives are often too hectic to partake of the centuries-old British tradition of a daily afternoon tea, an occasional tea every now and again gives rise for gathering up your friends for a relaxed and sociable taste of an age-old tradition that never really rooted itself in modern-American society. Host a little tea party to entertain your childhood whims of “dressing up” for a civilized gathering with our best dolls and teddy bears. Only, invite your grown-up human friends instead…

Invitations
Because it is indeed an occasion, you may want to indulge in the whimsy a bit and send out proper paper invitations to pique your friends’ interest. If they are dyed-in-the-wool techie chicks, send them an online invite you can customize to hint at the mood you’re getting at for this get-together.

Set the mood for the party with your invitation. It can be frou-frou and old school, complete with flowers and images of Victoriana. Or fun and funky with no hint of tea. Make it what you want it to be. Within the invitation, let your guests know what kind of tea do this is and what type of dress it dictates. Ask for any contributions of teas or pastries if you want to share the hosting duties.

Tea Time
If you happen to be a tea connoisseur, picking the teas you will serve should be a small task. However, there are plenty of sites out there that can educate those of us who might be the novice tea hostess about what is hot, hip, now and what is classic, good, and forever. One of the best perks of these online tea purveyors is the fact that you can stock up without having to step out to an actual teashop.

Some sites of note include Twinings, Stash, Peet’s, and Adagio. Also great is my old college favorite, Celestial Seasonings.

If your tea party is going to be a twist different from the traditional tea gathering, you might want to check out the recipe pages at Stash and Celestial Seasonings. They both offer up really interesting ideas for making tea more extravagant and remarkable than a mere cup of Earl Grey.

Afternoon Snack
Part of a well-rounded afternoon tea is a light and tasty snack to hold a young lady’s appetite over until dinner. Consider light fixings like ladyfinger cookies, scones, crumpets, and shortbread. Import food markets like Trader Joe’s and Cost Plus often carry a vast variety of light and sweetly goods. My boyfriend, who is a Brit, offers this recipe for light and refreshing cucumber sandwiches:

Fancy Schmancy Teacup

little teapot

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