A Black & Blue Damask Tea

Today I'd like to sit and sip,

Forget about the world a bit,

Ignore the things I have to do,

And just enjoy a cup or two.

~Author Unknown

Greetings, Reader! How are you on this delightful Sunday evening? Here we are wrapping up another fine June weekend. I adore this time of year when everything is growing like gangbusters and it's not yet so hot I can't stand myself. These mornings of waking up to cool air and welcome sunshine slipping in through the bedroom shades are precious and fleeting. The gentle evenings make me want to fall asleep rocking in a hammock under the stars...

So when a friend I haven't seen in some time agreed to come to a late evening tea this week, I thought what could be better than a softly-lit tablescape that reflects a cool, starry summer night?

Black & Blue & White All Over

By now you may have noticed my deep and abiding attachment to black & white damask, Reader. I use it in many of my tablescapes not just because it speaks to my sense of style, but also because it's really versatile and can be paired well with almost any color. 

Here the damask tea set and plates create a backdrop that makes these delightful royal blue bandanna napkins pop like a gorgeous night sky. (Found these cotton napkins on clearance at Pier 1 a few years ago.) Bandanna napkins are perfect for outdoor teas & picnics. Or for bringing that outdoorsy feel inside.

White trivets, serving pieces and tablecloths allow the black and blue to take center stage. Meanwhile, an assorted group of mercury glass votive & tealight holders add a warm, silvery glow reminiscent of starlight. Damask glassware adds a whole new level of WOW--or substitute simple, clear drinkware to blend in easily. A vase filled with black and white damask taper candles (another clearance find) makes a lovely, candle-lit piece de resistance.

Late Hour: Simple Fare

My friend would not arrive until after 7pm and though she would be hungry, I didn't want to send her home on a long drive with an over-stuffed tummy. For a tea served later in the evening, my solution was to serve one light, main dish to be followed by a charming, uncomplicated dessert and a delicious, caffeine-free tea that won't keep my guest up for hours later on.

Black & Blue Damask Tea Menu

• Herbed Savory Crepes Stuffed with Chicken Salad
• Find a simple crepe recipe you like and once the batter is in the pan, use a pair of kitchen shears to snip bits of fresh chive and herbs into each crepe and season lightly with salt and pepper before flipping. Once the crepe is slightly browned on both sides, slide it onto a plate, stuff with your favorite chicken salad (store-bought is fine), roll it up and serve on a bed of arugula, lettuce or herbs. Delicious!

• Sweet Quickbread Bars with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting
• Mix up a batch of your favorite sweet quickbread dough (I happened to have pumpkin on hand) and instead of putting it in a loaf pan, pour the dough into a greased, square brownie pan and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Let it cool slightly, then cut into squares.
• Mix 1-2 8z pkgs of cream cheese with a sweet flavoring that compliments your quickbread (Try pumpkin pie spice, splash of vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of sugar for pumpkin bread; lemon juice and sugar for lemon or blueberry breads; splash of maple syrup for banana or zucchini breads or experiment with your own). Slice each quickbread square in half horizontally and spoon a luscious dollop of your homemade cream cheese frosting in the middle, or just plop a spoonful on top and serve!

And there you have it, Reader: a delicious and summery late evening tea that gives a nod to the celestial night sky overhead. Might I suggest a little star-gazing outside after tea as the perfect finish? Lying barefoot in the grass with a friend and laughing as you look up at a luminous night sky--what more could a modern girl want?

Perhaps it is while drinking tea that I most of all enjoy the sense of leisure. ~George Gissing

Tea quotes courtesy of the Quote Garden.

Spring Tea!

"Tea" to the English is really a picnic indoors. ~Alice Walker

Salutations, Reader! After a veeery long pause between posts, this beautiful June morning seemed the perfect time to resume our tea party fellowship. Can't express how delighted I am to be back with you. And, OH! Do I have wonderful new tea party themes and tips to share!

Though spring draws to a close today, June continues to linger in a deep and delightfully breezy-cool mood. With weather this temperate and gorgeous, it's impossible not to spend extra time lollygagging outside, taking in lungfuls of delicious late spring air. What better compliment to this joyfully-alive season than to host a Spring Tea?

Begin with All Things Floral

Whether you lay this tea out on the patio, lawn or indoors on the dining room table, mix and match floral china, teacups and accent linens/napkins to give it the authentic feel of a colorful garden. No one has all the same plant in their garden, so don't be afraid to mix different patterns, especially if they're in the same color palette. Here I used bright green, lavender and white linens and serving pieces to establish my base colors and then incorporated a modern but classic floral china to jazz things up. This china works well because it's different enough to emphasize the main color scheme but remains in harmony with it. (Too many competing colors will make your table feel schizophrenic.) Layer modern floral-shaped salad bowls and plates to add a bit of playful freshness.

For continuity, select floral teacups in patterns that highlight one or more of your dominant colors. Finish the tablescape with a crisp and simple napkin presentation and plain or lightly-etched glassware. If you have a teacosy that ties in with your color scheme, throw that in too. 

Now, all that being said, I will always advocate first and foremost to pull from whatever you have on hand. If you're like me, you gravitate toward certain patterns and color-schemes and will probably have a bunch of things scattered throughout the house that could work on your table. Great! Look for accent pieces/bowls/trays/etc that might add interest and spice up your tablescape.

Now, what shall we eat?

The name of the game for this tea menu is fresh, flavorful fare and creamy salads & spreads. Here are some ideas to get your culinary creativity flowing.

Spring Tea Menu

• Fresh Basil & Olive Bruschetta
• Teapot Toasts with Smoked Mozzarella Spread
• Spinach & Feta Mini Quiche
• Spring Chicken Salad on a Bed of Arugula in Corn Tortilla Cups
• Organic Chocolate Popovers with Homemade Chocolate Cheesecake Filling

Fresh Basil & Olive Bruschetta

Teapot Toasts with Smoked Mozzarella Spread (I used English Muffin Bread for these and cut them while still frozen with a cookie cutter to get clean shapes.)

Spring Chicken Salad on a Bed of Arugula in a Corn Tortilla Cup (Warm tortillas briefly in the microwave, brush with olive oil and bake them tucked into mini ramekins for 5-10 minutes to get this shape.)

Organic Chocolate Popovers with Homemade Chocolate Cheesecake Filling (Made with WildTree Poppin' Popover Mix--just add 2 tbl sugar & 1 tbl cacao powder to the batter for this look & flavor.)

Tea Pairings (Visit the Coffee Drop Shop for other delicious ideas.)

• Start with a traditionally-prepared English Black Tea with milk and sugar
• To compliment dessert, pair one of these with milk: a Caramel Creme Oolong or a Cinnamon Apple Red (Rooibos)

Of course as every modern girl knows, the best part about having friends over for a Spring Tea is just sitting and sipping together. When the table is set and the goodies all prepared, be sure to take a moment, my fellow hostess, to just drink in the peace and pleasure of this spring moment with dear friends.

Come along inside... We'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place. 

~Attributed to Kenneth Grahame

Tea Quotes courtesy of The Quote Garden. 

Haunted Tea

Nothing beats a haunted moonlit night on All Hallows Eve... ~ Kim Elizabeth

Salutations, Reader! In just a few hours, it will be that most anticipated of masked holidays: All Hallows Eve! Are you looking forward (as I am) to tomorrow afternoon's parade of wee ghastly ghouls, ghosts and goblins?  If so, this tea party theme is for you!

 The Haunted Tea combines all the things I love about Halloween: the cute, the clever and the deliciously spooky, while omitting the gory/zombie/slasher stuff I don't care for. Halloween has always represented the imagination to me--that hidden desire we all have to creatively try on a completely different identity--just for a few hours--and present it to the world (all while gathering a plastic jack-o-lantern full of goodies). 

As a grown-up, I can't wait to create that same magic for our neighborhood munchkins. A bubble fogger, self-propelled cackling broomstick and witch's hat wait by the door to welcome these kindred souls...

 The Setting:
Just to enhance the ambiance on Halloween night, I opted to set this Haunted Tea tablescape in our dining room where it can be seen from the front porch when trick-or-treaters arrive. Dim the lights and add a few flickering candles to give it a spooky glow.

 The Tablescape:
Because there's usually a lot of pattern going on in Halloween table linens, consider going a simpler route with your centerpiece to minimize visual "noise". Here I went with a small haunted house silhouette votive holder and a cute Halloween salt & pepper set (Joann Fabrics has the most adorable & affordable assortment this year!). To get this look, pair them with a silver tablecloth and a runner made from inexpensive disposable spiderweb fabric. To play up the Haunted House angle, I threw in some appropriate place mats and washable spiderweb napkins (both scored at Kohls a few years ago).

  Break up dark colors on your tablescape by adding some brightly-colored spooky potion ingredient jars (Eye of Newt and Lizard Legs, for example) and maybe a tea light holder or two. The candy corn Chinese take-out containers were super cheap at the Dollar Store and make clever napkin holders. Round out this look with black and white dishes (get 'em at Goodwill) and inexpensive plastic silver chargers.

A side note: patterned teacups and water glasses would be a distraction on an already busy tablescape. Instead, I suggest using footed glass mugs for hot beverages (cheap, dishwasher-safe and affordable in most housewares departments. They're also reusable for holiday gatherings.) and a set of silver skeleton punch cups for cold drinks (something similar is probably available at one of those Halloween shops that pop up in vacant stores this time of year). A few more scary embellishments round out the room and the tablescape is done!

 
The Menu:
I always prefer to serve dishes or beverages with great names for a Halloween event. Below are a few assorted favorites:

Eat, drink and be scary.  ~Author Unknown

Suggested Haunted Tea Menu Items: 

 Halloween Feast (Potter Blend) Tea

Devils on Horseback

Guacamoldy with Creature Chips

Bedeviled Eggs 

Rest in Peas

Mauled Apple Cider

Shrunken Pears

Ladies Fingers

Backward, turn backward,
O Time, in your flight
make me a child again
just for to-night!
~Elizabeth Akers Allen

Wishing you and yours a very happy Haunted Tea & a magical Halloween, Reader!

Halloween quotes courtesy of the Quote Garden.

Pumpkin Tea

“It was time to take the pumpkin out of the pot and eat it. In the final analysis, that was what solved these big problems of life. You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That gave you a reason for going on. Pumpkin.” ― Alexander McCall Smith

At last! After several weeks of postponing due to nasty head colds and pressing last-minute projects, my new friend Sara Pom and I finally gathered the other day for our long-awaited Pumpkin Tea and what a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon it was! Here's how it all came together:

The Setting:
Every modern girl should have tea in a pumpkin patch at least once in her life, Reader. But, if you cannot fit a trip to the patch into this year's calendar, may I suggest an indoor nod to fall's favorite fruit (yep, pumpkin is technically a fruit).

The Tablescape:
One of my favorite versions of the Pumpkin Tea tablescape uses fresh pumpkins, a few gourds and a selection of fall-colored linens--items that can be replaced at little cost from year to year. Or, if you prefer the pumpkins on your table to be of a more permanent variety, affordable ceramic and resin choices (like those featured here) will continue to bring back those cherished memories with loved ones every October & November. 

The pumpkin teapot & matching salad plates pictured above and below (from the Home Essentials and Beyond Autumn Pumpkin Collection) were a gift and became the inspiration for this autumn tablescape. 

Because pumpkin items tend to steal the show with their rich colors and generous size, I went simple with the linens: just a white brocade tablecloth and a tapestry reproduction table runner ($7.99 at TJ Maxx). The harvest floral napkins, vintage glassware and pumpkin-themed serveware came from our stash on-hand. Don't be afraid to add punch to your tablescape with complimentary (but not necessarily matching) linen & glassware patterns. The pumpkin salt & pepper set and the fall chargers came from this year's very affordable and gorgeous seasonal collection at Wal-Mart.

The pumpkin teapot centerpiece was emphasized by elevating it just a bit on a simple glass cake stand draped with a harvest-patterned napkin. A couple tea lights flickering in velvety warm hues of copper and brown complete the cozy feel. 

For my fellow teacup aficionados, the patterns pictured are English bone china from Royal Danube, Queen Anne (pictured with Butternut Squash Soup) & Canada of the Royal Albert From Sea to Sea series.

Royal Danube

Royal Albert

   
 
The Menu:
Pumpkin Tea is a wonderful way to treat your guests to some amazing seasonal flavors. Of course, we must serve at least one pumpkin dish! But a well-rounded menu will also pull in an assortment of other seasonal favorites like cranberry, apple cider, squash, plums & nutmeg--just to name a few. Below is a list of links to the cozy, delicious dishes Sara Pom & I lingered over, including two wonderful teas and a delightfully grown-up apple cider bellini. Bon appetit, dear Reader!

Suggested Pumpkin Tea Menu:

Pumpkin Scones & Nutmeg Butter

 Original Tetley Tea

Butternut Squash Soup

Cranberry-stuffed Chicken Medallions

Sparkling Apple Bellinis
 

Baked Stuffed Plums

Red Velvet Chocolate Tea

Oh how we love pumpkin season. You did know this gourd-ish squash has its own season, right? Winter, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin.... We anxiously anticipate it every year. ~Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer, October 2010

Quote #1 courtesy of goodreads.com & #2 courtesy of the Quote Garden.

Madly Hatted Tea

Yes, that's it! Said the Hatter with a sigh, it's always tea time.  --Lewis Carroll

Would that it were always tea time! Salutations, Reader! It seems I've been waiting forevvvvvver to share this post with you. The Madly Hatted Tea was inspired a few months ago by a dear English friend who asked if everyone could wear hats to the next tea party. A capital theme, I thought, and one we haven't done. This particular friend also has a flair for dramatic costume making. I especially admire her version of the Mad Hatter and thought how fun it would be to give the costume maven and our other crafty friends a chance to show off their millinery whimsy. Thus the Madly Hatted Tea was born!

From the moment the invitations went out, guests began texting, messaging and emailing me that most important question: what kind of hat should I wear? The answer is one you love. Serendipitously, my own google search for hat ideas yielded a tutorial for Tea Cup Hats (who knew??)  For the skinny on these fabulous hats and how to create one of your very own, see this post on making the Tea Cup Hat!

The Setting:
Unless the weather is exactly perfect (cool and not too windy), I prefer to have this tea indoors. The novelty of wearing a hat quickly wears off if you're constantly trying to keep it from blowing off your head or you become too warm, or are continually swatting at bugs. For many of your guests, this may be their first hatted tea party and we want to make it as pleasant an experience as possible.

“Today the hat wearers will be out in force: those who are comfortable in them, and those who would not feel more conspicuous if two wombats were mating on their head.” ~ Unknown - See more at: http://www.pearlsandswine.com/hat-quotes-a-slight-obsession/#sthash.7qAVxX8z.dpuf

Black and white is a favorite color scheme of mine when doing a fashion-related tea. Whatever your guests wear, this background makes the colors pop. (Confession: This also works for me because I already have a lot of coordinating items on hand.) Pairing a seasonally-appropriate color with black and white will give it an affordably-fresh look every time. This go around, we chose pink and incorporated our color with paper buffet napkins (on sale) and sweet-looking crepe streamers (about $7 for both).

The Tablescape:
The more hatted guests you have, the more fun your tea will be. So instead of a sit-down luncheon, I suggest setting a buffet to accommodate the most guests possible and allow the lovely ladies to perch wherever they like.

The table centerpiece sets the tone for your tea party. I like height and flair in the center of my table. In this case, the black and white hatboxes give a color-coordinating nod to our theme and were surprisingly inexpensive (I used the weekly 40% off coupon and got them for $5-$8 each) at Hobby Lobby. My Aunt (the Queen of silk flowers) had the pink roses in her stash downstairs. (Visit seasonal clearance sales at your favorite craft store to pick up cheap silk florals to keep on hand.)  

To get this look: arrange rose stems in the center of the top hatbox so they look full and inviting. Hold them in place by stuffing newspaper around the base of the stems and filling the inside of the box until the flowers are secure. Then hide the newspaper by covering it with coordinating cloth napkins. The vintage pink ones pictured above came out of our linen chest (find similar ones at most flea markets or yard sales for pennies on the dollar). Voila! Instant tower o' hatboxes.

Nearly all the tableware items were purchased at clearance sales over a period of a couple years: the serving dishes, glassware and the iced tea dispenser (most from Hobby Lobby & Pier 1 Imports). In my opinion, the clearance sale is the modern girl's greatest party-planning tool. A little patience and knowledge about which party items will prove useful long-term can quadruple your budget buying power and significantly reduce the cost of entertaining over time.

The paper damask table runners were also purchased at a discount and are proving sturdy enough to be wiped clean and stored for future use. The black tablecloths are actually just yards of plain fabric. Washable, sale fabric is another cheap and versatile way to dress up your table, windows and fun holiday displays. I've used this black fabric for everything from tea parties to Halloween haunted houses and photo shoots. Just be sure to hem (by machine or with fabric tape) any edges that are likely to fray. Or fold the ragged edges under, if you're in a hurry. No judgment here.

The Menu:

Suggested Menu for the Madly Hatted Tea

Peach Scones with Butter & Honey

Assorted Hot Tea 
***

BLT Bites with Basil Cream Cheese

Turkey-Avocado Finger Sandwiches
Iced Black Tea with Lemon Lavender Syrup

 ***

Assorted Cookies
Gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes with Fondant Hats*

 

(*A big believer in supporting small business, I prefer to order specialty desserts & baked goods from local friends & small businesses whenever possible. The gorgeous & delicious gluten-free cupcakes featured above came from west-suburban Chicago baker/artisan, Lisa Zavala (lisazavala@rocketmail.com). I highly recommend asking around among your friends and cultivating a relationship with fledgling bakers, chefs and caterers in your area. Chances are, most everyone knows someone. The resulting relationship often means your table is consistently set with fresh and fabulous goodies and your goodie-collaborator gains new regular customers. I also always ask for business cards to have on hand in case a guest asks where something came from--and they usually do.)   

Of course, pick and choose what tips and tricks work best for you and your guests. After all, the most important things are quality time spent with your guests and their wide smiles of delight. Oh, all the madly hatted fun we had!!!

The way you wear your hat, The way you sip your tea, The mem'ry of all that No, no! They can't take that away from me! -- Ira Gershwin                  

Quotes courtesy of goodreads.com and quotes.yourdictionary.com.