Tea Suggestions

[shindeco]

Sounds like a great plan. The party should be a roaring success.

Here are two links to a couple of "training" films from the forties about how to give a tea. They take quite a while to load but are fun. Worth the download time.

http://www.archive.org/details/lets_give_a_tea_1946

http://www.archive.org/details/ArrangingThe

(a gentle note, if I may: women are not the only people who drink tea or go to tea parties)

 

[Rosie]

Thanks for that shinedeco. Actually, my brother and a friend of his asked if they could come just this morning. I had intended it to be an all girl thing but I told them they were welcome if they dress appropriately. I can just see my normally rather casually dressed sibling looking for tails and a top hat to try and show me up. lol

 

[shindeco]

I can just see my normally rather casually dressed sibling looking for tails and a top hat to try and show me up. lol

Hmmm, sibling rivalry being used for good and not for evil; not a bad idea!!

 

[BlancheDubois]

Rosie, How lovely your teaparty plans sound! Here's a link to Teatime magazine, one of my favorites http://www.teatimemagazine.com/index.htm

Teatime magazine is published by the same company as another favorite of mine, Southern Lady magazine http://www.southernladymagazine.com/index.htm

Both publications feature many wonderful recipes in each issue.

I love visiting tea rooms and try to do so at least every month or two. Several years ago I had tea at Harrods in London, complete with pink champagne. The Harrods tea experience was an unforgettable delight in every way, but being invited to someone's home for a tea is a special honor. Your friends are fortunate to have you as a hostess, Rosie.

 

[Sweet Leilani]

I don't have my etiquette book handy, so I can't answer this myself, but is it proper to eat with gloves on?

 

[Rosie]

I don't have my etiquette book handy, so I can't answer this myself, but is it proper to eat with gloves on?

According to Mrs. Emily Post, the little white (or pink or blue, etc.) glove is removed upon arrival when one is indoors. If it is an outdoor event, gloves are removed when eating, they may be kept on if a lady chooses only to drink something. However, opera length or evening gloves do not have to be removed because it would be unsightly for a lady to have have to shimmy in and out of the gloves for all to see.

 

[Rosie]

Thanks Blanche for those links. I'm really getting carried away with this. My local thrift store had all manner of serving ware and I raided my Mom's little used serving accessories closet and came up with some really gems. The highlight of my day, hopefully, will be this:

which I'm hoping will come out well. Also, I'm not going to do bright childish colors like that. I'm really very excited. Thank you all for your help, I truly appreciate it.

 

[decodoll]

According to Mrs. Emily Post, the little white (or pink or blue, etc.) glove is removed upon arrival when one is indoors. If it is an outdoor event, gloves are removed when eating, they may be kept on if a lady chooses only to drink something. However, opera length or evening gloves do not have to be removed because it would be unsightly for a lady to have have to shimmy in and out of the gloves for all to see.

I think I read somewhere that with opera and evening gloves you unbutton them and pull just your hand out of the opening and fold the glove back.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

think I read somewhere that with opera and evening gloves you unbutton them and pull just your hand out of the opening and fold the glove back.

Yes--that's called a mousquetaire.

http://home.att.net/~design-house/etiquette_gloves.htm

 

[decodoll]

Yes--that's called a mousquetaire.

http://home.att.net/~design-house/etiquette_gloves.htm

Aw yes, that is where I read it. Thanks, Jitterbug.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Aw yes, that is where I read it. Thanks, Jitterbug.

I think it's a neat word When I worked in a bridal shop I would always tell the brides who chose to wear opera length gloves this bit of info.

 

[Rosie]

I think I read somewhere that with opera and evening gloves you unbutton them and pull just your hand out of the opening and fold the glove back.

Yes, that's true, I forget about that. But not all opera length gloves use buttons. Traditionally they did but with newer gloves, stretch material allows one to push their hands through.

 

[BlancheDubois]

Thanks Blanche for those links. I'm really getting carried away with this. My local thrift store had all manner of serving ware and I raided my Mom's little used serving accessories closet and came up with some really gems. The highlight of my day, hopefully, will be this:

which I'm hoping will come out well. Also, I'm not going to do bright childish colors like that. I'm really very excited. Thank you all for your help, I truly appreciate it.

Rosie, you're quite welcome! The cake is perfect and it should turn out well. I've seen one at a little girl's tea party/birthday party. Her mother baked it in two large mixing bowls, I believe.

Thank you for the lovely private message. You have mail.

 

[Kt Templar]

I finally found the pic I took at Harrods, please excuse the jacket in the background, they were dressed for London in the spring!

 

[Miss Crisplock]

Hello, I am new, and very pleased to be here.

I am sure you all know this, but the best hint I recieved about tea sandwiches was to go to a bakery and ask them to slice a loaf of bread horozontally. After a few minutes of explaining, I had loaf that I could make up into loaf sized sandwiches (cucumber, watercress, salmon) and then cut the crusts off and into fingers or triangles.

It made the process so much easier.

I got a lot of my tea information from Miss Manners Guide to Excurciatingly Correct Behavior Does anyone else enjoy Miss Manners?

I am sure you will have a lovely tea.:eusa_clap

Miss Crisplock

 

[Viola]

I got a lot of my tea information from Miss Manners Guide to Excurciatingly Correct Behavior Does anyone else enjoy Miss Manners?

I do. I think she's witty and its entertaining in a soothing way.

Now I want a tea party to go to!

I've never made tea from loose tea, only bags. (Celestial Seasons has some wonderful herbal/fruit flavors) Is it very difficult? I have some nice teapots on a shelf but I've never used them.

Its not very traditional, I don't think, but white chocolate and macademia brownies look very teatime to me:

 

[RaasAlHayya]

Miss Crisplock wrote:

"I got a lot of my tea information from Miss Manners Guide to Excurciatingly Correct Behavior Does anyone else enjoy Miss Manners?"

My copy is absolutely falling apart from being read so much.

--Leslie

 

[Rosie]

Well, the threat of rain and very gray skies forced my event indoors but, it was wonderful. I'll have to post pics later as I am much too lazy to plug up my camera and transfer pictures at the moment. We had a wonderful afternoon filled with tea, coffee, and way too much food followed by games of scrabble, bridge and pitty pat. I had wonderful chocolate tea cups and tea pots made and chocolate covered oreos which had wonderful puffed hearts on top. Sadly, I don't think I took a picture of the food table once everything was out since I spent lots of time running around hosting. I got to wear my hostess apron which I was very happy about. My final menu turned out to be:

cucumber sandwiches
chicken salad sandwiches
turkey and cheese pinwheels
veggie platter
crab salad with toast points

blueberry scones with struesel topping
cream scones
devonshire cream
lemon curd
strawberry preserves
chocolate cupcakes
chocolate cream filled cookies
cream puffs (some filled with chocolate cream)
tea cakes and sugar cookies

hot tea (green, lemon, earl grey, passion, orange, mint and apple)
coffee, colombian and hazelnut
lemonade
sweet tea

and my teapot cake which turned out looking more like an apple

Thanks ladies and gents for all of your wonderful suggestions!

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Ham on the Street on the Food Network just had a show on sandwiches, and they had a section on tea sandwiches. Here's a link.

One trick I've used for other things but never thought of for sandwiches that he used on the show - for the tea sandwiches, he cut them with an electric knife. Nice clean cuts and no "squishing" the bread and filling.

A little late for Rosie's party, alas, but a great tip for future tea party givers!

And now I'll tiptoe back out of Powder Room...

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Rosie, I am drooling! That sounds AMAZING!