You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'parties' category.
Truly one of the best things about being 50, (perhaps the only good thing about being 50), is my grandchildren. What a delight they are to me! And the best part is, that they do go back home. And my house can return to being a peaceful, (and clean), sanctuary. Last week I had the pleasure of hosting two of my favorite people, while giving the their Mama a little break after having just delivered her 4th baby. He makes our 6th little grandbaby, our 2nd grandson. Big sister and big brother got to spend the week over here with Grandma and Grandpa. Naturally, we had to have at least one tea party! But I must tell you, they ask me to have a tea party for them. Nothing could make me happier. It’s such a fun way for us to spend time together.
Hosting a tea party for your grandchildren is super fun. And I guarantee they will LOVE it! Even my squirmy little grandson loves having tea in the tea room with grandma. You do this at one of their regular mealtimes, such as lunch. Everything that kids love to eat can be easily translated into “tea party food”. We made graham crackers with jam, and celery sticks with peanut butter, slices of cheese, mandarin oranges, grapes, and banana bites, and a little slice of Angel Food cake for dessert! They loved it and ate every bite. It was served with a flavored herbal tea, (I used Raspberry Mint, which my grandson loved and drank 6 cups full! Good things the cups were tiny).
The little tea set I served lunch on was a thrift store find that cost me less than 8 bucks. It had some broken pieces. But it is just perfect for hosting a tea party for 2 grandkids and 1 grandma.
And in true grandma form, I used our little tea party as an opportunity to teach them about table manners. (Not that they needed much direction from me, since they happen to be very well behaved, thanks to some very firm guidance from their awesome mother). But we did talk a little bit about putting your napkin in your lap, and chewing with your mouth closed. Using magic words such as please, thankyou, and excuse me. There is a book titled Children’s Tea & Etiquette, by Dorothea Johnson if you’d like more information about proper tea manners. Personally, I think this book takes the etiquette theme way too far by suggesting which side of the chair to exit from when leaving the table, and where to leave the napkin, yadda, yadda. Too much information, I say. Too many rules spoil the fun of having a tea party. I am a tea party hostess, not a tea party snob. And I’d really prefer to let my grandkids have fun during the experience. So a few rules are great. But don’t take this too far.
Once the kids have settled and started eating well, I like to tell them a story. Any good story book will do. But in keeping with the occasion I chose to read one of the stories from Sandy Lynam Clough’s book titled “Come To My Tea Party”. This wonderful book has stories of kindness, recipes, and craft ideas. It’s a fun book for grandma’s to have in their library. My favorite children’s tea party book of all is Emilie Barnes book titled “Let’s Have A Tea Party”. This wonderful book is a plethora of fun party ideas, decorations, recipes, games, themes and more. There is a wealth of information here, and I highly recommend it. Whether you are hosting a tea party for your own children the neighbors kids, or the grandkids, you will find all the inspiration you could possibly need in these titles.
Well, I have just finished my cup of Kashmiri Green Chai, which means it is time for me to say goodbye and finish up my errand running for the day. I hope you will join me again for tea soon.
Blessings,
Tea Lady Darla
Greetings dear tea lovers, and welcome back. I am relaxing this afternoon with a cup of Buckingham Palace Tea. I have grandchildren staying with me this week, and I have just put them down for an afternoon nap after spending the afternoon at the Outside In Cafe in Redmond. I probably need the nap more than they do at this point. But I know the tea will relax and refresh me for the rest of the afternoon. Taking care of my grandkids reminds me of what a demanding job motherhood is. And yet, for all the blood, sweat, and tears, it’s still the most rewarding career choice of all.
One of my favorite things to do this time of year is host a Mother-Daughter Tea Party. This is a surprizingly simple way to make a lot of ladies, both young and old, feel incredibly special. Invite just a couple of your friends, and have them bring along their mothers, or their daughters, or both! If you have a larger home available with plenty of seating, you can invite several friends. Here is my no fail recipe for hosting a very memorable event for some of the favorite women in your life.
I start to decorate my table early in the day, so it’s done and out of the way. I use a white table cloth, (because it works for all seasons, and all holidays). I add placemats, flatware, crystal or glass stemware, luncheon plates, and cloth napkins, tucked into some fancy napkin holders. If you don’t have these items, don’t fret! Nowadays, there are lovely paper and plastic party ware that would work just fine for such an occasion. ( See my link to “Party Works” on the left, under Party Supplies). I also like to fill a little glass vase with some snipped flowers from my garden, (or you could pick up a little bouquet for next to nothing at Walmart). I like to sprinkle a little decoration of some sort on the table, such as glass pebbles, or colored confetti, or foam flowers. Use your imagination and I’m sure you’ll come up with something clever without having to make an extra purchase.
Make sure you have sugar and creamer dishes available, as well as a couple of teapots. Borrow these if you need to. Place a teacup and saucer at each place setting. I am fortunate to have a lovely collection of teacups. But if you don’t have teacups, you can consider shopping at thrift stores ahead of time and picking up several mismatched pieces. Or better yet, ask each lady to bring a favorite tea cup with them. They can then share a little story about what makes their cup a favorite during the tea party.
Once the table has been set, you can focus the rest of your time and energy on the menu. Basically I keep things pretty simple. A tray of fresh fruit, some scones with jam and Devonshire Cream, and of course tea. I serve two types of tea during my tea parties. One is a caffeinated black tea, the other would be a decaffeinated choice such as Rooibos or Herbal tea. If you have younger girls coming, you may even consider some sweetened ice tea or lemonade. This is my basic menu, and nothing else is needed, unless you really want to serve something more substantial that could be considered more of a luncheon. In this case I would suggest adding a quiche or salad, or perhaps just making some tiny tea sandwiches. A little cream cheese and dill blended together can be spread on white bread and topped with cucumber slices. Cut your sandwich into quarters, and remove the crust. Place these on a fancy glass serving plate, unless you have a tiered serving piece. A 3 tiered serving piece is a fun piece to use for fancy tea parties. Sandwiches take the bottom, scones, in the center, and cookies or tarts are on the top plate.
Truly, the food preparation for this tea party is very simple and can be accomplished in less than an hour. I always make my scones from good quality scone mixes, (see my links at left). They are quick and super easy. But most importantly they are absolutely delicious! Especially with some delicious toppings.
A couple of other things you may wish to consider at your tea party. A good hostess must also be ready to start good conversation between her guests. Think of good, safe topic that everyone can participate in, such as “What is the most important thing your Mother ever taught you”. Introduce the topic early and let everyone think about their answers. Encourage them to answer the question whenever they feel ready to do so. I also like to have someone available to take Mother- Daughter pictures after everyone has finished eating. E-mail these to your guests as a reminder of this special event. 
I hope you will consider having your own Mother Daughter Tea this year. You will be amazed at how much delight you will bring to the lives of the women you invite. And if you are anything like me, you will be delighted yourself, at how simple this plan is, how well it works, and how happy it makes other women.
Best wishes,
Tea Lady Darla
