Golden Snowball Tea

The inspiration for my Golden Snowball Tea was a gift from one of my tea ladies.  The gold tea pot was a wedding gift to her in 1947.  I feel so honored that she chose to pass this tea pot on to me.
        



The table scape started with a gold tablecloth.
I always try to use dishes or food as my centerpiece.  In this case the featured teapot is displayed on a gold edged ruffled doily.  The snowflake place mats are additional doilies.  Gold edged dessert plates are layered on white plates serving as chargers.  Each of the floral teacups and saucers are rimmed with gold.  The  yellow and white napkins complete the  table top.

The Menu

Potato Bacon Chowder

Cream Puffs

Ambrosia Tarts

Sweet Snowball Cookies

Meringue Drops

Silver Ice Tea

White Tea with Pear

The menu items were chosen to depict snow and snowballs.

                  

The bacon potato chowder was the perfect first course.

Desserts displayed on the buffet. 

 ( The photos were shot with no intention that they would ever be posted on a website.  I've since learned to remove my husband's scanner and candle tops!!)

Tea ladies enjoying tea on a snowy winter afternoon.

Halloween Tea 2012

Halloween Tea 2012

Carrot Jello Snack Cups

Apple Bundt Cake

Pumpkin Roll
Apple Turnovers

Tea Choices

Pomegranate Blood Orange

Pumpkin Spice

Orange Pineapple

Apple Cinnamon

Pumpkin Melon

Cinnamon Melon

Its Halloween week and time for a tea.  The menu is set but what will this year's tablescape be?  I have a  selection of autumn teas but can't decide which ones to serve.   I  think  my guests  can choose for themselves.  It's the perfect time to dust off  all my "teapots for one"!

That's quite a selection of colors and styles but what better time than Halloween to mix things up.

  

Add plates, napkins,silver and this will work.  Orange fiesta plates borrowed from my brother make perfect serving dishes.  The last minute addition of a jello salad with carrots, cabbage and celery give the tastebuds a break from all the sweets.   At every tea I promise a more healthy diet but it never seems to happen. 

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Tea is done and my friends have gone  with  smiles on their faces and trays of treats.  Hosting my afternoon teas are such a rewarding experience - bringing together dear friends for afternoons of  companionship, stories and food.



Halloween Tea

With Halloween just around the corner its time to start putting ideas together for this years Halloween tea with my "Tea Ladies".   I've been reviewing last years photos for inspiration and decided to post them. 



My goal in planning last years Halloween Tea was to have the fun and mystique of Halloween while preserving the elegance of a Victorian Tea.

I thought a black and white table would accomplish this so I used black lace fabric over a white table cloth with white dishes.  White napkins were too boring so I decided to use rust colored napkins fan folded into glass footed mugs. 

Menu 

Pumpkin Scones

Apple Pecan Pastries

Pumpkin Roll

Cranberry Butter

Lemon Curd

Blood Orange Tea

Hot Mulled Cider

 

With the menu decided and the table set its time for last minute tweaking.  White on white plates were boring so decided to add black paper plates between the salad and dinner plates.  I don't like to use paper products but sometimes they add that needed accent.   Another last minute tweak was the addition of salt dips to hold individual  servings of lemon curd and cranberry butter for scones.   I also added spider rings to the handles of the mugs.

Friends Enjoying  Halloween Tea

 

 Oh no!   The ghost of Halloween past has set up her table for tea.  Hopefully she won't scare any guests away.  

The challenge now begins to plan this years tea.   I can't wait to try a recipe for caramel glazed pumpkin scones I found in "Alice's Tea Cup", a book of recipes from "one of New York's most whimsical tea spots". I also found a cleverly boxed assortment of fall tea's  from Tea of Life packaged by Amazon Trading LTD.    There are 6 different teas and I'm having a hard time deciding which to serve.  There is Pumpkin Spice, Pomegranate Blood Orange, Pumpkin Melon, Cinnamon Melon, Orange Pineapple and Apple Cinnamon.  All were excellent.   My decision will follow along with photos of my tea. 

Thanks so much for viewing my blog.    I've just discovered blogging and have lots to learn.    I'm looking forward to increasing my skills and sharing my collections and gardens in months to come.





Silver Harvest Tea

The leaves are at peak colors here in New York State and its time to gather my tea friends for another Afternoon Tea.    I recently found a snack set at our local church fall flea market sale that featured birds similiar to a silver salt and pepper shaker set that my mother recieved as a wedding present in 1940.  I think the cups will work perfectly to serve butternut squash soup and butternut scones will fit nicely on the plates.  One of my tea friends has a couple silver tea pots she'll let me borrow to go with my silver serving pieces.   Sounds like a Silver Harvest Tea is a perfect theme.

 



Menu

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Scones

Bacon Sage Butter

Pumpkin Cheese Cake with Sour Cream Topping

Apple Crumb Pie

Constant Comment & Blood Orange Teas

The table is set.  Food will be my center piece.  Of course, I forgot to take pictures of the table with the food arranged when I started greeting my guests.   I used clear footed cups for tea since I was using the "teacups" for soup.  The rust colored napkins are folded with a pocket to hold smaller white embroidered cocktail napkins.    I did remember to snap a picture while serving desert.  Such a pleasant and rewarding afternoon as we slow down and enjoy the relaxed setting of tea time and the company of good friends.



Tea on the Patio

   This is my first attempt at a post.  I recently discovered Bernideen's Tea Blog and was thrilled to           discover the world of blogging and a place to share my love of all things tea.   My photos are not staged for photo shoots but are candid shots from a series of teas that I have hosted.   I have collected teapots, tea cups, tea balls, linens and dishes for years.    A couple years ago a friend moved into my neighborhood and my first tea was born as a way to introduce her to her new neighbors.  We had such a great time that the teas have contined for the six of us.  Each tea has a different theme and I pull dishes from every room in my house complete my theme.