Garden Tea Party Ideas

Tea parties are appropriate for birthdays,
Mothers Day, Bridal/Baby showers, or anytime!

A tea party can be as casual or formal as you want it to be. Decide ahead of time what your social function calls for. Keep decorations and foods simple, with as much make-ahead items as possible, so as the hostess, you can relax and enjoy the party!

Keep the menu light. Even the party is over the lunch hour, all you need to serve is light fingerfoods. Fresh vegetables with dip, and perhaps some fruit as well, cut them nicely and display them on pretty platters. Cookies and scones are wonderful, simple desserts. If you are serving at mealtime, simply add a larger variety of sandwiches and perhaps a pasta or green salad.

Setting foods at different heights makes the buffet very appealing to the eye. Use a cake pedestal and tiered servers to achieve this effect. Make use of those paper doilies and lace placemats!

For a casual Garden themed party, you can use garden tools to replace some of the usual party utensils... clay pots, garden tools for serving. Use a really clean (new) watering can as a drink server, use galvanized steel buckets for ice, for canned drinks etc.

Fresh flowers are always lovely, and perfect for a garden tea.
Bring as much of the garden greenery to the table as you can.
Seed packets make adorable invitations or place cards

Shape Theme Tea: Pick a shape and serve everything you can in that shape: hearts, tea pots, Christmas trees, stars, leaves, squares, circles, flowers. Cookie cutters come in so many fun shapes and sizes that there is no limit to the themes. Use them to cut your sandwiches, cookies, cookie bars, and scones. There are even candy molds, cookie molds and cookie presses as well as specialty spring form pans and cake pans. Cut your doilies this shape, as well as your invitations, favors, everything! More Themed Tea Parties at seeds of knowledge

Tea Time Etiquette By Tamera Bastiaans

Tucking cut flowers into napkins: First, fold the napkin by laying it flat, and fold in half widthwise so the folded edge is near you. Fold the top layer down halfway. Turn napkin over, and fold the edges into the center. Fold napkin in half. Tuck flower into pocket. More table setting tips like this at Taste of Luzianne - entertaining ideas and food with a Southern flair

Rent or buy fancy teacups and saucers, if you don't have any handy. Real tea service adds an element of glamour that cannot be compared to paper cups. Use real glass ice tea glasses. Keep coordinating paper or plastic cups handy, if you have children attending.

Victorian Theme Party Ideas

Croquet is a perfect game for a garden party!

How sociable the garden was.
We ate and talked in given light.
The children put their toys to grass
All the warm wakeful August night.
- Thom Gunn, Last Days at Teddington

Tea Sandwiches
The daintier the sandwich, the better. Always use firm-textured, thinly sliced bread, trim the crusts, and cut the sandwich into two or four smaller ones. Most guests will eat at least four tiny sandwiches, so offer a variety of flavors, some made on white bread, some on whole wheat. Vary the shapes -- cut some into squares, others into fingers, a few into triangles, and use a cookie cutter to create round ones. Cutting the crusts off the sandwiches after you fill them ensures that the filling will spread to the edges of each piece. Garnish serving plates with edible flowers or sprigs of watercress to add color. Bear in mind that thin-sliced bread dries out quickly: Fillings should be prepared the night before, and chilled to mix the flavors. Make sandwiches just before serving time and keep tightly covered with plastic wrap or a slightly dampened tea towel until the last minute.

The following recipe, and more excellent Tea Party
ideas, can be found at Tea Party Time

Celery & Walnut Sandwiches
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced toasted walnuts
To toast walnuts, spread on a baking stone (or sheet) and bake at 375 5-10 minutes until lightly browned. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in celery and walnuts.

Recipes for Tea Sandwiches and Goodies - about.com

Cucumber Sandwiches
Peel cucumber and slice very thin. Sprinkle slices with salt and drain on paper towels. Spread white bread with butter and a thin layer of cream cheese mixed with 1/2 tsp. dill weed. Layer cucumbers thinly. Cut into desired shapes.

Old Fashioned Kitchen Recipe Index

EPICURIOUS: GARDEN TEA PARTY RECIPES Shrimp Saté, Annabel's Pasta Salad, Green Bean and Potato Salad Pigs-in-Blankets, Oven-Baked Drumsticks Serrano Ham and Swiss Cheese Frittata Blueberry Cheesecake Bars, Watermelon-Honeydew Kebabs

Interesting Centerpiece Idea:

Giant Tea Cup and Saucer from Wonderfully Wacky .com
fill it with favors or fruit, chips, etc ...cute!

Adagio Tea's gourmet teabags combine the superior taste of loose tea with the convenience of a disposable bag.

Receive A Guide To Tea, an 88-page book on the history and enjoyment of tea free with your first Adagio Teas order of $19 or more.

Three Easy to Make Dessert Recipes For Your Tea Party
By Shelly Hill

When it comes to hosting a tea party for a few friends, often times we stress over what type of foods to serve. During a party, yo. u want to stick with light finger-style foods such as: tarts, fancy cookies, biscotti, muffins, pastries, cake and scones.

My guests have often told me that these 3 recipes that I make for my parties, are their favorites. I like to line my platters or dessert-style serving plates with lace doilies before arranging the food goodies on top. It just makes for a nicer presentation.

Tea Time Tassies

1 (3 ounce) block cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup flour

Filling:

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup brown sugar

dash of salt

2/3 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Let cream cheese and butter soften to room temperature, then blend together. Mix in flour. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove and shape into 2 dozen 1-inch balls. Place balls into mini greased muffin cups. Press dough on bottoms and sides of each cup.

To make filling: Beat together egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Divide half of pecan pieces among pastry-lined muffin cups. Add egg mixture, then top with remaining pecan pieces. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan.

Mini Tea Cake Balls

1 cup butter

1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chopped nuts (your choice)

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until blended. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Bake in a 350 degree oven on a ungreased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes or until set. Do not let them get brown. While warm, roll in powdered sugar. After they have cooled, roll the balls in powdered sugar again.

Lemon-Butter Snowbars

Crust:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/3 cups flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Filling:

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, combine the crust ingredients, blend thoroughly. Pat dough into an ungreased 8" square baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients, blending well. Pour filling over partially baked crust. Bake for 18 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and let cool.

Shelly Hill enjoys hosting tea parties for her friends and family. If you would like additional dessert-style recipes, please see her blog at: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com or her business website at: http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Hill
http://EzineArticles.com/?Three-Easy-to-Make-Dessert-Recipes-For-Your-Tea-Party&id=2572004

Party Favors:
Garden Favors: Let guests pot their own plants!
Buy a flat or two of easy-care blooming plants. Lay down butcher paper, so the mess is easy to clean up... make sure you have enough small clay or decorative pots, potting soil, tools & gloves for everyone to make their own party favors!
... or...
Send your guests home with a little planting kit, seeds, dirt, shovel, clay pot, etc, all wrapped in pretty tissue!

Make enough individual potted flowers so that everyone can take one home at the end of the party. Place several pots together at the center of each table as centerpieces. As an affordable option, once I used simple plastic party cups in matching colors for the plants, and my guests were thrilled to take them home!

Tea Favors: Send each guest home with a cute tea cup filled with flavored tea bags.
"Honey dippers" with personalized tags & ribbon are sweet favors also.
Candy covered spoons are yummy and festive.

How to Host a Memorable Event
With Tea Party Favors
By Rennie Whatley

Tea and its aroma always gives visitors a warm and welcoming feeling when brewed hot and offered up from your favorite tea pot, whether you have unexpected company, or if you plan an afternoon tea party for friends and neighbors. Everyone likes tea, but it is the accessories and tea party favors that make the time together even more special.

Ideal for any occasion, there are many party favors that will add character, convenience, elegance and charm to any event. Whether identically matched to your favorite teapot and cup and saucer pattern, or coordinated to compliment several heirloom collections, favors offer style and flair to any casual or sophisticated affair.

Tea Party themes are becoming very popular for bridal and baby showers, house warming events or other special occasions in which you invite friends and family into your home. Elegant favors presented as gifts to the bridal party, a favorite "aunt to be" or as a hostess gift or house warming gift to the new homeowner, can make any event more memorable. Some favorites include tea-bag caddies, floating candles and place-card holders in various themes. These and other similar favors can be strategically placed on the guest tables for everyone to enjoy while at the event and for guests to take with them afterward. Exciting and fun ideas abound when presenting a favor that will allow each guest to take home a special item to remember the exciting time together.

Tea party favors can be very unique, making them a conversation piece for your guests at the party, as well as among them for years to come. Some are decorative but useful like sewing kits, cookies cutters and bookmarks in a variety of favorite party themes. Others offer support for your favorite causes such as pink ribbon gifts which represent the ever-growing focus on finding a cure for breast cancer. Some other fun ideas include photo coasters in which you place a favorite photo to share, letter openers and scented sachets.

While the ideas are endless, the elegance and charm remain in whatever tea party favor you might choose for your special guests.

To learn more about tea party favors, visit The Teapot Shoppe

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rennie_Whatley
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Host-a-Memorable-Event-With-Tea-Party-Favors&id=2844654

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for a Summer Tea Party?
send it along with your city & state, for future inclusion on these pages... thanks!

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