 |
| A sampling of goodies from our Ladies' Fashion Couture Tea |
American-style iced tea is the perfect drink for a hot, sunny day. It's never really caught on in the UK, probably because the last time we had a hot, sunny day was back in 1957. ~Tom Holt
Salutations, dear Reader! I hope my little post finds you well and enjoying this first, roasty day of summer. After all, what is 93 degrees between friends?
What's that you say? Nearly-triple digit temps may not be your cup of tea? (So to speak.) Well, then I have good news! June is National Iced Tea Month! So, in honor of this cold counterpart to our favorite, steeped beverage, my coworker and dear friend, the lovely Ms. H & I threw a fashion-inspired iced tea soiree last weekend.
 |
| H and I dressed to go with our theme. |
We decided our Ladies' Fashion Couture theme should be black and white so that each of our guests--decked out in their favorite colorful fashions--would "pop" against a neutral background, like so many delightful jewels. So, it seemed quite fortuitous as I rummaged through the house for black and white fashion accessories & party-ware to come across a plethora of appropriate items. In fact, I found so many ideal black and white pieces for a tea party that it turned out we only needed to buy the black and white monogrammed napkins (found 'em on clearance at Old Time Pottery) and a few ingredients for whipping up culinary deliciousness.
 |
| Shopping Cart Napkin Holder & Candlewick Luncheon Trays |
 |
| The Buffet with Fashion Accessory Vignettes |
 |
| Black & White Hat Vignette |
 |
| High-heeled Gouda, Sprout & Tomato Tea Sandwiches |
Ah, let's talk about the menu! H & I poured over our go-to issues of Teatime and Victoria magazine for weeks, deciding which of the gorgeous recipes we were going to try next (see the post on our March Spring Tea & Garden Party for more recipe ideas). Firstly, I refuse to throw a tea party without tea sandwiches. Not only are they delicious, but they provide the perfect culinary vehicle for taking your theme and making it edible. This time, I used a high-heeled cookie cutter to cut out slices of whole-grain white bread. I suspect this technique would also work for pita chips, certain types of scones and maybe even themed cut-out desserts.
The Menu for our Ladies' Fashion Couture Tea:
- 2 types of scones: Chive and Chevre (goat cheese) & fresh Blueberry
- Mini Carmelized Onion Pizzas
- Mini Poppyseed Chicken Salad Phyllo Cups
- Mini Phyllo Chocolate Coconut Bites
- White Chocolate-Marscapone Stuffed Strawberries
- Fresh-brewed Black & Green Iced Teas with a choice of three homemade syrups: mint, lemon or pomegranate.
We also invited our guests to bring a bite-sized dish to pass, if they liked. They arrived with all kinds of gorgeous, delectable goodies from printed chocolates and mini fruit tarts to a cheese sampler and a refreshing pea and cucumber salad.
Another novelty is the tea-party, an extraordinary meal in that, being offered to persons that have already dined well, it supposes neither appetite nor thirst, and has no object but distraction, no basis but delicate enjoyment. ~Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste
And enjoy, we did! Here are a few shots of my lovely guests living it up!
All in all, our fashion iced tea soiree was a smashing success! Cannot wait until our next swanky tea party! Looks like it might be a Mystery Tea in late October...will keep you posted...
A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards. ~A.A. Milne
Tea quotes courtesy of The Quote Garden.
Posts
