Afternoon Tea Sandwiches

Afternoon tea sandwiches are usually dainty and easily consumed in less than three bites.   Here are a few ideas for traditional and not-sotraditional sandwiches.

TRADITIONAL CUCUMBER SANDWICHES
1.  Butter slices of white bread. 
2.  Cut cucumber slices very thin and sprinkle lighting with salt.  Place between slices of bread. 
3.  Garnish with a dash of paprika.
4.  Serve immediately to prevent dampening.

For a modern twist on the traditional cucumber sandwich, visit The Hot Plate for their beautiful gluten-free cucumber tea sandwiches pictured here.  

EGG SALAD SANDWICHES
1.  Hard boil eggs.
2.  Once eggs are cool, cut up eggs into small pieces.
3.  Stir mayonaise into eggs.
4.  Add cut celery or green onion, and a dash of curry powder if desired.
5.  Spread on white bread.
6.  Cut off crusts and cut into quarters.

WATERCRESS SANDWICHES
1.  Clean and dry watercress leaves.
2.  Spread salted butter on each side of white bread. 
3.  Place watercress in the middle between slices of buttered bread.
4.  Cut off crusts and cut into quarters or use cookie cutters to cut into shapes.


SMOKED SALMON AND CREAM CHEESE SANDWICHES
1.  Spread cream cheese on each slice of bread.
2.  Cut up smoked salmon into thin slices and place between slices of bread. 
3. For added visual appeal, roll the edges of your sandwich into plain yogurt and then into parsley.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"  I love this saying so much that I recently had a little lemonade party to celebrate it.  (Notice the cute little lemon jello slices taken from a previous post on Jello Slices.)   

But most of all, I have been thinking about that catchy little phrase.  I recently read an article about optimism and the author made the point that optimists are not just "positive-thinkers" but proactive doers.  What sets apart optimists from pessimists are their can-do attitude.  It isn't so much that optimists always believe the future to be rosy.  But when faced with adversity, they have faith that they can conquer the challenge and they go ahead and take action.  Pessimists will look at a problem and often not do anything about it because they don't believe anything they can do will help to solve it.            

Hebrews 11 is like a hall of fame for those people in the Bible who had great faith. The interesting thing is that it describes each person as doing something by faith.  They didn't just believe and wait for things to happen.  By faith, they acted.  By faith, Abel offered a sacrifice to God.  By faith, Noah built an ark.  By faith, Abraham left his home and went into another country.  They all acted in faith. 

Sometimes life challenges us in such a way that we have to act even if we don't feel like it.  Most of the time, if we can proactively work towards a solution, we will begin to feel better.  Passivity, on the other hand, neither produces results nor positive feelings.  Sometimes passivity can even be a sign that we don't trust that God will take care of us.  So the next time life gives you lemons, decide to put your faith in God and face your fears head on.  Then make some lemonade and throw yourself a party! 

Watermelon Jello Slices

Continuing with the theme of keeping cool this summer, I discovered some great ideas online.  Look at these adorable Jello slices.  You can do this with Lemons, Limes or Oranges.   Here are the basic instructions. 

1.  Cut your fruit in half and carve out the inside so that you just have a shell.

2.  Prepare your flavored jello according to the instructions on the package AND add a packet of unflavored gelatin to make the jello firmer. 

3.  Pour the jello into the halved fruit and cool in the refrigerator.

4.   Once the jello is set, then you can cut them into slices.

You can use lemon jello for lemon slices, orange for orange slices and lime for lime.  Or use watermelon jello with limes for a whimsical dessert.  Decorate with edible "seeds" (candy, herbs, etc.)  A lot of people have used this idea for making shots, but you can just use water or juice in the jello mixture for a kid-friendly summertime treat. 

Visit The Family Kitchen to see the recipe for the beautiful Watermelon Jello Shooters pictured here. 

Summer Slushies

The long hot days of summer are upon us, and I am always trying to find ways to keep the kids cool!  We have been eating our fair share of popsicles and italian ice, but have also started making our own fruit slushies. 

Our family seems to have an unending supply of fruit that is just about to become overripe, so I have found that making slushies and shakes are the perfect way to use up that fruit.  It is also a great way to sneak extra servings of fresh fruit into picky eaters.  All it takes is a good blender, some ice and a few spoonfuls of sugar.  We have made delicious slushies using peaches, watermelon and strawberries.   For milkshakes, you just need to add some milk or a few scoops of vanilla ice cream. 

To make the beautiful Watermelon milkshakes pictured above, visit Foodess for an easy, delicious recipe.

High Tea for Alice

When it comes to entertaining, presentation is equally, if not more, important than food itself. Table settings and decor set the mood for parties and can transform even store bought food into something beautiful. I have always been fond of vintage china and glassware. They are both elegant and beautiful without being overly formal.

I recently discovered a lovely Etsy boutique appropriately named "High Tea for Alice" that takes lovely European china plates and teacups and turns them into tiered dessert stands. Can you just imagine serving little tea cakes and sandwiches on something like this? They carefully select each unique plate and coordinate them with others to make a brand new set. The results are simply delightful. They come in a variety of colors and styles, and also take custom orders.

Visit High Tea for Alice for "exquisitely indulgent, remarkably heirloom, extravagantly refined, decoratively sublime & cheerfully divine stands to fill and feather your own personal wonderland."

A Taste of France

I recently discovered that Laduree's beautiful Sucre cookbook is finally available again online. The truth is that it is much too beautiful to be called a cookbook. Presented in a keepsake box that looks just like Laduree's iconic mint green gift boxes, the book has gold-lined pages and stunning pictures. Mind you, the recipes in the book are not for the faint of heart, but I just love the book for the pictures. It reminds me of all things French and all things beautiful.

If you have ever visited Paris, you may have seen their legendary flagship store on the Champs Elysees. They also have locations in very select cities around the world (London, Tokyo, Milan, etc.) In 2011, Laduree finally landed on North American shores... in New York City. Let me just say that if you have never tried a macaron from Laduree, it can best be described as a little taste of heaven. They are truly magnificent. They come in such other-worldly flavors like Rose Petal, Black Currant, Caramel with Salted Butter, Mango with Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Lily of the Valley. They will set you back $2.70 per cookie but are totally worth it! And of course, part of Laduree's appeal is in their exquisite presentation. Their pastries come boxed in their signature mint green gift boxes and tied with a ribbon. Each of their stores are graciously appointed. Marie Antoinette would have been pleased. In fact, Sofia Coppola featured Laduree's macarons in her stunning film Marie Antoinette. They have come to epitomize the exquisite heights of French pastry.

For a little taste of France online, visit the Laduree website.
Photo: Yuichi Sakuraba

Favors for a Summer Gathering

Summer is really upon us in full swing, and that means times for picnics and poolside gatherings! We usually think of favors only in terms of weddings and children's birthday parties. But they make a pleasant surprise for any get together, and you don't have to spend a lot of money to make favors everyone will love.

I love this idea for summer party favors from Martha Stewart. It is simple, pretty and healthy. All you need are a few small baskets which can be found at almost any craft store for less than a dollar a piece. Fill with fresh fruit, cellophane-wrapped cookies, scones or other treats. Create your own personalized tags and tie with twine for a rustic look. For a Fourth of July celebration, stick a miniature American flag in each basket. Your guests will love them!

An Afternoon Repose

In our busy lives, it is sometimes hard to pause for even a moment in the day. We in America are especially prone to keep ourselves going at a dizzying pace because we carve out time to just relax. In many other cultures, there are built-in breaks during the day. If you travel to Spain, you will find that most restaurants and stores are closed for several hours during the afternoon for "Siesta." Workers return home for lunch with the family and a short nap before returning to work.

In England, the tradition of Afternoon Tea provides a respite in the midst of a busy day. Afternoon Tea was started by Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford. She was a good friend of Queen Victoria. During the 18th century, dinner was often served as late as 8:00 p.m. There was a long period between lunch and dinner, and so she often got a "sinking feeling" right around 4:00 in the afternoon. During a stay at Belvoir Castle, she began requesting Darjeeling tea and small cakes or sandwiches to be sent to her room in the afternoon. She enjoyed it so much that she started to invite her friends to join her, and thus the tradition of afternoon tea was started.

Afternoon Tea is a wonderful way to relax and appreciate the beauty in each day. Everything about teatime is beautiful. From the china teacups to the petite sandwiches and delicate cakes, Afternoon Tea exudes elegance. And because a cup of tea takes some time to finish, it almost forces you to slow down and take pause. And you can experiment with taking tea in a variety of ways. During warm weather, have a glass of iced tea outside on the porch. This lovely setting from Tea Time Magazine captures the beauty of an alfresco setting. Add some edible flowers in your teacup. In the fall, add a cinnamon to some apple tea. In the wintertime, substitute tea for hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream.

Psalm 23:5 says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows." So when you drink your cup of tea, think of the many ways in which God has made "your cup overflow." Name your blessings. God has promised to bless you so that you will always have more than you need and enough to give to others.

For Afternoon tea recipes, table settings and inspiration, visit Tea Time Magazine.

Setting a Beautiful Table

It is so easy to rush off a meal each day and never think of how we present our food. After all, table settings are reserved for occasional parties and formal gatherings. But every day mealtimes with our families can be something special if we put a little extra effort into the details. And it doesn't have to be expensive either. Pick some fresh flowers or branches from your yard and put it in little bud vases. Add a lemon to a glass of water. Use vintage linens and glassware for a touch of whimsy and charm.

Even if you only serve cereal and milk for breakfast, you can make your presentation beautiful. Try serving milk in a glass container. I found this glass milk bottle at World Market for only $5.99! It has beautiful blue French lettering and holds over a liter of milk. You can print any image on burlap by using image transfer paper that can be found at most craft stores. I wanted a French image on the placemats and I found one already made to be transfered at The Graphics Fairy, a phenomenal blog with a treasure trove of free images that you can use for your own crafty projects!

As you can see, it doesn't have to take a lot of money or effort to set a beautiful table. All it takes is a little thought and the heart to do it.

Celebrate Spring with Peter Rabbit

Last Spring, I hosted a "Celebrate Spring" party with a Peter Rabbit theme. We set up a table outside in the backyard and the kids all had deviled eggs, quartered sandwiches, and cupcakes. The cute little garden carts and cupcake picks made it so simple to decorate otherwise plain white cupcakes. All of the lovely paper goods were from Meri Meri. They carry a whole line of party goods, including cupcake boxes, cupcake picks, plates, cups and napkins. Around Easter time, most stores carry a bunch of Peter Rabbit items. I picked up boxed Peter Rabbit chocolates as favors.

We had been reading the Peter Rabbit stories together as a family, and I thought it would be a great tribute to the mischievious little bunny. I really love the quiet pace of Beatrix Potter's books and the beautiful illustrations of the English countryside. To me, Peter Rabbit captures the spirit of childhood and all of its wonderful moments which we so often miss in the hurried pace of life. To discover more about the beautiful world that Beatrix Potter created, visit the official Peter Rabbit website.