Added: 01/13/2006 |
Tea partyFive o'clock? Time to have a cup of tea, isn't it? Well, it can't either be an afternoon or morning tea. And of course the best way to have tea is to share it with friend.
Tear party has an air of something old-fashioned in it, but still this doesn't mean that it's out of fashion ' it never could be, it only means that it has a long history. By the way it on the opposite sharp fashioned ' if this could be said about tea ' to visit tea restaurants for a tea ceremony. Nowadays they've become a place either for a friendly chat, business conversation or date. But the black tea should definitely be poured in the domestics atmosphere.
Tea begins with a cup. Do you have an old porcelain tea set which had been used by generations of your grandmothers and grandfathers? It'll suit a tea party probably the best. If you don't have one but love to host you friends at your house and they in their turn like drop in by the way for a cup of tea ' then for sure you need to buy a tea set.
Still arranging a tea party you can solve the cup question in another way. Tell your guests to bring their favorite tea cups with them, say that the payment for a cup of good tea and a slice of a tasty strawberry cake will be a story about that cup. If they don't have no favorite cup and no story then of course you shouldn't leave them dying thirsty ' supply them with a cup by still ask for a story. The story can be somehow to attached to a tea theme, or just let it be something very warm and friendly just like the tea you're drinking.
The second thing you will definitely need for a tea party is a table. Tea party is an at table party. You'd better call a few good friends not very many so you'll be able to place them all round one table covered with a white tablecloth running towards the floor with the loose folds. Well the color of the tablecloth is not so important as the general look of a tea table. Imagine how you guests enter the living room and se a cozy coach and a nicely decorated table with a just-from-an-oven cake and a shining set of cups.
Another good tear party idea is to serve tea in the garden. Those who have an arbours, summer-houses or verandas are destined and obliged to host tea parties at the summer time. By the way the traditional English five o'clock is the best time for such open air tea party ' not a hot afternoon already and not a cool evening yet.
Another important question is how and what to serve at a tea party. Well, tea of course! Still there's a great diversity of teas, there're even some special tea shops selling everything you might need to have a cup of tea. You may either offer you guest a few variants of tea so that everyone may choose the one they prefer: any fruit tea, will berries tea, green tea, black tea, red tea, flower tea, jasmine green tea, earl Grey tea, any flavored tea, tea with exotic spices and etc. Among your guest will be for discovered the lover of all the types of tea. Thanks to teabags you won't need a division of tea tea-pots but only one kettle for boiling water. This will be a democratic tea party. But if you want to arrange a traditional tea party you will need to make a tea-pot of a strong black tea, a couple of lemons and a pot of cream. By the way traditionally tea as it's made in Orient is very black and very strong. But of course you shouldn't force your guests drink only strong tea, for those who love tea weak keep some hot water on the table. Also traditional tea is hot, very hot and supposed to be sipped slowly. Still some people can't stand hot food and drinks.
For these cool a pot of boiled water or make some ice bricks. For an outdoor tea party on some sunny summer day you may prepare some ice tea with lemon and sugar. You can make a theme tea party too. For example let reign some fruit tea. You may serve it in the cups, on the tablecloth colored as the chosen fruit or with some fruit pattern. Add to that all a plate of the fruits.
When you invite anyone for a tea party your guests usually don't expect to have a dinner. But still you should supply your tea table with some cookies, cakes, tarts and toasts. If fact preparations for a tea party isn't supposed to take a host much time. You boil some water, hit a shop for some cookies or simply check up your stores and in additional spent a couple of minutes making sandwiches.
So the formula of a tea party is very simple, the idea of it is very traditional, but still it's the perfect recipe to make people closer or just to have a couple of hours of a warm and friendly talk.
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