Tea Time

Have you ever had a tea party with your family? If not, you should try it! Even our older boys love it! This is a tradition we started while living in Switzerland. The winters were extremely cold and the warm tea with goodies seem to warm us all. Alright, I know what you are thinking! How could she know what cold is, coming from southern Alabama. And, you are right. To those of you who live in the northern regions of our country, a Swiss winter may not be “extremely” cold. But to a southern girl, it is “Extremely” cold!

We have dishes I purchased while in Italy that are reserved for special occasions like a tea party or an Italian dinner. They are reserved because they can not be put into the dishwasher and must be washed by hand. With dirty dishes from 10+ people, washing becomes a monumental task for the person who has kitchen clean-up.

During our tea party, we normally serve cookies, cheese, crackers, fruit and sometimes party sandwiches. Christmas time makes for an especially inviting tea party as the holiday baking provides many appetizing cookies.

Everyone gets a cup and saucer…

Even our 13 month old! Her cup is actually a Polish pottery espresso cup which is more durable than the Italian dinnerware.

For the first tea party of the season, I gave her tea in her cup, which you can see, she must have help with. The caffeine did a number on her and we were up most of the night! She was not cranky, just wide awake. From now on, she gets her tea cup but with juice in it!

Tea parties do not have to be huge productions. They can be as simple as hot tea and something small to snack on. Or, they can be elaborate and include sweets and any finger foods you desire.