When did you last have a tea party? When was the last time you enjoyed a cup of tea with friends you love? This wintery month is the perfect time to do it again! Today I'm sharing a small tea party for 3, Sip and Celebrate: A Winter Birthday Tea Party.
Welcome to Monday Morning Blooms!
Mary, Pam and I are excited to invite you to join us for Monday Morning Blooms for February. This month we are thrilled to welcome back our friend, Sarah, from Hyacinths for the Soul. I'll share all their links at the bottom of this post for you.
I'm hosting a virtual tea party today, please pour yourself a warming cup of French Marie Antoinette Tea, and join us for a little celebration by the fire in the living room.
Last summer I attended an afternoon tea at the beautiful Art Deco restaurant inside of Harrod's, London with my daughters and granddaughters. Laughter and lively conversation mingled with the clinking of china cups as we indulged in delicate sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and a selection of delectable pastries.
For a dear friend's birthday this year, I hosted an intimate tea gathering for the just three of us. I envisioned a cozy afternoon filled with delicate china, fragrant loose-leaf teas, and of course, delicious treats.
A little round French bistro table became our small tea table in our living room, layered with a tablecloth, antique and vintage teacups, and delicate porcelain and silver to serve.
The silver plated knife rests held tea knives, and a variety of bonbon spoons were used to self serve the desserts.
On the tea table nearby, delicate desserts waited to become part of the tiered food service - on the first layer, scones, the second layer small tea sandwiches, and the top layer all sorts of tea time delights. {I forgot to take a photo of the layers of tea delights before we ate them!}
I chose a bright citrus colored candle, a candle always makes a table seem special. The Tiffany sterling bonbon basket is so darling and feminine, this time it held little heart shaped cookies instead of chocolates.
The flowers were a sweet combination of white alstroemerias, pink wax flowers, and light blue hydrangeas arranged in an antique large sugar container.
Our potted lemon tree in the front garden always has so many lemons at this time of year, that I used a little cluster of them on the table as a decoration.
The mock clotted cream for the scones was delicious! {I'll share the recipe with you}
Soft background music and the gentle clinking of teacups created a soothing ambiance, perfect for catching up and enjoying each other's company.
At the end of our time together, I presented my birthday friend with her tea cup in her favorite yellow colors, a variety of French teas, an antique silver tea spoon, a jar of French honey and a small box of bonbons for her to take home.
It was less about the grand gestures and more about celebrating our friendship in a meaningful and personal way, making it a birthday we three will cherish for a long time.
I've tried several recipes for making your own clotted or Devonshire cream, and this one is the winner. Less expensive and way easier to make, and oh so good!
Mock Clotted Cream
INGREDIENTS:
4 Oz. of whipped cream cheese
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream or Greek Yoghurt
1 Tablespoon white sugar
Tiny, tiny pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
- Put the whipped cream cheese, sour cream{or yoghurt} and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix together until soft and completely blended together without lumps.
- Add the heavy cream and tiny, tiny pinch of salt, whip until peaks form. I like to add just a very small amount of vanilla, too.
- Cover and keep in the fridge until serving, at least one hour to get it chilled well.
Thank you so very much for joining me today for this special birthday celebration! I appreciate your taking the time both to join all of us, and I cherish your comments.
Please visit my friends by clicking their links, below.
14 comments
Loved the affirmations! The mock clotted cream recipe is a must try. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas.
Jo
Oh, Lidy! What a lovely tea time you created! Every detail is a soul nourishing treat! How I would love to sit at your tea table one day, my friend! xoxo
Myrna, thanks so much for stopping by! Those little tea knives were part of my grandmothers silver. She used them at tea time, to cut pastries etc. She also had fruit knives, which are the same size but pointier and sharper.
What a lovely tea for a birthday. Your fiends must have been so excited to see the tea table and desserts. I love the Tiffany basket. I don’t think I have ever seen a tea knife..
Oh, Lidy! You tea at Harrod’s with your girls brings back such lovely memories for me. The Chef and I never missed an opportunity to have tea when in London or Paris or some other European town. It’s difficult to find local restaurants that serve a special tea time. I applaud the idea of sharing special times with friends. Those are the best kinds of gifts we give each other. I know your friends was thrilled with the occasion and the thoughtful gifts.
TheTiffany sterling basket is stunning! Is it a family piece? Thank you for the recipe. I will certainly give it a try! With all my lemons from my post today, you have me thinking I should make lemon bars. Not that I currently need any more sweet temptations in the house!!!
A big thanks to you, Mary, and Pam for sharing the beauty of flowers and pretty dishes each first Monday and throughout the years of your many amazing blog posts. As always, I’m honored to be included as a guest host! Happy month of February!
Thanks so much, dear friends, for visiting my little tea party today!
Such a delightful birthday tea party Lidy! The little pile of lemons by your beautiful floral centerpiece add a nice pop of color to this wintery scene! The clotted cream sounds so good, thanks for sharing the recipe. What a lovely send off gift you gave the birthday girl~ Happy February!
Oh to have been at your table Lidy. And the tea at Harrods in London! And your sweet remembrance to your friend of her very own tea cup. And so I don’t miss seeing the other goodies on the tiered tray. It was all so feminine and beautiful.
What a lovely idea to host a tea party with all these lovely treats.
Adore the antique silver,especially the little (bonbon) basket.
What a lovely birthday you gave to a friend. How sweet of you. All your delicious treats and tea sandwiches sound quite delightful. Your silver servers are gorgeous, along with your beautiful china and teacups. Such elegance!
Happy new week to you.