Planning an Autumn Tea Party

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

I couldn’t say it better myself, so I include this post from my mentor, Dawnya Sasse

The Guide to Planning a Tea Party–Autumn Edition

To begin planning your tea party event, no matter what the season, you need start by answering a few questions:

How many people will you invite?
Who will they be?
What is your budget? How much does that give you per person?
When will your event take place?
What will be your theme? Some ideas for your autumn event are available through my post, “Six Possible Themes for your Autumn Event”. Other possibilities are:
1. Halloween/Reformation Day/All Saints’ Day
2. Election Day
3. Thanksgiving (both America’s and Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday take place in Autumn)
4. a Costume-Planning Party (thank you Sarah Ban Breathnach…I love your book! If you own it, be sure to check out her Autumn-themed party for Martinmas…so inspiring!). What a great idea for you crafty/seamstress types! Why not plan an afternoon to gab over tea and your handiwork in time to prepare your children’s costumes?
5. All Soul’s Day–November 2nd. A great theme for a tea party. Really. Have you lost someone dear to your family? Why not set aside time to share memories over tea with your children and tell them stories about your loved one. Has a friend lost a loved one in the past year, maybe even in a season of grief? What if you planned a tea and invited a small group of some of her friends that may have struggled to help through this time. Allow her to share freely and “weep with those who weep”.

Once you make these decisions, you need to send out your invitations. These can be done a number of ways. Remember, keep your budget in mind. I’ve listed some options below.

E-vites (free)
Snail-Mail Invitations with
1. fall-themed papers and your computer
2. preprinted Hallmark invitations you pick up at your local store and handwrite.
3. handmade, scrap-booking materials
Telephone Calls (personal, but take up your time. depending on the number of people you are trying to coordinate).

Next, you need to plan the menu. Remember to keep your budget, theme, and time of day in mind. And DON’T forget to plan the tea. I’ve written a thorough article on The Steps to Creating a Tea Party Menu to help with your planning. Specific ways to incorporate flavors of fall in the traditional tea menu are with:

butternut squash soup.
sliced pears and turkey tea sandwiches with Brie (yum!)
salad garnished with pomegranate seeds.
Apple Butter Cheesecake Bites
cranberry-walnut scones
pumpkin-based desserts like this pumpkin roll cake.

Tea flavors I suggest to serve at an autumn-themed event, depending on your menu, are:

caramel
chai
Earl Grey
vanilla
robust Assam or Ceylon estate teas
a Darjeeling

Once you’ve decided on your menu, think through how you will set your table. I’ve written some about setting the tea table already. Now is the time to think through what you already own, what you need to purchase, and what you can borrow. How many tables and chairs will you need? Remember, intimate is never more than eight, so take that into account when you think through your seating arrangement. What will be your centerpiece(s) and how you will incorporate your theme? Some ideas for autumn centerpieces are:

hollowed-out pumpkins as vases filled with chrysanthemums as they are prolific in fall.
large-pillar candle surrounded by mini-pumpkins and unusual gourds.
beautiful bowl filled with fall fruits like pomegranates, apples, pears, or a combination of all.
colored leaves from your neighborhood with unscented and protected tea-lights.

Part of setting your table means polishing any silver pieces and ironing any linens. Will you include a printed menu for your guests benefit? This is also the time to make/purchase some place-cards and decide what you want to give as a favor.

Take time now to decide what to wear and what music to play. How can these two elements add to your theme? Warm colors of red, orange, yellow, and peaches are associated with autumn. Can you wear one of them to your event? Some ideas for autumn-themed music are:

Autumn by George Winston
Appalachian Picking Society
Autumn Songs: Popular Works for Solo Piano

Once these decisions are made, you will see your theme come together with all the elements that help us celebrate autumn’s beauty. Be sure to spend some more time perusing Tea Party Girl’s archives for further details you might need to plan your tea party event. As always, feel free to email me or leave a comment with your questions as well.

May your event bring blessing to all who attend, and to you as well.

Resource Box:

Dawnya Sasse is the author of Tea Party Girl.com and is a long time educator in the art of tea. Grab 52 FREE Afternoon tea recipes by subscribing at http://www.TeaPartyGirl.com You are going to love it!

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Tea and Star Trek

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

It’s hard to believe that 46 years have passed since James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock first started their five-year mission to seek out new life and new civilizations. I was young enough to be a Chekov fan then. Then came Star Trek – Next Generation. Jean-Luc Picard and Will Riker expanded the galaxy even more. Not only that, but Captain Picard reintroduced me to tea, specifically Earl Grey.

Growing up I shared Bigelow Constant Comment and Plantation Mint with my mother. My grandmother drank Lipton. If I was lucky in the summer we found Plantation Mint instant and had iced tea. Once I got to college, however, there were a lot of “all-nighters” studying for nursing exams and writing a 32 page paper for each patient I would be caring for – 4 a week, plus term papers, and the other classes. I needed caffeine. Lots of caffeine. The sorority house where I was a dormie – they didn’t have enough sisters to fill the rooms – always had a coffee pot full. Granted it could be 15 hours old, but it was coffee. And when I began my nursing career, there was coffee in the unit kitchen. And when anesthesia school started and we attended EVERY delivery – that’s when a lot of them occurred in the middle of the night – and took call – well, you grabbed what was there quickly. It was that pot of 15 hour-old coffee. I learned to drink coffee hot or tepid or cold.

But, there was Jean-Luc Picard. Walking up to a wall and saying “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHsgt4NN9GA in case you’ve forgotten. And I became intrigued. Just who was Earl Grey and why did he have a tea named after him? And what did it taste like?

The Earl Grey that the tea is named for was the 2^nd Earl and he was a British Prime Minister in the 1830’s. He received a gift of black tea flavored with Bergamot oil, which is from an Italian orange. According to one legend, a grateful Chinese mandarin gave it to him after one of the Earl’s men saved his son from drowning. This is highly unlikely as the Chinese did not know about Bergamot oil. Jacksons of Piccadilly claim to have invented the recipe and have had it in constant production since. The Grey family says the tea was specially blended by a Chinese mandarin for Lord Grey, to suit the water of Howick Hall, the ancestral Grey home. The bergamot was to offset the lime in the local water. Lady Grey used the blend to entertain her London guests and it was so popular she asked if it could be sold to others, which is how Twinings came into the picture.

Earl Grey tea is not only good as a drink, but has been used as a flavoring for many types of cakes, chocolate confections and even in savory sauces. Here at the store Inggrie of TehKu Teas has blended Earl Grey and added mallow flowers. Earl Grey de la Crème. My favorite. Of course, now , the doctors say I have to limit caffeine.

So, thank you, Jean-Luc, for reigniting my love of tea and expanding my horizons.

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Hosting a Friendship Tea – The Easy Way

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

OK. The easiest way is to make reservations and come to Unicorn Wine Guild for tea. The next easiest is to do it yourself.

Make a list of 4 to 6 close friends. You might also want to include a couple of newbies in the group, but be sure that they are included in the conversation and don’t feel left out. It is a great way to introduce the new neighbor, club member, etc.

Make, buy or e-vite the group. Be sure to include a respond by date. You can even ask them to each bring a plate of their favorite dessert. In this case indicate the size of the group. It’s OK to ask.

Send out these invitations at least two weeks in advance. In this modern age, the longer the notice, the better. Saturday or Sunday afternoons are often the best time.

For your tea you will want to have 2 or 3 varieties of tea. Make sure that one is caffeine free such as a fruit or Rooibos.

A couple of days before the party gather your supplies – tablecloth, napkins, plates, cups and saucers, tea pot, silverware. Be whimsical or formal. Paper or china. The choice is yours. This will give you time to shop to complete your needed items. To ease the cost of entertaining, many recommend that if using china to collect plain white china or clear glass. This way the china lasts year round and you can accessorize with patterned linens (or paper). A centerpiece adds sparkle to the table. Choose flowers or a whimsical arrangement. It is nice to give a small gift to each participant. These can even be arranged as the centerpiece.

A few hours before the guests arrive, prepare two types of tea sandwiches, cut into triangles and cover in the fridge until serving time. You might also want to prepare something like a simple fruit dish. Don’t forget the milk, lemon and sugar cubes.

Arrange the food as a buffet. Serve iced tea in pitchers and hot tea in teapots. Let the guests serve themselves. (While one lump or two is wonderful for hot tea, it doesn’t do so well for iced. Having a small pitcher of simple syrup is a great benefit to the guests. It’s easy. Just stir equal amounts of sugar and hot water until they form a solution.)

Above all, have a good time with your friends. Don’t worry that it’s not perfect. The point of the whole thing is to share in friendship.

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Rooibos “Tea”

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

I love tea, especially black tea. But, somewhere along the line in the last few years my body has rebelled against caffeine. I have inherited a heart arrhythmia that requires a zap to the chest to fix. Not fun. Not cheap. So, I limit my caffeine consumption and save it for a piece of chocolate, and the occasional half cup of decaf coffee or a treat of a cup of tea – usually the second brew. My new love is Rooibos. A tisane from South Africa also known as “Red Bush”, many consider it to be a more healthy alternative to Camillia sinensis.

South African Bushmen harvested the Aspalathus linearis for centuries. However, as the number of Bushmen declined, it was almost lost. In 1772 botanist Carl Humberg rediscovered the plant. In 1904 Benjamin Ginsberg began production of a commercial product of Rooibos. During World War II when importation of tea from China was especially difficult, it saw a rise in popularity. Still expensive, it wasn’t until Annique Theron wrote a book on it’s health benefits in 1968 that production increased and thus became more affordable.

Rooibos undergoes oxidation and fermentation like black tea with an end result of containing more antioxidants. It is naturally decaffeinated as it contains no caffeine to begin with and has fewer tannins. With fewer tannins, the body can more easily absorb iron and thus the person feels more energized. It has a sweet and nutty taste.

Not only is Rooibos tasty as a hot drink, it makes a refreshing iced beverage. So, if drinking tea too late in the day makes you jittery or delays your rest, try substituting Rooibos. Use a heaping teaspoon brewed with 180 degree water for 7 minutes for a fine drink. Enjoy.

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Planning Your Tea Parties

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

There are a lot of details to remember when planning a tea party, be it a corporate, club, or personal function. And the best way to keep track of everything, and to bring back memories later, is to keep a journal. Choose whatever size you want. (I personally like a loose-leaf half-size binder.) If you like to scrapbook, you may want to use a journal that matches your favorite size. If you are a computer lover, you can keep it on the computer. I have more than one computer and invariably the information I want is on the other one. Yes, there are flash drives – in the other computer case. So, a loose-leaf notebook is my choice.

In your journal you can collect decorating ideas, themes, guest lists, recipes, and more. After each event you can critique what you would do differently, note where you stored your equipment and journal other thoughts about the day. Maybe you want to take pictures and place them along with your notes of the event.

The first things you should do for your party are to set the date, the theme and the guest list. Be sure to track your RSVP’s once you send out the invitations. Plan details such as decor, room arrangement, table settings, menu (with recipes) and beverage matches.

You will want to develop a shopping list and may even want to do some comparison shopping. You may find that a recipe or favor is out of your budget. You can also decide with your budget in mind whether to hand-craft your invitations, use pre-packaged ones or even use an electronic invitation.

A very important checklist is actually the timeline for the event. Be sure to double the time needed for any one thing. Distractions, cooking mishaps, and more can set you behind. Be sure to leave time for you to relax before guests arrive.

Depending on the size of the group you may even want to ask a few friends to help in exchange for a service for them. Barring that, you might offer a civic group or church a donation in return for help or, if large enough, hire help. Again, a checklist.

You might decide on a potluck. In which case you need to keep track of who is to bring what item and what items you borrowed or rented from whom. You might also want to create playlists for background music (soft classical or light jazz). You might even want to make a few notes about topics of conversation so you don’t forget the blessing for the meal or to toast the guest of honor or even topics that are taboo for the day due to sensitivities of a guest.

Your attention to detail will make the party memorable. By planning well ahead your guests will be amazed by the little things that make your party unique. Be sure to take pictures, have small gifts for the attendees and boxes to send leftovers home with the guests. Pictures you will want to have are of the centerpiece and table setting before guests arrive, pictures of the party in progress and afterwards. You might even want to send pictures to the guests afterwards.

Checklists will help you know you are well prepared and allow you to relax and enjoy the party, too. Remember though that not everything will go perfectly. Plan for contingencies and you will sail through the event. Tea parties are fun, for you and a friend or as a corporate event for 500. Preparation will ensure that.

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The Definitions for Different Types of Tea

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

Dawnya Sasse has been one of my mentors since I began my journey to open the tea portion of the winery. I share with you, with her permission, a definition of teas.

As I talk of different teas here at Tea Party Girl, you will find a definition for the different types here:

Assam-Like wines, teas are often named based on where the tea is grown. In this case, Assam tea is a black tea grown in Assam, India. Assam tea is the base for many of the breakfast teas, i.e. English Breakfast. Assam tea will give you a bold, malty flavor.
Ceylon-Ceylon tea is also named for where it is grown, Sri Lanka (previously the island of Ceylon). It is a black tea with a lighter, crisper taste than Assam.
Darjeeling-Sometimes called the champagne of teas because it is coveted above other teas and often more expensive. It is grown in India. Its taste is fruity and spicy. Most Darjeeling teas are black teas. If a Darjeeling tea is described as a “first flush”, it is describing when in the year the tea is harvested, as this affects the taste.
Green-If a tea is green, it has undergone less oxidation, the process of the tea plant chemically changing to yield a different result (black teas go through the most oxidation). Green tea has traditionally been popular in the East; however its popularity in the West increased radically when the health benefits of green tea were introduced during the last decade or two.
Lapsang souchong-This tea grows in China and is pan-fried resulting in a smoky, earthy brew. This is reminiscent of the days when tea came from China to Europe over land. It gathered the flavor of the traders’ fires. It is one of the more bold flavors of black tea and has been said to be an acquired taste. Also said to be popular with men.
Oolong-a tea that is less oxidized than black tea and more oxidized than green tea. It is mainly grown in China and Taiwan.
Yunnan-Named after a China province, it is also called Dian hong tea. It is often used in tea blends. High quality Yunnan is identified based on the amount of leaf buds or golden tips of the tea plant present in the tea. These are harder to pick which is why their presence is valuable. This tea turns bitter quickly if over-brewed, but can handle multiple infusions (the leaves can be brewed more than once).
Earl Grey-a tea named after a British Prime Minister from the 1800s. It is flavored with the oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit.
White-Tea is classified as a white tea when it includes young-growth tea leaves AND buds, resulting in its pale color. Oxidation of the tea is stopped through steaming or frying the leaves. It’s more delicate, therefore more care is needed in its handling, and often fetches a higher price. It cannot handle boiling water and needs to be steeped at about 180 degrees.
Dragon well-Also named Longjing tea and drank by emperors, Dragon well is a high quality green tea and China’s most renowned out of about 700 of their teas. It is hand-picked which can increase the cost and pan-fried providing a delicious chest-nutty flavor.
Rooibos-A red “tea”, more correctly a tisane, not made from the camellia sinensis plant, but the rooibos plant grown at this time only in South Africa. This “tea” is also called honeybush and comes in almost every flavor imaginable. The South Africans enjoy rooibos with milk and sugar and even share it’s mildness with their infants. It is becoming popular outside of South Africa because of it’s lack of caffeine and other health benefits, and it’s mention in the popular novel, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.

I will add definitions of other teas as I add them to my articles. If I miss one, be sure to let me know!

Unicorn Wine Guild carries over 30 teas that have been imported and blended by Teh-Ku teas in Dublin, Ohio.

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I admit it. I’m addicted to books

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

Yes, I admit it. Books. I’ve loved books since I was big enough to turn the pages on my Dr. Suess books. My parents made sure my brother and I were surrounded by books. My great-grandparents and grandparents also left shelves of books with leather covers and gilt edges when they moved on. My library has also grown and parting with a book for a book sale is sometimes difficult.

There is nothing better than curling up on the couch – or even comfy in bed – with a nice cup of tea, the cat, and a good read. I have lots of tea books for reference. But, when I want to relax, a book is the number one way. It used to be historical romances, then Star Trek adventures. Now, it’s a good cozy mystery. Laura Childs and Joanne Fluke book releases are circled on my calendar.

I was devastated by the closure of the local Borders. A large green tea latte’ and a few minutes to wander the store relaxed me from the hours working in surgery and transitioned me to working on the winery. And, of course, there is a stack to be read on my bedside stand. I took advantage of the sale as the store closed.

Other people may leaf through decorating books. Personally, I love to read about afternoon teas. And while e-readers are the future, I still like the feel of paper. When I lamented to a customer that I missed my Borders and found out that the remodel was not for a book store, he told me to get over it and get a Kindle. I have an e-reader. I’d rather have a book. OK, I’m old fashioned. And I have a library as big as a small town’s. Is that such a bad thing?

A cup of tea, a furry companion, a book, a comfy warm spot. Bliss.

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Uses for Old Tea Bags

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

Old tea bags may not be good for tea, but do have other uses. Several can be added to bath water to help ease sunburns, poison ivy itches and such. A wet bag can also be used to ease razor burn. You can cover a boil or “zit” to help bring it to a head. Supposedly a wart can be treated by covering it with a wet tea bag for 10-15 minutes several times a day. Moist tea bags can be cooled in the refrigerator and used as compresses for puffy eyes and even for headaches.

It can even be used to treat hair. Brew 2 tea bags in a quart of water, cool and pour over your hair as a conditioner. Rinse well or just pat it dry if you want red highlights. This same concoction can be used to clean wood floors and furniture and as a dye for fabric.

The bag can be opened and the dry leaves sprinkled on the carpet and then vacuumed to leave a nice scent. Dry herbal tea bags can be placed in shoes and drawers as sachets.

Tea can be used as fertilizers and gardenias and ferns are supposed to love them. And, finally, used tea bags can be placed in the compost heap to speed decomposition of the rest of the heap.

There are even more uses for the tea. I personally have not tried a lot of these remedies, so cannot really recommend them. Use at your own risk.

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Tea at the Unicorn Wine Guild

Tea-related education and events, the enjoyment of the beverage and the culture of tea

Tea and Star Trek

Hosting a Friendship Tea – The Easy Way

Rooibos “Tea”

The Definitions for Different Types of Tea

I admit it. I’m addicted to books

Uses for Old Tea Bags

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