The leaves are starting to turn. Here they are turning brown with little color, yet. But as the evenings are cooler (and so are the days) thoughts turn to warm food, warm beverages and indoor entertainment. Are you looking for something different to use as a theme for your Autumn Afternoon Tea? Here are a few.
Consider gathering a few friends for tea with the purpose of planning for the upcoming season. Make your holidays a little less harried by planning to share some of the duties. How about beginning now to plan a cookie exchange? Each person could volunteer to make so many dozen of certain kinds of goodies and set the date for an exchange of the goodies – along with serving a sample at the tea, of course. If there are 8 of you and you each volunteer to make 8 dozen of 2 varieties of cookies or brownies or other specialty, on the day of the exchange you will each go home with 16 dozen cookies. To read more about the cookie exchange idea and develop one of your own, just google.
And, as you get busy with the holidays, there is always a lack of time for dinners. Everyone tends to get tired of pizza or carry-out. How about organizing those ladies to each make some freeze ahead meals? As with the cookie exchange, if each one makes 8 dishes of one recipe (stews or casseroles for example) large enough to serve the family, then tha’s 8 nights out of the way when things get hectic.
That’s really not what you had in mind for a tea? Taking that community cooking idea further, how about an apron exchange? Each person brings an apron (gift wrapped, of course) and are given a number. Each person receives the apron with that number (just be sure it’s not the one they brought.) You can even theme this further if you want by limiting the aprons to hostess aprons, antique aprons, a dollar amount, whatever. The guests have the fun of showing off their new aprons.
Other October ideas include a costume planning tea. You all don’t want to show up at the Halloween Party dressed alike. I attended a costume event this spring and there were 3 Dorothy’s (only one Toto) and even a couple of Molly Brown’s. Maybe you have a piece of clothing or a hat and need some ideas to refine it into your Halloween outfit. Let the others give their suggestions.
Plan a mystery tea. What fun for Halloween. Each person gets to play act. It’s a take-off on the mystery dinner theaters. Kits and scripts are available on the web.
And finally, the is the tea leaf reading afternoon tea for Halloween (or anytime.) Again, books and the web offer lots help with deciphering the leaves. Previous writings in this blog also can help you plan an afternoon tea around Halloween. Discuss superstitions surrounding tea or do amateur palm reading. Just remember that the predictions ar all in fun and not to be taken seriously.
What to serve? Cheeses, apple scones, pumpkin tarts, quiche, apple walnut salad, My Pumpkin Tea, Autumn Leaves tea and chai are just a few ideas. Decorate with autumn colors and enjoy. With a little thinking and planning, you can host a fun tea.
Tea at the Unicorn Wine Guild 