A Lady's Tea

Lilacs were simply everywhere. My hostess had said, "The table will be purple, you can't miss it!" And I didn't.

Women were flooding through doors all around the room (it was a huge room), chatting, laughing, hungry. We found our tables and were introduced to each other. If we were a bit shy, it didn't last long. Old friends found each other, new friends were made, and everyone saw that it was good.

This would be 'tea' at its best. Lovely dishes nestled in front of each lady, a foreshadowing of the many delights to come. How many courses could a tea possibly have? I was excited. In the middle surrounded by lilacs, a tower of delicate plates contained grapes, chocolate covered strawberries, and  scones. Ok, now we were on a roll. Our hostess said, "Please help yourselves! They will be serving lunch soon, and I want you to have a chance at those scones first. Would you like some tea?"

We sat in awe at all this loveliness, saying over and over, "It's just beautiful..exquisite, in fact.."

We were offered three types of jam (strawberry, boysenberry and grape), and cream, and what more could we possibly want? The cream was a delicious combination of:

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Whip till fluffy and then add:
• 8 ounces sour cream
• Whip in 8 ounces heavy cream till stiff peaks form. Refrigerate till serving

Before we were finished with the scones, the lunch arrived. We quickly made space for

• fresh warm quiche
• green salad with vinaigrette
• cheese, crackers, and fruit
• chocolate mousse

We listened to a speaker who reminded us of what it was like to raise children back when there were no cell phones or video games. You know, when our mothers kicked us out the front door at 9am, and said, "See you at 5!" I felt rather nostalgic as I munched on a chocolate stick. We were pretty free, dashing about on our bikes and playing without a grownup in sight. But our speaker gave us all sorts of good ideas for staying sane with children over the summer months - even without kicking them out the door. 

It was such a lovely tea. They gave us a bag of gifts filled with chocolate pieces and homemade chocolate peanut butter sticks. I came straight home and fell into an immediate and dreamless nap. What else, after all that amazing food, could a girl possibly do?

I ask you.

See you along the way!
the SconeLady