Tea Party Menu

GARDEN TEA PARTY

As part of my birthday celebration this year, I decided to host a garden tea party. I invited about 20 lovely close women friends. This was my very first tea party and it was a success and it was quite pleasant. We were blessed with a beautiful and sunny weather and were joined by a few dozen birds chirping in the garden. A good indication that Spring is here to stay!

I prepared a very simple menu which I decided to share and blog and hoping to encourage more women to take some time for themselves and enjoy a cup of tea with some friends. I had a fabulous time with these women below and I am thinking of hosting a tea party quarterly now and my husband approved! See you again soon ladies!

TEA PARTY MENU

(Serves 10-12)

Minted Cream Cheese and Cucumber Sandwich

1 loaf of firm white bread (I used Hawaiian White Bread)

1 whole cucumber (peeled and sliced 1/8 inch rounds)

1 Philadelphia Cream Cheese (8 oz )

10 Fresh Mint Leaves (finely chopped)

Mix the cheese and mint together. Spread one side of each bread with the mixture. Top with cucumber then top with another slice of bread. Cut the crust off the bread and cut the sandwich into triangles.

INSALATA CAPRESE ON BAGUETTE

1 loaf of baguette (sliced about 1/2 inch thick)

4 medium size firm but ripe tomatoes (thinly sliced into 1/4 in)

Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella

1 bunch of fresh basil

Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with good-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar

BRIE, FIG PRESERVE AND CAVIAR

A box of plain, multi grain or sesame crackers. Use a good brand of Brie, your choice of fruit preserve and caviar as an option. This appetizer will also make a great pair with champagne!

PROSCIUTTO BRUSCHETTA

1 loaf of baguette (sliced in 1/2 inch)

1 package of smoke or regular prosciutto (chopped)

1 jar of Bruschetta Topping

VARIETY OF DRIED SALAMI

Spicy, Peppered and Rose Salami is what I used for my party. They can be eaten plain or with  cracker and cheese

THE SWEETS!

VARIETY OF SWEETS

World Market Imports or Trader Joe's has a variety of European Cookies

CUPCAKES FROM OH CAKE!

VARIETY OF TEA

I served 12 assorted black, green and herbal tea to give the women options

I hope you enjoyed reading this special tea party blog and start planning your own! If you need someone to plan and cater it for you, EMAIL ME! I can cater a party of 25. 

Jack and Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

One night, I was craving the cheese biscuits that they serve at Red Lobster Restaurants. My husband and my kids love those too. I have never made biscuits from scratch before this because its just easy to bake the store bought Pillsbury brand. I decided why not challenge myself again and try and make them myself! I checked out my old country recipe books and also some recipes online to find the easiest and less ingredients that I can try out with the ingredients I already have in my pantry. I found this easy recipe and added my favorite herb instead of using dill which I am not a fan of. I also used 2 types of cheese to make them cheesier! These biscuits turned out savory, soft and you can't have just one! Try making them tonight for your family.

JACK AND CHEDDAR CHEESE BISCUITS WITH ROSEMARY


Ingredients:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted cold butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup jack cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoon fresh or dried rosemary, finely chopped


Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Blend the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Use your hands to mix and blend until the mixture has pea size chunks of butter left. It will be crumbly and that is a good thing. You want to see little pieces of butter. Don’t over blend.

Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon. Gently mix, just until the ingredients are moist. Gently stir in the cheese and rosemary. Don’t over mix.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With a spoon, scoop the biscuits onto the baking sheet. Use about 3 Tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes. You want them to be golden brown on top and on the bottoms.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter. 

Turkey and Corn Enchiladas

Hello fans! It's been a while since I blogged but I'm back and I have a few recipe I will share this week. Thank you for your continued support and sharing my blog to your friends and family.


I've been stuck at home for a few months now and while I'm actively looking for a new job, I'm also being challenged at home on what to cook for lunch or dinner since I have plenty of time in my hands. A few weeks ago, I decided to clean and organize my lazy Susan and found items I can cook together and prepare some delicious meals. Here is one easy recipe I came up with. Try it yourself!


GROUND TURKEY AND SWEET CORN ENCHILADAS (serves 4)


Ingredients:


- 1 lb Jenny O ground turkey (any brand will do)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese (I used cheddar)
- 12 pieces corn or flour small tortillas (6 inch)
- 2 10 oz cans Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce (hot)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1 cup of sweet corn kernels


Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 13x9 inch glass baking dish. In a skillet, cook and brown the garlic with olive oil then add the ground turkey. Cook the turkey until brown. Drain any remaining oil. Stir in 1 can of enchilada sauce and 1 cup of cheese. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.


Spoon enchilada meat filling onto tortillas and roll up and place seam sides down in baking dish. Arrange them side by side. Pour remaining 1 can of enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese all over them. Bake 20 minutes or until all cheese is melted and they are hot!