Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Library

After much planning, and an aborted attempt last spring, our local library hosted its first afternoon tea this past Sunday, and I must say that it was exceptionally well received. Some red hat ladies told us that it was the best tea they've ever attended, even better than those given at a large local hotel! We're exhausted so we'll take the praise. I think we've earned it...

We've spent months collecting mismatched china, and teapots to set our tables. Small fresh flower arrangements graced each table, (I even got to use the pink birds that I wrote about last March!), and each guest received a beautifully decorated teapot cookie and one of the chocolate purse favors that I showed you in a post in October. A keepsake menu was also placed at each seat.
I didn't have my camera with me, because I knew that I wouldn't have time to snap pictures. Luckily, a friend who came to help serve brought hers and shared the following shots.
Here's the main room almost ready for guests... and one of our place settings. The place card you see is actually a bit of 'tea trivia.' Different facts and legends about tea were printed on cards and scattered about the tables. All of the tables were covered in lace, and there were embroidered linen and cutwork napkins.
We set up a dessert table and decorated it with an antique tea set filled with flowers. In this shot, desserts are still being brought out from the kitchen. Every square inch of this table was covered with goodies...
And then our guests arrived and began their mini feast by nibbling on scones with lemon curd, Devonshire cream, and raspberry jam. Next came the tea sandwiches...chicken salad en petits choux, Branson pickle, sharp cheddar and leaf lettuce on whole wheat fingers, cucumber bites with seasoned cream cheese and fresh dill, ham and pickle salad on rye flower rounds, and cream cheese and green olive on country white. Scones and sandwiches were plated and brought to table, as were steaming pots of Earl Grey. The dessert table was self serve, and available all afternoon.

Chances were sold on baskets, and drawings were held for door prizes. My friend's little one drew the chances...
and then she drew her own name for the coveted basket that held a tea set. She immediately ran to her mother repeating, "I didn't look Mommy, I really didn't." It was pretty funny.

And here's the happy winner and her mom. They really enjoyed a nice mother-daughter outing.

So the tea is over, and everyone is asking if we'll have one next year. Probably...but we need a larger committee, more help, more bakers, etc. Lots of women told us that they're going to bring all of their friends...What have we gotten ourselves into???

BTW: Since Monday night I've been drinking lots of tea and only tea. Pretty sure that this is the flu. The fact that I could stay awake long enough to publish this post just amazed me.

If you're able to stay awake, and wish to be tantalized by amazing food, please visit Designs by Gollum. Our hostess, Michael Lee, will have Mr. Linky ready to escort you around the blogosphere.

How to celebrate your birthday when it ends in a zero...

This is how you celebrate your birthday when it ends in a zero.

Have a tea. At your house. Make a lot of tea food. Invite the friends you really love. Buy a funky dress and a funky hat. Make your friends do the same. And laugh. Laugh a lot.

It was a really good birthday.

Foodie Friday - A Heavenly Banana Cake

So I did get my very own copy of Heavenly Cakes, Rose Beranbaum's new book. I haven't signed up to be a Heavenly Baker because of too many on going projects, but I have dabbled a bit with a few of the recipes.

Last weekend, I made her Banana Refrigerator Cake with Dreamy Creamy White Chocolate Frosting. This cake is a bona fide winner. Who knew that a banana cake could be so light, so tasty, so spectacular???

For the first time ever, I used baking strips around the outside of the pans and I have to admit that I am thrilled with the results. The cake rose perfectly and the outside edges didn't over brown while the center finished baking. I'm a convert. I'll be using them from now on.

Next time I make this cake, I'll definitely use Rose's frosting variation that omits the white chocolate. Even though the frosting on this cake is pretty wonderful, my husband and I have agreed that we're just not white chocolate lovers. For those of you who are, go for it. You'll have a heavenly experience.

Please go visit our Foodie Friday hostess, Michael Lee, at Designs by Gollum. You'll finds tons of folks who have prepared a Foodie Friday post.

PS: Maybe next week I'll have some pictures from the benefit tea that we're doing this weekend at our local library. I started baking today and I'll be at it until tea time on Sunday afternoon, so please forgive me if I don't visit you all until after Sunday!

Foodie Friday - One Roast Pork, Four Meals

Last Sunday I made a traditional roast pork dinner. With only my husband and me in the house now, we had plenty of leftovers and managed to put them to good use.

One night we had an improvised version of Hu Tieu do Bien, a Vietnamese soup. It's fast and easy when you add the thinly sliced cooked pork just before serving.
Next up was a batch of guilt free Roast Pork Egg Fu Yung. Making the pancakes in a non-stick skillet really reduces the calories.

For the sauce,I used defatted leftover gravy as the base, and enhanced it with a dash of soy, a bit of mirin, a little rice wine vinegar, and a few drops of sesame oil.
Tasted like the restaurant version. Always does.

Tonight, we thoroughly enjoyed another round of the Asian Street Sandwiches that I did a post on back in June. They're always a treat.

With such different dishes, we didn't grow tired of eating the same meat all week, but just to change things up a bit, I may have to declare next week vegan!

Please go visit Designs by Gollum to see who else has cooked something up for Foodie Friday.