Lori's Birthday Teas - Conclusion

Lori's 7th birthday tea, and the last one I hosted, was in 2013.  The theme was Gone with the Wind.  I wish I knew then what I know now, because I could have been more creative.  I visited the Gone with the Wind Museum in Marietta, Georgia in May 2018, and have a couple of theme cookbooks and additional memorabilia now.

Invitation Cover

Inside

Menu Card

I used Rhett and Scarlett commemorative plates as part of the tablescape.

Gold tassels as napkin rings represented the tie-backs on the green velvet drapes/portieres that Scarlett ripped from the window to make the dress she wore to visit Rhett in jail to seek his financial assistance.

Favors were a four leaf clover charm since the O'Hara family was Irish.

Hot tea was Irish Cream [Black Tea]

and Iced Tea was  Sweet Georgia Peach 

Scones were Emerald Isle Cream Scones with White Chocolate Chips and Peach Preserves. 

 Scarlett's Carrot Soup with Cheese Wafers [Lady Bird Johnson's recipe]

I chose savories that I thought might have been eaten at the barbecue Scarlett attended at Twelve Oaks:  Barbecue Sandwiches with Coleslaw, Melanie's Pimento Cheese Sandwiches, Ashley's Sweet Potato Angel Biscuits with Country Ham, and a Deviled Egg.  In the little glass cup was a Georgia Peanut Salad.

~ Dessert was Rhett's Praline Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce ~

We played a fun Gone with the Wind Quiz after we ate.  One of the questions was:  The liquor used in making Gone with the Wind was really what?  [a] Tea  [b] Cold weak coffee or [c] plain water died brown.  The answer [a] tea.

Unfortunately, Betty had fallen and suffered a serious injury so she wasn't able to join us at this tea party but Ruth was there, along with Tiffany, and Lori's pediatrician doctor friend, Melissa.

I bought the scrapbook album pictured below to put all the tea party pictures in for Lori, but as yet it's a project waiting to happen!

If I can get my act together between my job and a tea I've scheduled at church on September 7th, I'd love to host another tea party this year. A Downton Abbey theme would be fun.  Lori and I both loved the Downton Abbey PBS Series, and we visited Highclere Castle in 2015.  It would be great to have the tea party right before the Downton Abbey film is released on September 20th.  I saw there's an 'official' Downton Abbey cookbook that will be released in September too, but I think I can pull off a theme menu without it since I already have several Downton Abbey cookbooks.  My mind is swirling with ideas.  I'll keep you posted.   

Lori's Birthday Teas - Part III

In 2011 the theme of the fifth tea party was The Sound of Music, and took us on an imaginary trip to Salzburg, Austria where the movie was filmed in 1965.  The invitation was a two-sided ticket.  

~ Front ~

~ Back ~

The centerpiece was a 1995 Maria Barbie doll, the main character in the movie.  I borrowed a rosary to lay by Maria's feet since she came from a convent.  Next to Maria was Austria's National flag, and a miniature beer stein.  

I made felt Edelweiss hats with individual names written on them as place cards, and the song, My Favorite Things, was the inspiration for the favors.  Swiss made Lindt Chocolate Truffle bars were wrapped in "brown paper packages tied up with strings."

~ Menu Card ~

"Let's start at the very beginning... a very good place to start..."

Tea - Hot Cranberry Autumn [black tea] and Iced Peach Apricot

Appetizer - Maria's Swiss Fondue in individual bread bowls.

 Scones - Liesl's Cranberry Scones and Jam

Soup - Captain Von Trapp's Potato Soup Garnished with Bacon Bits and Cheese

Main Entree - Friedrich's Marinated Pork Kabobs, Louisa's Spaetzle, and Marta's Sauerkraut

Dessert - "Crisp Apple Strudel" with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce 

[From the song, My Favorite Things]

Even though it wasn't an official menu item, I had to have a plate of jam and bread on the table from the song, Do-Re-Mi!

L-R:  Marissa, Ruth, Me, Lori, Betty and Tiffany

I tried to get a guitarist to come for a sing-a-long, but both my contacts had other commitments.  No problem, we still had the piano and two fabulous teachers to play it!   At the end of the afternoon it was "So Long... Farewell..."

*  *  *

2012's imaginary trip was to Prince Edward Island in the fictional village of Avonlea - the theme was Anne of Green Gables.   I had great fun with all the teas, but this 6th tea was probably my all-time favorite.

~ Invitation Cover ~

~ Inside ~

~ Menu Card ~

What fun making the place cards to resemble Anne's red braids and straw hat!

The favors were Trader Joe's Maple Leaf cookies [for Canada's National symbol, the Maple Leaf] and Werther's chocolate caramels since Anne told Marilla she dreamed that she had a lot of chocolate caramels, but always woke up just when she was going to eat them!  They were placed in green nylon drawstring bags!

I retired the keyboard dishes for this theme since pink roses were dominant in the tablescape.  Someday the keyboard dishes and tea set will be Lori's to have tea parties with her granddaughter's.

I ordered an Anne of Green Gables doll for the centerpiece and sat her on a slate board, since Anne broke her slate board over Gilbert's head at school!  The Anne doll has since been given to my granddaughter, Isabella.

Pink roses were significant since Anne thought roses were lovely, and pink was the most bewitching color in the world - even though she couldn't wear it with her red hair!

At 1:00 p.m. we sat down at the table to begin the tea with The Lord's Prayer, a rather unusual blessing, but that was the prayer Marilla gave Anne to memorize, and since it contains the line, "Give us this day our daily bread," it was fitting.

We had a toast to "Kindred Spirits" with "Bosom Friend Raspberry Cordial" - nobody got sick or tipsy like Diana Barry did!  ;-)

The tea was maple flavored black tea - both iced and hot.

The scones were savory and the soup was Corn Chowder.  Corn and Potatoes probably would have been grown on Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert's farm [main ingredients in the chowder], and potatoes are Prince Edward Island's primary cash crop.

More fun making the Anne Doll Salad!  Anne's hat was a cookie I decorated with a blue icing rim.  Underneath Anne's red leaf lettuce dress was a cold curried rice salad.

The salad was followed by Croque Monsieur [Ham and Cheese Croissant].  Anne might have eaten this at a fancy tea with Josephine Barry in Charlottetown.  ;-)

Dessert was Strawberry Tarts with "Sublime" [as Anne described it] Vanilla Ice Cream!

Tea Party Guests: L-R:  Ruth, Tiffany, Betty and Lori

I was going to conclude the birthday teas with this post, but because this is quite lengthy, I'll save the last tea - #7 - for tomorrow.  

Lori's Birthday Teas - Part II

By the time the third tea came around [2009], I was into making invitations and a menu booklet to coordinate with the theme.

The menu booklet sat on an easel on the table surrounded by colored Mardi Gras beads and feather masks.  The booklet contained the history of Jackson Square in New Orleans, and how it was modeled after the famous Place des Vosges in Paris, France, information about New Orleans cuisine, and the tea party menu: Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo, Muffuletta Salad, Po' Boy Roast Beef Sandwiches, Beignets [in place of scones], Bananas Foster Bread Pudding w/Bananas Foster Sauce, and Iced Sweet Luzianne Tea and French Caramel Creme Brulee Hot Tea.

My inspiration for New Orleans was a chalk drawing of Lori when she was four years old.  We were vacationing in Louisiana and made a day trip there.  Local artists lined the black iron fence on the outside of Jackson Square in the French Quarter.  It was SO hot and humid that summer day, but Lori sat still while the artist drew her.  I framed it for the tea party and then sent it home with her afterwards.

I used luggage tags [for the imaginary trip to New Orleans] as the napkin ring, place card, and favor.

I also attached a musical charm to the handle of the teacup for everyone to take home.

The only food item I got a picture of was the Beignets, and that's because I took it before the tea party started.

Lori's two daughters, Tiffany and Marissa attended the tea party along with Ruth and Betty. Betty arrived a bit later so she's not in this photo.

2010 was a Parisian Musical Par-Tea
~ Invitation Cover and Menu Card below ~

An Eiffel Tower trimmed with pink flowers was the centerpiece, along with black and white Eiffel tower candle holders.  I dusted the rims of champagne flutes in pink sugar for our beginning toast of Sence Rose Nectar and Sparkling White Jasmine Tea.  In the photo below you'll notice a teacup with a brulee spoon sitting on top, and a brandy warmer next to it.  That was for our flaming oolong tea served just before dessert.  The hot tea throughout the meal was Mariage Freres Earl Grey Silver Tips, and the iced tea was French Caramel Creme Brulee.

Silk rose petals were sprinkled on the table top.

Regrettably, I didn't take any photos of the food at this tea either.  We began with Soupe A L'Oignon [French Onion], Cream Scones with Blackberry Jam, and our main entree was Ouiche Lorraine [recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking book.  It was SO good!].  Our cheese course consisted of Le Roule w/Herbs and Toasted Walnuts, Brie on a Baguette with Fig Spread, and Emmental with Champagne Grapes.  Dessert was Eclairs and Madelines.

Along with Ruth, Betty, Tiffany, and Marissa, Melissa, a Pediatrician at the Children's Clinic where Lori works also came.

Three more teas will follow in another post to finish up Lori's birthday teas.  I'm signing off now to go up to the hospital to see Lori.  She had knee replacement surgery this morning. My hubby and I were there at 6:30 a.m. to be with her before surgery, and I just got a text that she's out of recovery and in her own room now.