Thursday, January 15, 2009

Tea With Miss Janice, Post #5

Today I am featuring photos of "Tea Accoutrements," items needed to host a tea event--tea for one or a large group of guests. Let's take a look at what you might need...

Tea service, with a coffee pot or hot water pot, teapot, sugar bowl with tongs, a waste bowl (also called a slop bowl--oh yes it is!) for the tea dregs, and a creamer for the milk.

Sugar cubes are used at tea and may also be placed in a sugar scuttle, or you may use those tiny packets of artificial sweetener and place them in a sugar caddy.
If you are steeping loose tea in a teapot, use a tea strainer when pouring the tea into the teacup. Then carefully place the strainer back on to it's base cup.
A tea sachet is placed into the teacup, hot water added, steeped, and then placed on the tea sachet caddy
After the tea has steeped, it is proper to place the sachet onto the caddy.

A teabag is placed into the teacup, hot water added, steeped, and then placed onto the teabag caddy.
After the tea has steeped, it is proper to place the teabag onto the caddy.

Your tea in the pot may be kept warm using a teapot warmer.
Or, you may use a teapot trivit and...
Cover the teapot with a quilted tea cozy to keep the tea hot.
If you want to serve toast, place the toasted bread in a pretty toast rack. Use a pretty crystal serving piece for your jam, clotted cream, and lemon curd. Do you like honey with your tea? This pretty little crystal honey server is just perfect for an afternoon tea!

A silver muffineer is great to use if you like to add powered sugar to those yummy scones.

Make sure you use tea serviettes at tea--they are 12-inch square cloth napkins. In this photo I placed the serviettes in a teapot-motif napkin ring. You may use a small plate (dessert/salad) or any size you want. You will need a dessert fork and a luncheon/tea fork. Of course, you need and teacup and saucer and teaspoon. I always like to place a doiley underneath the teacup--just in case--even proper Southern ladies spill tea sometime!

You might also prefer to use a butter spreader at tea--shown in the front of the setting.
Here's the tea food tray which will contain all the goodies..use doilies on each plate and provide a pastry server for each plate. The savories will be placed on the bottom, the scones in the middle, and the sweets on the top plate. The foods are eaten in that order: savories, scones, and sweets.
If you will be serving iced tea, place your goblet on a doiley and provide iced teaspoons and rests. You may also place your iced tea goblet on a saucer with the doiley.
Here are two little silver pieces that are very nice to have at tea. A mote spoon is used to stir the tea beverage in the pot during the steeping process. It also has a pointed end, which may be used to unclog tea leaves in the tea spout. The dainty little fork is a lemon fork and used to serve the sliced lemons at your tea.

Perhaps you haven't had a tea party because you feel you don't have the proper place, tea accoutrements, or skills to host a tea party. That shouldn't stop you. Remember, it's your hospitality and how special you make someone feel that will leave a lasting impression, not your surroundings, china, etc. It is the ritual of sharing that is important!
Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you are learning some new information about tea that you did not know. I will be posting about Tea & Etiquette--from the invitations to the thank-you notes, in next few posts. Please stop by!

26 comments:

Lady Katherine said...

I loved this, slop bowl? I did not know that one, I remember the slop jar for the pigs! lol I love the mote spoon and the muffiner! These I have never seen. I loaned out my silver and all my wedding equipment and linens, four years ago. To this day, I have not been able to get them back. She says she still has my silver, but I still do not! I think she renting my things out. Oh, well life lessons. Miss Janice this was really a wonderful article, I learned much from this. I love the doilies. Oh and the sugar scuttle is so lovely!

CMB said...

Thanks for all the great info. What do you use to polish your silver tea service? What about cleaning the inside of the pot? The iside of mine is discolored and doesn't look very appetizing, is there anything that can be done for that?

Pug1 said...

Hello Miss Janice, I have a few of those items...a cozy, a teapot warmer and I have a toast rack!

The sachet looks very regal! I was also impressed with the silver muffineer, I do believe I've seen one before but didn't know what it was for! I bet the mote spoon is a great piece to have too! CHEERS! Michele

Larie Carlice Proverbs 27:19 said...

Oh wow Ms. Janice! There is so much that I did not know. But that's okay because this "new" information is encouraging and may be the motivation I needed to host a tea at my home for some ladies from Church.

smooches,
Larie

~ Lisa @ AbidingThere~ said...

Oh my goodness! I wasn't feeling inadequate about a tea party before, but now that I see how much I don't know about tea parties, I guess I'm inadequate :) Such beautiful pieces you have - what a pleasure to use them all!

Anonymous said...

What beautiful things you have to share with us! I do wish you could come over to my house and give us southern ladies a lesson or two in table etiquette. I was taught good manners when I was young but it goes so much deeper than that. Maybe one day~

Kara said...

Hey, just loved this instrctional blog. I even love the mote spoon and especially the muffiner! I was reminded of things I had forgotten. I especially like the doilies under the tea cup and tea glass, makes it very dainty looking. I must get out my silver and give a spit and polish and use if for a change on a day other than Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer said...

Love love love this post!

I told my sweet hubby he needed to get me a "tea starter set"...now I have something to SHOW him!

Not sure he would be brave enough to try and select one himslef though!

Glenda said...

I think Susan has caused a run on sugar scuttles. I am not even searching for one of those, but what I am on the lookout for are some sugar tongs that won't conflict too much with my Ribbon Crest pattern, Reed & Barton S/S flatware. I hadn't realized that my 115 piece didn't include the tongs until I needed them to serve my sugar cubes. Thanks for all your info.

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Oh I've learned so much from each post. There are several pieces here I do not have "yet". :-) I believe they are going on the list of must haves. Like the toast rack, the lemon fork and so on. This was truly wonderful.
hugs ~lynne~

Anonymous said...

Just beautiful, Janice! I wish I had a silver tea service set! Yours is gorgeous. Now I have a little sugar scuttle and it's the cutest thing. Now I want to come to your tea party!
lol
Be a sweetie,
Shelia :)

Nanette said...

Oh this is so pretty, I just love seeing the beautiful settings.
Valerie

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

What lovely "tea accoutrements" you have! This was so interesting. Thank you for sharing.
How is your friend? I'm still praying for her. laurie

Anonymous said...

You are always so delightful and such knowledge.Thank you.It's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks is it?...Ann

Ashley Turner said...

That silver is just fabulous! When we buy a permanent house some day, I'll be asking you where to go for such a wonderful tea set!!!

PS - I left you something on my blog!

Unknown said...

I am so pulling out my silver tea set and first, polishing it. Secondly, I am going to have a tea for someone. Janice you are an inspiration.

Confessions of a Plate Addict said...

Wow, Miss Janice! I had no idea so much was involved to do it properly! you have such a beautiful tea service and such an assortment of accoutrements! Don't you just love that word? In France they also used it to warn us about the little ditch alongside the road...accoutrements dangereux. Isn't that funny?? have a great week-end...Debbie

playsdolls said...

You have some beautiful silver,love your tea post they are so informative.

I left you a little surprise at my blog,please stop by and pick up your surprise.

An iMperfect wIfe said...

Will you be sharing some recipes for appropriate savorys, scones and sweets in days to come? I'm really enjoying this. DH and I got our first tea set (from tea forte) for two at Christmas. I'd like to eventually buy a larger set and host teas for more people.

Thank you!

Jenny

Miss Janice said...

Coco, I used Hagerty's silver cleaner with the little foam sponge and sometimes used a toothbrush. To clean the inside of the silver teapots, I leave vinegar inside for awhile.

A Hint of Home said...

I am learning each time I visit.
Where do I find a muffineer? You have so many unique pieces.
I am now aware of all the ones I'm lacking. I'll have to keep my eye peeled for them while shopping.
Love your blog.

Melissa Miller said...

Love all your tea posts Miss Janice.
Such wonderful information.

Anonymous said...

Hi Miss Janice!! I am LOVING you series on teas! I'm hosting a tea next weekend and I did a post on it today. Liked to your fabulous blog. Hope you don't mind! :)

Gone said...

Hi Janice...

Beautiful Tea!!!

I just stopped by to check on your friend, Teresa Jane...and don't find that post anymore. Is she OK?

~Blessings,
Jan

^..^Corgidogmama said...

You are showing us how to live graciously. I wish that Northern women, had the "dash" that Southern ladies do.

LillyB said...

The tea service is so beautiful. I just had a mental flash back of polishing all that silver for the church tea party...I still have a few pieces that need a touch up here and there to be honest. Yours is beautiful!!!