English High Tea

This was a plan that had been simmering for ages. First it was just talk of various high teas being served at hotels and tea rooms that cost an arm and a leg. Then it became a "we can cater it ourselves too" brainwave. Finally it was the hunting for a (preferably pre-loved) 2-tier cake stand. A lot of fruitless searching, finding those that we didn't really like and then finally finding the One. And that crystallised the event - the English High Tea.

Logistics were carefully thought through (venue, timing and very importantly, the number of chairs we needed!). And so this was the long-awaited Sunday. The menu was organised and everyone anticipated the baking and the eating. Most people (read: the girls) went to work with the preparations. The boys found ways to get around this technical obstacle and still miraculously managed to produce their contribution to the High Tea. In the end, we prepared way too much food as usual.

The menu consisted of various types of cupcakes, an orange cake, scones with King Island cream and strawberry jam, tuna sandwiches, mini mushroom pizza, risotto balls, fig and apricot dessert with yoghurt. Faced with several varieties of tea on the table, we opted for an Earl Grey and a Black Tea with Vanilla. Everyone overate, I drank a copious amount of tea, trying to convince myself that the tea would wash down all the richness of the English Tea and aid digestion.

Then we all sat around, not moving, not saying very much at the end because we were stuffed to the gills, and were all thinking a siesta would be a good idea at that moment. It was a very good English High Tea, beautifully presented and as we said good bye, we were already planning the next pig-out session.