I Need To Talk About My Christmas Tea

This helps me think it all out and know what I still need to do.  We had to move the date from December 7th to November 30th, so I've lost a week to prepare but I think it'll be fine!

Photo from Pinterest. I'd love to own this tea set!

Well, the theme is set - Tea In The Highlands!  I'm going for a 'Downton Abbey' era vibe.  For Downton watchers, think the Christmas episode when they were visiting Robert's cousins Lord and Lady Flincher, and their daughter Rose.  It was a glorious visit - stag hunting, a piper playing them into supper, the Gillies ball.  The only horrible thing is that Julian Fellowes had Matthew die in that episode - but I digress.  Sigh.  

There will be NO dying at my tea, I hope everyone got the memo on that!

Will the ladies dress up and be excited?  You never know.  Most will, and they will help make the tea a success.  I really wanted to surprise everyone with a real Piper to play 'Highland Cathedral' to start out our tea, but the one I contacted was out of the budget.  So sad!
 
          This will get you stirred up for the day! You're welcome!

We are having a meal this time, along with our scones and desserts.

The menu consists of Poppy Seed Chicken and Green Beans, 3 types of scones, and many desserts.  I'll be making some low carb desserts and scones so that I can enjoy the tea, too!  I am toying with the idea of finding a recipe for Haggis and seeing if I can make it in parchment, since I have no sheep stomach, thankfully.  I don't know if I can convince anyone other than Lindsay to give it a try, so this is an item that will be on my 'things to cut out' list if I am pressed for time.

I'm going to decorate the tables in tartans, greenery, and candles.  I'd like to find inexpensive stags to have with the centerpieces, as the stag is the 'Monarch of the Glen', but so far I haven't found what I have in my mind.

I'm going to make shortbread cookies in the shape of Scotty Dogs and tie a wee plaid ribbon around their necks, and this will be at every place as a take home gift from me to them.

For tea we'll have a variety of flavors but I always make my Christmas Tea because people love it!

Here is the recipe - 

Brew 5 tea bags of strong black tea in 2 cups boiling water.  Let it steep for about 15 minutes.

Add 2 cups of sugar (or adjust amounts using a different kind of sweetener)

Add 6oz frozen lemonade concentrate and 6oz frozen orange juice concentrate.

Add either just cinnamon, or you can add clove as well,  to taste.

This makes a concentrate.  When serving a large group you add 5 cups of hot water to 1 cup of concentrate.  If you want to keep this in your fridge and use it throughout the holidays for individual servings, you use three tablespoons of concentrate to 1 cup of hot water.  

We love this tea and make it every year!  If you make it you'll get rave reviews!     
   
 We are also playing an ornament game.  Everyone brings an ornament, and we'll take turns picking one to take home!  Ah, but the next person to choose can take the one you chose away from you!  Ah, Rats!  You have to choose again, and can take it back!  See what fun that'll be?

Well, I need to go now and get some real work done around here.  Thanks for listening and letting me talk it through.  What do you think?  Would you subject yourself to a tea like this?  Let me know!