How to have an Elegant, Easy and Merry Holiday Get-Together

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Like us, I'm sure your December calendar is almost (if not already) filled with get-together invitations from family and friends.  If you are the one hosting an event or two, it can be quite stressful considering the other things on your to do list (Church activities, wrapping gifts, volunteering, work-related year-end deadlines, etc). I'm on the same boat! But this is the essence of the Christmas Holiday - celebrating the birth of Christ with the people that matter to us.

I like hosting sit down, full-course dinner BUT during the Christmas holiday when I am pulled in many different direction, I stick to casual and simple yet elegant and merry get-together. Most likely your guests are also inundated with lots of parties this season so all they are expecting when they come to visit is to to have fun and spread the Yuletide cheers with you and yours!

Here's a couple of ideas for an elegant and easy holiday entertaining.....

* Cocktails/ Wine and Cheese Party*

I like throwing wine and cheese party when my guests are mostly couples or adults where we can all drink, sample good quality cheeses. lots of music, and just have fun. 

My guide when hosting this kind of party are :

• Serve different kinds of cheese - remember some like blue cheese while others hate it. Be safe and offer different options. I usually have intense Blue cheese {I'm one of those who like it!} like Stilton, nutty and sharp super-aged cheese like Gouda, and soft and creamy cheese like Brie and Gournay.
• Label your cheese : I like using black slates from the hardware store as cheese board because I can label the cheese with chalk directly on the slate.
• Set out a separate knife for each cheese to prevent mixing flavours. Cheese knives are great but butter knives work well too.
• Crackers or artisan bread, honey, jam, nuts, fresh fruits like grapes and/or fig and dried fruits like apricot and/or date add depth to a cheese plate.
• Have red, white, sparkling wines and non alcoholic beverages available for everyone.
• Prepare one or two appetizers or light dishes for those who like to have something else. You can find the recipe of Salmon and spinach Wellington here.
• Set the mood with merry Christmas music that everyone can sing along!
• Always, always, always assign a designated driver.

* Christmas Afternoon Tea Party *

If friends are coming over for "ladies only" Christmas get-together this is my favorite. It's easy, fun and pretty! You can find some tips for a memorable tea party experience in my previous post.

Since this is a Christmas tea party, I put together a red, white and green country arrangement in our small tea room. For this special occasion, I also made a cinnamon bark with star anise as tea stirrer instead of a regular teaspoon. Sparkling wine is always a good idea too! Again, set the mood with music and have lots of fun!

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My Love Affair with Afternoon Tea {Tips on Hosting an Afternoon Tea}

Afternoon tea is one of my favorites get-together theme during the holidays. Whether I am expecting a couple of guests or a dozen, I go all out in preparing the table, the food and of course the teas. To me, sipping warm delicious teas among friends is always an affair to remember.

Just because the tradition of afternoon tea is associated with elegance and royalty, some are intimidated to host afternoon tea at home. Let me put out a disclaimer : I am not a tea connoisseur. But thanks to my love of teas, visits to traditional tea houses, and reading tea books and magazines, I developed a love affair with this beautiful tradition. Allow me to share some helpful tips when hosting an afternoon tea.

Timing

I prefer to serve an afternoon tea from 3:30 - 6:00 PM. That will give me and my friends enough time to enjoy the feast and catch up on the "stories of our lives".

Venue

When flowers are in bloom during spring and summer, the garden would be perfect for an afternoon tea party. During the colder months and depending on the number of your guests, the set up can be done indoors : the dinning room, family room or receiving area {parlour}.

Table Set-Up

My rule is keep it simple and elegant. As much as possible use what you already have in your stash or get your creative juices working and make your own center piece arrangement, napkin holder, etc.

Must Haves:

• Tea cups and saucers - do not worry about not having a matching tea service. Mixing and matching what you already have and maybe some purchase from your local thrift store, flea market and garage sale can create a beautiful shabby chic design.
• Small Tea pots - I always have at least three on hand. This way, I can serve at least three different kinds of teas with ease. Again, it doesn't have to be matching with your tea cups.
• Loose-leaf tea steepers
•  Serving trays with one or two tiers. These are not only practical to serve your savory and sweet treats but the height also add elegance to your table setting.

The Spread

There is no really hard and fast rule when it comes to food. However, a traditional afternoon tea comprises a layer of savoury finger sandwiches {cucumber and cream cheese, egg salad, ham, and salmon}, a layer of cakes and/or sweet pastries or petit fours and a layer of scones.

I also love to included out of the box treats like pulled pork in mini puff pastry shell and chicken Waldorf in mini crispy wanton {recipes to follow}.

The key is being creative without spending too much time in  preparing the spread. Remember, you want to spend your time with your friends on the table instead of  the kitchen.

The Teas

More than the food, the kinds of teas I will serve my guests is my priority. As much as possible I serve only loose-leaf teas that can be brewed individually via tea steepers or in a pot. Remember, the water must come to a complete boil to really extract the real tastes from the tea. Also, steeping  is important and for each tea there is a proper steep time. 

Generally, black teas take longer to steep that green teas {4 minutes for black teas and 3 minutes for green teas}.

For my afternoon teas, I normally served three kinds to accompany the scones. the savoury sandwiches and the sweet treat. Like a tea pairing if I may call it. In this day and age, quality loose-leaf teas are sold in reputable stores - from the simple English breakfast tea to the more exotic tea blends. Personally, my usual tea parings would be :

Scone Course

Vanilla bean scones {find related recipe here}

Honeyed Mascarpone cream

Jams

Tea pairing : African rooibos tea

Savoury Course

Cucumber with lemony cream cheese sandwich

Egg salad sandwich

Chicken and walnut salad on mini crispy wanton

Tea pairing : Green tea with jasmin and lavender flowers

Sweet Course

Tarts

Pastries

Petit Fours

Tea pairing : Ice wine tea

Don't forget to put cream, sugar, lemon and honey on the table for those who prefer them.

This & That

Add more personal touch to your afternoon tea gathering by making a simple place card with a little note for your friends. It makes a nice conversation piece that your guests truly appreciate.

Alcoholic beverage like Bellini or Champagne also makes your afternoon tea an affair to remember.

Enjoy! That what tea afternoon is all about!