We are making changes to my blog site, as I mentioned last month. I could not be happier with Matt and his team who are helping to make my site not only easier for me as I move forward, but most importantly for you. We are a work in progress, but I think you will see how the new site is more user friendly. I would welcome any comments, concerns, or hopefully feedback on how much easier the new site is for you.
My recipe topic this month is timely. Since the Downtown Abbey movie has just been released, I wanted to talk about having a High Tea Party to celebrate such occasions as Mother’s Day, Baby Showers, or a nice get-together with family and friends. My girlfriend Lori Kuipers and I attended the University of London towards our later years at Oregon State University as part of a study abroad program. We did have the luxury toward the end of our studies to enjoy high tea in London. My feeling about having a tea in the afternoon is that it is incredibly simple and fun. I was curious to know how this tradition came about, so I asked my British friends Judith and Neil Forsyth who live in Germany.
In a recent e-mail, they told me that English Crumpets with lots of jam, butter, and clotted cream are definitely popular with tea. But what has also been on my mind is where did high tea come from? During the 1840’s, afternoon or high tea was served as a mini meal around 2 p.m. as the main meal was served promptly around 8 p.m. Afternoon tea was initially for the upwardly mobile ladies in Britain so they could socialize while climbing the society ladder. But now I consider a high tea an easy thing to prepare for special friends whenever the time seems right!
