Historic Cooking: Fourth of July Pudding from 1916.

Fourth of July Pudding.  Photo: Liz Raven.

The Redone Challenge: Today in History (June 29-July 12, 2014) Make a dish based on or inspired by a momentous occasion that took place on the day you made it. Get creative - you would be surprised by all the interesting things that happened every single day!

The Recipe:

A Fourth of July Luncheon. To be served buffet style or on the porch.  By Cora Farmer Perkins.

FOURTH OF JULY PUDDING: Pick over, wash and hull one quart box of strawberries.  Sprinkle with one cupful of granulated sugar, cover, and let stand two hours.  Mash, squeeze through a double thickness of cheesecloth, and add one cupful of cold water, and lemon juice to taste.  Turn mixture into a brick mold.  Beat one pint of heavy cream until stiff and add one-half cupful of powdered sugar, one-half tablespoonful of vanilla, a few grains of salt, and two thirds of a cupful of rolled dried macaroons.  Pour cream mixture over fruit mixture to overflow mold.  Cover with buttered paper (buttered side up) and adjust cover, when mixture should be forced down sides of mold.  Pack in rock salt and finely crushed ice, using equal parts, and let stand three hours.

            Remove to chilled serving dish, garnish with selected strawberries, and cut in slices for serving.

--from _Woman’s Home Companion_, July 1916. 

The Date/Year and Region: the United States, 1916. 

Tips for a "Patriotic Evening Affair"

Image from http.clipart.edigg.com

This information is from the Woman's Home Companion magazine from 1919:

“For a Patriotic Evening Affair”

Open Sandwiches, Allied Style
South Park Sweetbreads or Veal Souffle
Pineapple Mousse
Coffee or Shrub Punch

Happy 4th of July!

Clipart from http://clipart.edigg.com

It looks like Independence Day will be a scorcher in much of the U.S.A., so be sure to have plenty of iced tea and lemonade around!  Have a barbecue and avoid heating up the house.  Ice cream and popsicles are good, too.  Here are some recipes that sound good for the 4th of July:

Strawberry Lemon Iced Tea
Blueberry Lemonade
Dried Cherry Scones with clotted cream
Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade Crostini
Cold Strawberry Soup 
Mini Apple Tarts
Strawberry Shortcake
Blueberry Cream Cheese tarts

If you want, you can add a few antique recipes to your menu, according to what the Founding Fathers and Mothers might have enjoyed.  There's even an old recipe for Independence Cake, but it sounds like it makes a huge amount ...

Independence Cake
Twenty pounds of flour, fifteen pounds of sugar, ten pounds of butter, four dozen eggs, one quart of wine, one quart of brandy, one ounce of nutmeg; cinnamon, cloves, mace of each three ounces, two pounds citron, currants and raisins, five pounds each, one quart of yeast, when baked frost with loaf sugar, dress with boxwood and gold leaf.
-- from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, 1814. Rare Books Exhibit from the Richard L. D. & Marjorie J. Morse Dept. of Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.

The main thing is to keep cool and stay safe while you celebrate the great nation that America still is!  Our ideals are worth celebrating!

“Review of Haagen Dazs Sweet Chai Latte ice cream”
"Tea history: what type of tea did American founders drink?"
"Tea with the Founders: an 18th century style tea menu"

Staying up to watch the Royal Wedding?

The Mall, London, England.  Wikimedia Commons.

San Jose area residents are full of excitement over Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding, which represents a love story, even a fairy tale, to many people.   While Californians won’t be getting the day off tomorrow like those in the UK will, there’s nothing preventing us from enjoying the event with our own celebrations.  Many in the Bay Area will be staying up tonight to watch the pre-wedding programs, as well as the wedding itself.  There will even be a sort of play-by-play on the official YouTube channel.  Most local networks will be starting their coverage at 4 a.m. Eastern time, which will be around 2 a.m. Pacific time, so the countdown has begun!  It also looks like local pubs and some restaurants will be opening early for breakfast so that people can come in and watch. 

Tips for a Retro-Industrial Steampunk party.

Astronomical clock, Prague. 
Photo: Ian Britton, www.FreeFoto.com

When planning your steampunk festivities, you should let your imagination play while planning the menu, entertainment and decorations.  If you have a Victorian or retro-industrial space in your home, then you are more than halfway to your goal of creating a steampunk-appropriate venue for your party.  The addition of a few more accessories, like vintage international travel posters, railroad, airplane, steamship or hot-air balloon memorabilia, or interesting Victorian bric-a-brac will finish your space nicely.  If your home is more modern than steampunk, you can work with your living room, back or front yard, or even your garage, to create the right ambiance.  Outdoor spaces, especially, can often be made to look like the "wilderness" or a "crash landing site" fairly easily.  Another venue idea -- especially if you're planning a big bash -- is to rent an empty airplane hangar, warehouse, or other old industrial space.

'Teens costume for late-summer!

Getting ready for two local events coming up: a croquet picnic with the South Bay Ladies' Tea Guild, and the Antique Auto Show at History Park, both in September. A group that I volunteer with, Portraits of the Past, attends the Antique Auto Show in costume to provide ambiance, and coordinates a costume contest there each year. Usually I wear 1920s frocks to the Auto Show, because they're easy to wear and cute as all get out, but this year I think I'll do mid teens, say around 1916 or so. I have a dress, but I need a better hat, so here is an image from my antique print collection that I am thinking about using:
antique fashion print ca. 1913.
I think I have a modern sun hat in a similar shape that I can use, and I have a lovely vintage lace scarf that I will probably drape over the brim like some of the examples in the print. My dress is a sheer white with a woven windowpane design, and I wear it with a wide blue ribbon sash that I found in my grandmother's sewing box (which I inherited) after her death.

Here are some other Edwardian, 'teens and 20s costume images for my inspiration and your enjoyment. They include various members of Portraits of the Past at past Antique Auto Shows as well as the historic fashion shows that we perform in each month.

catalog image ca. 1915. From the Costumer's Manifesto.

Sears catalog image ca. 1917. From Costumer's Manifesto.



















At the Harris-Lass House, June 2009.

photo ca. 1918. From the Sense & Sensibility website.

at the Antique Auto Show, September 2006.

Use up holiday leftovers by having a tea party (or two)!

Now that Easter is over, and Passover is drawing to a close, most of us have plenty of leftover food to use up. Rather than just reheat it for days, or let it sit in the fridge until it goes bad, why not use the leftovers as ingredients in new dishes? Putting together some treats for afternoon teas and brunches for this week can make the holiday spirit last longer, especially during the current storm that's (hopefully) supposed to go away later this week. Here are some quick and easy brunch and tea party suggestions:

Hot tea

Scones
Lemon curd

(Leftover) ham and apricot tea sandwiches
Grilled leftover ham and pineapple sandwiches
(Leftover) roast lamb tea sandwiches
Cucumber mint tea sandwiches
Savory breakfast casserole

Cinnamon-raisin cream cheese bread pudding
Lemon and blueberry cake
(Leftover) Easter chocolate

“How to make the most of a restaurant cup of tea”
“What to expect from a restaurant cup of tea”
“How to add flavor to a restaurant cup of tea”
“What should I keep in the pantry for tea parties?”
“Orange cookie cups recipe”

Tea party fundraiser in April for local non-profit group!

image from AntiqueClipArt.com
Last year I joined a few of my tea friends here in San Jose, CA, in an unofficial group called the Friends of 13th St. Cats. We got together to plan and put on a fundraiser for a small local non-profit group, and we decided to structure the event as a tea party. It was a big success, and we'll be repeating the event this year. The first planning meeting is this weekend! The 2010 tea party fundraiser will be held in a private Victorian home in downtown San Jose, tentatively on April 10 and 11th.

The 13th Street Cats organization’s work is to use the T-N-R (Trap-Neuter-Release) approach to rescue stray and abandoned cats and kittens, get them needed medical attention like spaying and neutering, keep the adults fed and get the kittens adopted into local homes. Last year's event included a silent auction of donated items, and a raffle, and we'll probably be repeating the auction and raffle this year, depending on the kinds and amount of items we can get donated.

We can always use help and, of course, we'll need to have tea lovers attend the event! If you are interested in helping plan, prepare food, arrange donations, work the event, set up or clean up, please e-mail the South Bay Ladies' Tea Guild, or the 13th Street Cats, themselves. Details, like finalized location, date, ticket price, etc. will be posted when they are ready.

“A tea party fundraiser: you too can help a local nonprofit organization.”
13th St. Cat Rescue

What to do with fresh peaches? Have them with tea!

1895 "Berry" peach from Wikipedia.

While peach season is technically in August, they are still available in September around San Jose! Don’t forget to enjoy them right now, either fresh (with cream and sugar), or made into savory dishes and salsas to accompany meat, and many delectable desserts. Why not even give a tea party featuring peaches? You can purchase any one of the many peach flavored tea blends available in the supermarkets or online, or you can make your own. I suggest a nice Taiwanese oolong tea as the base for your peach tea.

To make your own peach tea at home, you should have:

• fresh or dried peaches, or peach juice
  
• granulated sugar
  
• fresh water
• unflavored oolong tea (from Taiwan, if you can get it), or other unflavored tea
  

First, fill your kettle with fresh water and put it on to boil. Meanwhile, pour hot tap water into your teapot, swirl the water around inside to warm it, and set it aside for a few minutes. If using dried peaches, chop them into small pieces. If using a fresh peach, take out the pit and chop it into small pieces, then sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar over the fruit and let it sit for a few minutes. When the water in the kettle boils, take it off the heat. Empty the hot water out of your teapot, and measure 1 tablespoon of tea leaves, and at least 1 tablespoon of chopped peaches into the teapot. Pour the just-boiled water over it and let it steep for 3 minutes, then strain into teacups. You can add some more peach pieces to the bottom of each teacup before you pour in the tea, if you want. If using peach juice, omit putting peach pieces into the teapot with the tea, and brew the tea as usual. Strain the peach juice through cheesecloth, if desired, to remove the pulp, and add a teaspoon or two of juice to each teacup after you've filled it 3/4 of the way with tea. Add more peach juice or sugar as desired, to flavor the tea, and enjoy!

Here are a variety of menu choices for your own Peach Tea party!

Oolong tea or Peach flavored tea

Clotted cream or Mexican crema
Peach jam
Peaches and Cream Scones

Grilled Peaches Wrapped in Prosciutto
Peach mint salsa on crostini
Sliced peach and turkey sandwiches

Peaches and cream
Peach cobbler
Individual Peach Pies
Peach ice cream
Peach pound cake

More links:
“Tea tasting 101: characteristics of good quality oolong tea”
“What should I keep in the pantry for tea parties?”
“Which foods go with oolong or pu-erh tea?”
Peach Iced Tea recipe
Prize-winning Peach Pie recipe
Pickled Peaches recipe
The Lady & Sons Peach Cobbler recipe

See the last of the Perseid meteors with a midnight tea party!

Wikipedia image. 2007 Perseid meteor shower.
While the Perseid meteor shower has already seen its peak activity, the show is supposed to continue through the rest of this week. Summer night-time temperatures are deliciously cool so why not pack some warm blankets, lawn chairs, a midnight snack and thermos of hot tea tonight, and go away from the city to see the shooting stars? A more robust brew, like a strong Assam or Irish Breakfast, with a good amount of caffeine to keep you awake long enough to see the meteors, would be a good idea. Not sure what snacks to bring? This is a perfect time to go to your tea party cupboard and put together an impromptu midnight tea party!

According to the Yahoo news feed, “the best location is far from city and suburban lights. Ideally, find a structure, mountain or tree to block the moon. Then scan as much of the sky as possible. The meteors can appear anywhere, heading in any direction. If you trace their paths backward, they'll all point to the constellation Perseus. ... Seasoned skywatchers advise using a blanket or lounge chair for comfort, so you can lie back and look up for long periods. Allow at least 15 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness. Then expect meteors to be sporadic: You might see two in a row, or several minutes could go by between shooting stars.”

I was able to stand in my back yard last Wednesday and saw over 20 meteors in one hour, which was more than I had ever seen! I would have stayed longer, but I got a crick in my neck from looking up. I recommend a lawn chair, or blanket to lie on, to other star-gazers! If you can't get to the country, you can set up a lawn chair and bring your tea onto your own front or back yard, and see what you can see. Tents and sleeping bags optional. Relive some of your childhood and spend some night time gazing at the stars!

“Observing the Perseids”
San Jose Astronomical Association
“Preparing for Perseids 2009: meteor shower or meteor storm?”
“Skywatchers to see streaking meteors”

Other tea party themes:
1940s' Economy Tea
Charity Fundraiser Tea
Last-Minute Tea Party

It's Midsummer! Why not celebrate with a tea party?

MorgueFile.com image.
Inspired by the South Bay Ladies' Tea Guild's Rosewater Tea tomorrow, I was reading about the uses of rose water over the years, and that led me to re-reading some of Shakespeare's works. I was reminded of A Midsummer's Night's Dream, and then I thought, "I may not be able to have a tea party in a fairy garden like some people do, but I can plan a fairytale tea party! Instead of a midsummer night's dream, a fairytale afternoon tea should be A Midsummer Afternoon's Reverie, or something similar. The food should all be exotic, delicate, and unusual. The whole menu could be based on flowers: both sweet and savory! I found some similar recipes a year or so ago when I planned a Pre-Raphaelite Tea, so here is a re-worked list of menu suggestions if you want to do your own Midsummer Afternoon's Tea and Reverie!

Strawberry-Lavender Scones
Candied rose petals and lavender buds
Lavender jelly
Rose Petal Jam

Fried squash blossoms
Fried dandelion flowers
Open-faced tea sandwiches garnished with nasturtiums and herb flowers
Salad garnished with carnation petals

Lavender-Lemon Tea Cakes
Pansy shortbread
Shrewsbury Cakes (rose water shortbread)
Lavender-Mint Shortbread
Meyer Lemon and Orange Flower Yogurt Cake
Cherry Orange-Blossom Cakes
Dandelion Flower Cookies

Combined with some mint, rose petal, violet, or lavendar tisane, this could be quite a spread! How about it?

Make your own rose water!

image from AuntiesClipArt.com
The South Bay Ladies' Tea Guild is planning another Victorian workshop soon: Making Rose Water the Victorian Way! A rose-themed tea party, and some of the home made rose water, is also included. The tea and workshop will be held at a private home in San Jose, CA, on Saturday, August 8. Tickets are $20 per person; e-mail southbayladiesteaguild@yahoo.com to R.S.V.P. or for details of location, menu, etc. Older girls are welcome to attend, if accompanied by an adult!

For some history behind this activity:

The Victorians and Edwardians were known for their love of roses, and used them for everything from decoration, to perfume, to flavoring for desserts. They were not the first ones to do this, however; they were following several centuries of history and tradition in their culinary and cosmetic use of fragrant flowers.

By the 19th century there were a few simple methods for making rose water. The simplest method is to obtain a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, fill it with fresh, clean rose petals, cover the petals with water, and fasten on the lid to the jar. Then, set the jar in the sun for several hours, strain out the rose petals at the end of the day, and use the scented water immediately or keep it in a cold place for a few days. To preserve it for a few weeks, you would have to add some spirits of wine or even some white wine vinegar, and make sure to keep it in a tightly closed glass container in the cellar, away from the sun and heat.

Another simple method involves making a rose infusion: fresh rose petals were washed and patted dry with a towel, then added to a pan of boiling water and allowed to boil for a short time; then the pan was removed from the fire, covered, and the rose petals were allowed to steep in the hot water for 20 to 30 minutes or more. When the water was colored, scented and flavored enough, the rose petals were strained out and the liquid was transferred to sealed, clean bottles or jars, and kept in a cool, dark place. Vinegar or spirits of wine would have been added to aid in preservation.

Some old recipes call for attar of roses, spirits of wine and various chemicals whose names are unfamiliar to us today. Attar of roses is, by the way, just rose essential oil, and spirits of wine is vodka, but some other items, like sugar of lead, might not be advisable to use even if it were available! Some recipes called for making rose water by distillation, using beakers, tubes, and other specialized equipment, practical only if you were part of a commercial rose water manufacturing effort back then, but doable today with minor modifications.

However you make it, homemade rose water should be kept in the refrigerator for best results, and will last from a few days up to a couple of months if prepared and stored properly. It can also be frozen and kept for several months, as ice cubes, sealed in a freezer bag. Use and enjoy your rose water the way our ancestors did!

How to make rosewater (distilling instructions)
How to make your own rose water (distilling instructions), by Annie Bond
How to make rosewater and living potpourri (infusing instructions)
How to make herbal cosmetics

Why not throw a Tour de France tea party?

French macarons. Image from www.pachd.com.
The Tour de France: beginning in Monaco last Saturday, international cycling teams will race through France, Spain, the small principality of Andorra, Switzerland and part of the Italian Alps, before they return to France for the final section, ending in Paris on the 26th of July. While San Jose’s bicycling and cycle racing scene is not what it once was – it was a wildly popular sport in the late 1889, when San Jose’s first bicycle club was founded – there are still a good number of cyclists and bicycle clubs in the city.

While I’m not a cyclist I know people who are, whose eyes are glued to the Tour de France reports on the television! In honor of my favorite cyclists, I’ve come up with a tea party menu, featuring foods from all of the countries that the Tour de France participants will ride through, as a way of celebrating their effort and the dedication it’s taken them to get this far! While many of these countries don’t have a long-standing tea tradition, they all have traditional appetizers, desserts, and other dishes that can be added to a tea party menu, and be accompanied by a nice cup of tea. So here it is -- my (American-style) Tour de France Tea menu:

Lapsang Souchong black tea
Green tea with mint and honey (Spain)
Tila tisane (Spain)
Verbena tisane (France)

Earl Grey-scented jelly (France and Italy)
Maria galletas (Spain)
Croissants with Creme Fraiche (France)

Barbagiuans (Monaco -- pan-fried vegetable-filled pastry)
Beignets de Sauge (Swiss sage fritters)
Bread with Mushrooms and Alioli (Spain)
Pa amb tomaquet (Andorra -- toast with tomato)
Petite Crustless Quiches with Fines Herbes and Chevre (France)

Getränker Zitronencake (Switzerland -- lemon cake)
Les zestes d’orange confites (France -- candied orange peel)
Prince Albert Millefeuille Pastry with Strawberries and Pastry Cream (Monaco)
Macarons (France)
Madeleines (France)
Spitzbuben (Switzerland -- jam cookie)
Sorbet au champagne (France)
Tea Cake with Pignoli and Almonds (Italy)

Of course, the cyclists will be working out in hot summer weather and will need lots of cold beverages to keep them going. You can sympathize with them and drink your tea iced! I wonder which team and which cyclist will win?

“Mariage Freres: charming tea in Paris”
Laduree’s “Story of the Macaroon”

Celebrate with an Independence Day Tea party!

sample tea party centerpiece.
Godey's Lady's Book from 1852 contained a passionate opinion regarding the United States and our national identity. Here is the passage:

"The American people have two peculiar festivals, each connected with their history, and therefore of great importance in giving power and distinctness to their nationality. THE FOURTH OF JULY is the exponent of independence and civil freedom. THANKSGIVING DAY is the national pledge of Christian faith in God, acknowledging him as the dispenser of blessings. These two festivals should be joyfully and universally observed throughout our whole country, and thus incorporated in our habits of thought as inseparable from American life.

Our Independence Day is thus celebrated. Wherever an American is found, the Fourth of July is a festival; and those nations who sit in chains and darkness feel that there is hope even for them, when the American flag is raised in the triumph of freedom. Would not the light of liberty be dimmed were this observation to cease?"

In the spirit of the Americans who've gone before us, why not celebrate their successes and honor their sacrifices by hosting an Independence Day Tea? You could even make it a picnic by spreading a blanket in a local public park, or even in your own back yard. Those lucky people who can see summer fireworks shows from their own homes, can set up the tea party outside in the evening, and have the event end with a bang, so to speak!

Dress up the scene with little American flags (which should be available even in the Dollar Store by now), and home-made items like red and blue paper stars (even snowflakes!), pinwheels, and place mats. Strings of white Christmas lights will also lend a festive touch, plus they are pretty enough to leave up all summer. Red and white peppermints and yellow butterscotch discs can be part of the decoration as well as part of the dessert, alongside strawberry shortcake and blueberries and cream. Lots and lots of iced tea should accompany the food. Bubbles, glow-in-the-dark bracelets and ice cream can add to the fun!

You may not feel supportive of our government's actions, but don't make the mistake of devaluing American ideals, history, and culture. We Americans have so many blessings that it's easy to take them for granted! We must remember that each one was paid for by the blood of those who lived and died before our time, and that it takes continual sacrifice of time and effort to maintain our rights and freedoms. They are worth preserving and celebrating! Why not do it in style with a tea party, I say?

Mother's Day Tea, part 2

image from Grandma's Graphics.
For the past few years I’ve prepared a tea brunch for my mom on Mother’s Day, setting the table with her mother’s everyday dishes (1940s vintage Franciscan Desert Rose pottery, which lives in the cabinet most of the year), and putting a bunch of her favorite flowers, orange blossoms, in a vase on the table. Here is a menu that I’ve used in the past for my mom on Mother’s Day:

Twining’s Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea
Lemon-currant scones (purchased from a local farmer's market)
Homemade lemon curd
Savory Breakfast Casserole (from my grandma’s cookbook)
Cherry cobbler (from my grandma’s cookbook)
Dutch Baby with fruit

In my family we often make savory casseroles/bread puddings for special occasion breakfasts like Christmas and Easter morning, because they can be assembled the day before, covered and put in the fridge overnight, and taken out and baked the next morning, saving time on a holiday. Not only are sweet and savory bread puddings easy dishes to make, they have been part of American home cooking for many years, definitely among the ranks of “comfort food,” which is a good thing to have on a holiday.

Here are some of the vintage recipes I've used:

Plain Muffins:
Temperature, 400 degrees; Time, 25 minutes

¼ cup butter
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Cream the butter and add the sugar gradually, creaming while adding. Then add the well-beaten egg. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and add them alternately with the milk to thebutter and sugar mixture. For variation 1 cup of blueberries or other berries may be folded into the muffin mixture. Or, if desired, add ½ cup of chopped dates and ½ cup of chopped nut meats. Bake in greased muffin tins at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Yield: 12 muffins, 2 ½ inches diameter, 1 ½ inches deep.
-- from Magic Chef Cooking, ca. 1925.

Breakfast Casserole:
Place olive oil in skillet and in it fry one piece of onion and one piece of garlic until clear. Add one can solid pack tomatoes, pour into a glass casserole and cover with half slices of bacon. Add six well beaten eggs on top and cover with pieces of bacon. Bake 45 minutes in a slow oven. Serve with hot corn bread.
-- from Burnt Toast: Victory Recipes, ca. 1942.

Cobbler (fresh fruit):
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk

[Mix together to form batter.] Pour batter in pan. Cover with fresh fruit (I used cherries for my Mother's Day tea breakfast). Pour syrup over dough. Syrup: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water [brought to a boil and then cooled]. Bake 45 minutes -- 350 degrees. Serve hot or cold with cream. [NOTE: like fruit pies, this dish will overflow and drip sugar syrup all over your oven. Put a cookie sheet underneath when you put it in the oven to catch the drips.]
-- from Burnt Toast: Victory Edition, ca. 1942.

Other recipes that would be a good addition to your Mother's Day tea brunch:

Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Dill

Alsatian Cottage Cheese & Onion Tart

Caramel Risotto

Lemon Rice Pudding from Laurie Colwin's More Home Cooking

Edenton Cakes for a Tax Day Tea Party!

image from ClipArtEtc.com

In a town called Edenton in the mid-1770s, the lady citizens got together and decided to support the Revolution and anti-tax movement by refusing to drink imported English tea. Their beverage of choice on the day of the ladies' political tea party, is said to have been raspberry leaf tisane.

Here is a recipe that is said to be one of the actual items served at the Edenton Tea Party in the 18th century. I haven't researched this, so I don't know if it's true, but I thought it was an appropriate recipe for April 15th and the T.E.A. (Taxed Enough Already) parties that were scheduled across the nation today.

Edenton Tea Party Cakes
Cream together 3/4 cup of butter with 2 large cups brown sugar. Add 3 eggs and blend. Stir 1 teaspoon soda into a small amount of hot water. Cool slightly and add to creamed mixture with 1/2 teaspoon salt and enough (5 cups) flour to make a stiff dough. Flavor with vanilla. Chill. Roll out thin, cut with cookie cutter and bake in hot oven, 400 degrees, until done.
-- posted to the T.I.A.S. newseletter.

A tea party for cats!

image from AntiqueClipArt.com

I've been keeping busy lately getting ready for a tea party fundraiser that I'm helping a friend put on, for the benefit of a local non-profit organization that rescues stray and abandoned cats, and gets the kittens socialized and adopted. It's a homegrown, grass-roots group, and I'm happy to help!

The benefit organization, based in downtown San Jose, is called 13th Street Cats, and they rescue stray and abandoned cats in their neighborhood. Comprised of a dedicated group of regular San Jose residents, 13th Street Cats members utilize the T-N-R approach, trapping the cats and kittens, neutering them, and releasing the adults back in the same area where they were trapped. The kittens are then housed in foster homes, where they are nurtured and socialized, and then adopted out to loving families who give them permanent homes.

Realizing that all of the medical care, food, cat toys and other supplies were purchased by the individual 13th Street Cats volunteers, and that costs could run into the thousands, a support group – Friends of 13th St. Cats – was formed, to plan and put on a fund-raising event for them. The event format we chose was a tea party, hosted in a lovely Victorian home in San Jose’s Historic Hensley District.


Here’s how we did it: in January, we began our planning meetings. We made lists of the things we needed, selected the date for the event, and started approaching local businesses for donations and help. We searched our own homes for things like folding tables, chairs, tablecloths, cups and saucers, silverware, napkins, and teapots, as well as items to donate to the silent auction and raffle. We started to spread the word among our friends and acquaintances, and asked them for in-kind donations as well. We paid for the printing of our event program and flyers. We were able to secure donations of food from Trader Joe’s, and tea from Peet’s Coffee and Tea in San Jose.


Through February and into March we sold tickets to the event and finalized the menu, delegated responsibilities like marketing, food prep, flower arranging, set-up and clean-up, serving, picking up donated and loaned items, and bookkeeping.

Event Dates: Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2009, one seating at 2 p.m. each day.
Tickets: $25 per person. Raffle tickets are 10 for $10, and you can put as many tickets as you wanted, in the raffle for each item. There will also be a silent auction.
Location: a private home in the Hensley District, San Jose.


It's been a lot of work. I've been put in charge of making sandwich fillings for 75 tea sandwiches! I also made 4 batches of lemon curd and got Peet's Coffee & Tea to donate all of the tea that we will serve. All of us on the planning committee have done the same amount of work and we have collectively donated or loaned all of the china, silverware, tables, chairs, linens and many of the raffle and silent auction items that are needed. We only have to buy the food and a few other things, which means more of the proceeds go to the cat rescue group! This is a quick update before I head off to my friend's house where the tea party will be held, to help set up. I expect to be in the kitchen much of the day, coordinating the sandwich-making, tea-making, and things like that, but I'm bringing my new camera (woohoo!) and I'll be taking as many pictures as I can, without being obnoxious! I'll post some of them in the next week or so ...