Tag: tea

Summer Sunday : Afternoon Tea

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My idea of an ideal Sunday afternoon is getting my closest friends together for an English inspired afternoon tea session.

Conversations and the aroma of baked goodies filling the air. It wouldn’t be tea time without an elegant selection of tea cups and fresh cut flowers from the garden!

 

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Here is whats on the Menu:

  1. Daarjeling, Masala Chai | My grandmother brought loose leaf Daarjeling tea from a tea plantation in Daarjeling, India. This tea was so fragrant and infused with spices such as whole cinnamon and cardamom for an added warmth.
  2. Cucumber Tea Sandwiches | thinly sliced cucumbers, pepper jack cheese, lemon-dill mayo
  3. Chicken Cranberry Sandwiches |oven roasted chicken, cranberries, smoked chipotle gouda, sourdough bread , dijon mustard
  4. Personal Chicken Pot Pies | Chicken, carrots, peas in a creamy Alfredo sauce, topped with crust
  5. Cinnamon Streusal Muffins | These are from a boxed mix, but are delicious!
  6. Sparkling White Grape Cider | Passionfruit Italian Soda 

 

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This is from another tea that I hosted with Zaina. We switched things up a bit and added homeade vanilla bean cupcakes with chocolate frosting to the menu. Strawberries and nutella, meringue cookies from a local bakery, added more sweetness to the table.

The understated yet elegant runner is from Crate and Barrel. Crate and Barrel has fantastic dining decor items.

We added a string of Christmas tree lights for some fun.

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This comforting and light pumpkin spiced cake is an amazing fall addition to an Afternoon tea. I added some color to the platter with some fresh sprigs of rosemary from the garden. 

Scones are traditionally the heart of an English Afternoon Tea. The Tea parties depicted above did not have them. But, I do love make lemon blueberry scones. I use Tiffani Thiessan’s recipe – https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/blueberry-lemon-scones

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They are super easy to make and always come out spectacular. I serve them with raspberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream from Whole Foods. Clotted cream can be difficult to find in the States; the one I buy is the real deal and imported from England.

 

XOXO,

Shiza

 

 

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5 Things to do on a Sunday @ Home

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1) Bake. Nothing is more aesthetically pleasing than baking something delectable that you can devour afterward. I find baking to be relaxing and stress-relieving. I can be having the most chaotic week, but when I put on that apron, I forget everything and drift into a world of sugary dreams.

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I made my favorite crispy chocolate chip cookies ( I have a blogpost on the recipe) along with a lovely darjeeling chai.

2) Read or Watch a Good Movie
Most of us have busy schedules and our fridays and saturdays are packed with parties and fun. We often don’t have time to do things as simple as watch a movie or catch up on reading. I believe that Sundays were made to do the things you love and most of all relax. Curl up with a good book or put on an old hollywood movie on netflix and have fun!

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This is an excerpt from one of the cutest books on style by Nina Garcia, “The Little Black Book of Style”. This is one of my favorite quotes❤️.

3) Go for a long walk
Long walks are always fun. I love going on a walk and taking pictures of the beauty of nature and perhaps doing a mini-photoshoot while I am walking… It depends on my outfit / mood. But it is honestly so fun and adveturous.

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Here are some flowers , I picked up from my front yard after the walk. I love fresh flowers. It looks so rustic and crisp. Placing flowers in a mason jar or cute bottle makes your floral arrangement look vintage and unique.

4) Take a bubble bath
A hot bath with some good music, “spa water” or tea , and a fizzing bath bomb or bubble solution is all you need for a pleasant bath. Baths are calming to the body and often require alot of time. That is why I prefer to take long bubble baths on Sundays. I love addig some essential oils to my bath for a calming aroma and some bath salts.

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This is my all time favorite bubble solution. I have been using it ever since I was a little kid and still love it! You can find in the baby section of Target. It smells like berries and last forever. I also love using this lemon sugar scrub. Its exfoliating and has a lovely citrus scent that lingers on your skin throughout the day. I am not exactly sure where its from, but bath & body works sells great scrubs. A combination of these two make for a luxurious and relaxing bath.

5) Exercise
This means do anything athletic. It can be anything from yoga to playing dance games on the x-box or just going for a run. My definition of a workout is jumping on the trampoline. It is a great workout for the lymphatic system. I also love doing yoga. It relaxes me. I think sunday’s are a perfect day to do fun workouts if you get lazy during the week! Make sure your playing some of your favorite music while doing so. Music radiates energy and motivating vibes during workouts.

Xoxo,
Shiza

How to throw a Tea Party : S&Z’s Tea

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My bestfriend (co-founder of the blog) Zaina and me decided to throw a tea party last winter break. Today, I am going to share with you guys how to throw a tea party and some tips & tricks that will make it fun.

1) Select a theme. We did Alice in the Wonderland so that it would be more whimsical. Also, choose a dress code. We decided upon a dress & heels code to make it classy. I would recommend throwing the party with your bestfriend. Trust me it makes the experience waaaaay more fun and easy!
2) Make a guest list, do not invite too many people. It should be a small, intimate gathering with just your closest friends. I would recommend inviting from 6-8 people. Send out invitations about 2-3 weeks before the party. I found a cute invitation printout online and thats what we used!

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3) Plan out a menu and decide upon a location. We did it in the backyard. Have your bestfriend sleepover the night before the party so that you guys can purchase all of the ingredients and bake all of the baked goods the night before. This way you have more time to get ready and set up the next day.

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4) Make little whimsical tiered serving dishes using mismatched plates. I stacked different floral plates with a tea cup in between. For the cutlery we did small white appetizer plates and mismatched tea cups and clear wine glasses. Also we used a cheetah printed satin table cloth to add a more wonderland vibe to the table.For an added touch, we placed a white runner and placed rainbow christmas lights alongside. Here are pictures of how it all came together💓.

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Overall, the party was a success. We drank many cups of tea and my friends and I had an amazing evening. Afterwards, we did a photoshoot and played ping pong. Hope you guys are inspired and host your own tea parties. If you do, leave us a comment about how it went. Goodluck💓
XOXO
-Shiza