California Tea Party

hello!  raise your hand if summer has completely consumed you?

i’ve really been making an effort to be in the moment with the kids….i give myself a B.

we’ve had a lot of fun…but it isn’t easy.  summer’s irregular schedule requires a lot more juggling and calendar coordination!  thank goodness for Google calendars!!!

we’ve spent a lot of time at the pool and beach and with neighbor friends.

at an early summer pool party, my neighbor Jen, who blogs at An International Tea Moment, and i decided to have a summer California tea party.

so as i do, i went into the garden with the kiddos, picked a bunch of fresh veggies and herbs, and started cooking!

we decided to take a fun twist on the stuffy ole tea party concept.    

no cucumber sandwiches here!

can you guess what i’m making here?  “Mommy, why are you burning those things?!”

i made a spicy hummus which i found at White on Rice.  good grief, that’s one amazing blog!  the food and pix are incredible!  check it out!

with some toasted fresh sourdough, sauteed onions, olives, scallions, and fresh garden cherry tomatoes, we had some yummy sandwiches!

yum…these peppers were so sweet and delish!

i sauteed these onions with some balsamic and a touch of soy sauce and a splash of olive oil.  keep the flame low and let these simmer for 10-15 minutes to bring out the taste.

then, i figured i’d try my new favorite unhealthy appetizer that i recently discovered at Broadway in Laguna.

um….prunes stuffed with feta, wrapped in bacon?  do not pass go, do not collect $200.  yes, call your cardio thoracic surgeon.  stat.

Jen brought some amazingly creative and scrumptious tea-infused beers and wines.  really?  yes, really.

using Capital Teas’ Cherry Blossom Rose Sencha Organic tea, she steeped a chilled BV Chardonnay for 30 minutes.  use 3-4 tea bags for each bottle of wine.

and brace yourself for this next one…..

iced cold Stella Artois + Capital Teas’ Cream Earl Grey Black tea.

and check out these adorable Japanese sugar cubes.  these have been made for Japanese royalty for centuries.  only recently did the company allow a US licensee to bring these to the states.  and we LOVE them!

a little snack board of honey, capers, nuts, havarti and fresh peaches.

we had a wonderful time introducing these tea-infused wines and beers to our gal pals.

we wanted to test the concept with the girls first before bringing the guys into the mix…

we’re thinking our next quarterly neighborhood wine tasting may have to include some tea-infused beers.   

we’ll do a taste test between bug light and stella to see who truly knows their beers…and teas!

we’ll def keep the pizza and bacon-wrapped-heart-attack-on-a-stick on the menu!

have a GREAT weekend….and yes, i’m posting this at 5:41 AM b/c it’s the only time i get anything done around here!  now, time to get ready for the beach!  🙂