So your kid went pee-pee in the potty for the first time? Let’s Celebrate!Your pups got a clean bill of health at the vet? Let’s Celebrate! Your rude co-worker didn’t give you the stink eye in the hall today? Let’s Totally Celebrate! Point is, it really doesn’t take much to whip me into a frenzy and pop a cork in celebration. But with the one year anniversary of my blog approaching, I knew I wanted to do something a little over the top to commemorate the occasion. Soooo… (pronounced long and drawn out…very southern-like), being the self proclaimed prissy pants that I am and having never shied away from anything girly or glamorous, I decided to throw a tea party…but not just any garden variety tea party. A modern day Marie Antoinette style tea party where there is, in fact, no tea, only champagne, and plenty of delectable treats on which to feast your eyes and tickle your taste buds. Since the party was to occur just before Valentines Day, I made it a “Galentines Day” affair and invited a few girlfriends, making it the most fabulous, frolicky, gorgeous party I’ve thrown in a very long time! Friends came dressed to the hilt and we spent Friday afternoon laughing, loving, sharing, being a little serious and a tad silly! I’m guessing Marie Antoinette would have felt right at home!
Lemon Ricotta Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting and Balsamic Strawberries Me!… hostess of the party and Peach and the Willow creator, Sabrina Pflug, having a wonderful time!!!!In honor of Peach and the Willow’s one year anniversary, several dishes featured the glorious peach. This delicious morsel is Peach and Carrot Cake with Caramelized Peaches and Blackberries. Although our southern peaches are not in season, Chile is doing a really nice job supplying our cravings!
Someone is definitely channeling Marie Antoinette!
My “Sugar Crackers” are a perennial favorite as I make them year round! The recipe is that of a basic sugar cookie, however, I add more salt to the batter than usual and a little sprinkle on top to finish. Sweet…lightly salty. Addictive!
You may remember my pound cake recipe that was such a hit last Easter??? Using that same recipe, I baked the pound cakes in miniature heart pans. Tea Party Perfection. Find my Pound Cake recipe HERE.
Ahh…the Danish Kys…or as we call them, Meringues. Light and delectable…crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Perfect Tea Party Fare.
This Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Buttercream was my “flop” but some of my friends found it to be their favorite! The buttercream broke on me but I spread it on anyway as the show must go on!
I never tire of this hors d’oeuvre! Sourdough cocktail bread topped with dill cream cheese, smoked salmon and wafer thin slices of cucumber. Tea Party 101.“Strawberry Champagne all night. Lucky for you, that’s what I like, that’s what I like!” Bruno MarsA Sweetheart of a Bite…Bacon Jam, Brie and Strawberry. Yes…I said Bacon Jam.“Let Them Eat Cake”
The only menu items I purchased from a bakery were these delightful petit fours decorated with “peaches and willows” to commemorate the occasion! However, you can order the entire tea party from a bakery if you so choose! Fine and fancy free!
The hors d’oeuvre that Emily is selecting is mango and arugula wrapped in prosciutto. Goddess food, I tell ya. It’s pure perfection in one simple bite.
A sweet send off to end the afternoon. Each guest was given a box of my homemade Sugar Crackers to take home
Want more tea party how to’s and recipes? Make sure you check out my next blog post for more details! And thank you for making Peach and the Willow’s first year such a smashing success!!!
A huge thank you to my friend, photographer and fellow dreamer, Robyn Rodehaver, for capturing all of the beautiful photographs in this post. She totally “gets me” and captured the event to perfection!
Peach and the Willow 