It's Tea Time!

Are you a fan of Downton Abbey?  We are!!!  And Season 2 starts tomorrow!!!!  

We started watching it last year about this time.  It was a hit right off the bat for us.  When we discovered there was going to be a season 2 we quickly ordered up all of season 1 on Netflix.  We wanted to refresh our memory and make sure we had not missed a thing!!!  Last night we finished season 1 up on DVD and can not wait for season 2. 

If I had a beautiful dress like they wore back then I would be wearing it on Sunday evening.  Maybe I'll at least change for tea.  They always changed into a new dress for the evening meal.

So did you catch that? We are going all out for this occasion and plan to have a TEA PARTY before the show begins!  Season 2 starts at 8pm here so it will be a very late dinner for us.  I wasn't sure exactly what to serve for a tea and do not have a tea set.

I put the word out and a dear, sweet friend was generous enough to let us borrow her pretties. My friend, Jeris and her husband Bill allowed us to pick and choose what we wanted to use. These are not just any pretty tea cups and saucers.  They belonged to Bill's grandmother.  There is some history there!  I was a little hesitant, but they both said, "they are to be used"..... all the tea cups, saucers, tea pot, etc. 

So me and the boys each picked out a cup and saucer. They had one picked out for Brant....a Canadian sports tea cups(real china).
We also have the privilege of using a tea pot, sugar and creamer that match.  And those sweet little tea spoons.

From left to right-Matthew, Ryan, Brant and me

Not sure if you can tell "mine" has that amazing purple color with the gold trim.

I love how the inside of the tea pot is stained.....many,many years of history.

So now what to serve? 
British people eat a variety of snacks with tea. This can range from homemade cakes and scones, to packaged biscuits and chocolate bars. It is also a custom for some people to dunk biscuits into their tea. Oh and those cute little sandwiches......saw those last night on episode 7 of season one. 

 And it is not uncommon for British people to drink tea along with their normal meals. In some places dinner is referred to as "tea time".

So I am planning to serve tea biscuits, shortbread triangles(given to us by Jeris), little chocolate bars and some sort of light sandwich.  With Earl Grey tea.  And of course anything else the boys decide they must have.

They were so excited after we left Bill and Jeris' yesterday afternoon!  As soon as we walked in the house they immediately started bugging me to have a tea party.  So I obliged.  I had never made tea in an actually china tea pot.  I was anxious to have a tea party too!!!

So at 3pm yesterday me, the boys and Angry Bird had tea.  They thought it was so much fun using the little spoons and making their own tea.  And they loved the taste of the shortbread cookie after dunking it in their tea.

Let's just say........I would love to have my own tea set now!!!

I'll share pictures of our tea tomorrow night or Monday.  Have a great Saturday!!!