The
Praise Ringers of the First United Methodist Church have been fundraising for their upcoming adventure to Scotland in August. They have been invited to participate in the International Bell Ringer's Symposium in Aberdeen. In an effort to make this happen, and to get all the bells and ringers to Scotland, they recently hosted a fund raiser Spring Tea in the church. They also have established a
Go Fund Me account if you would like to contribute to their fundraising efforts. Much preparation went into planning and executing this special Afternoon Spring Tea. On the day of the tea, Susanna greeted attendees and helped them find their table.
Twinkling white lights helped to set the scene, while colorful green tablecloths and coordinating paper products graced the tables. A printed menu also included a listing of the hot tea selections. As guest were seated, the ringers came around and offered the different tea flavors.
The tea options included Pine Needle Black Tea, a black tea so named because the leaves have been rolled into the shape of pine needles, Back Porch, a black tea with orange, strawberry and raspberry flavors, Eight Treasures, a green tea with pineapple and strawberry flavoring, Lazy Daze, a caffeine-free herbal blend and Decaf Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. In addition to the hot tea, a refreshing cup of Lavender Lemonade was on the table.
The bell ringers came around to each table pretty frequently, which made it possible to taste the different tea flavors offered. A sweet little favor was tucked at each place setting. A colorful gift bag held a miniature tea themed charm for each attendee.
The first course was a delicious, chilled Strawberry Soup served in a sweet petal shaped bowl and garnished with fresh, colorful pansies. The soup was so tasty it was tempting to abandon all manners and simply lick the bowl clean.
A floral paper plate laden with tea sandwiches was served next. It included a Pimiento Cheese sandwich on white bread, a Turkey, Havarti, and Apple Sandwich on Raisin Bread, Turkey Muenster Cheese Pinwheels, and an open-faced Cucumber Sandwich topped with dill.
Following the sandwich course, a plate of Scones, Tea Bread, and Fresh Fruit was served to be passed around the table. There was a Traditional English Cream Scone served with Sweet Cream, Bonne Maman Lemon Curd and Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves. In addition, a Triple Lemon Tea Bread was served with Fresh Orange Slices and Strawberries.
A three-tiered tray arrived shortly thereafter, and it held a lovely assortment of homemade desserts which included Lemon Creme Puff Cookies, Fudge Chocolate Squares, Lemon Ice Box Pie, and Frosted Teapot Shaped Sugar Cookies. It was a sweet ending to a delightful afternoon tea. Kudos to the Praise Ringers for hosting this relaxing and memorable teatime. They have a
Facebook page, so if you are interested in any of their upcoming events, to include concerts at the church or about town, please follow them. They often share snippets of their concerts, and I'm sure there will be some photos of their journey to Scotland.
After tea, there was a craft where attendees planted a miniature garden of succulents in the teacup they used at tea. Our next post will share photos from that craft session.
We served a Fresh Fruit Salad topped with Red Strawberries, Blueberries, Orange Mandarin oranges, Strawberry Boba Pearls, Feta Cheese, and a Poppyseed Dressing. The teas that paired with the first course included a delicate White Tea and a herbal Chamomile Tea. 
The colorful selection of sandwiches included a Tomato Rosemary Muffin with Roast Beef, a vibrant green Spinach Bread with French Style Cheese Florette topped with a red cherry tomato, a colorful Herbed Vegetable Bar (a medley of red, green, orange), a Rainbow Wrap of spinach, yellow pepper, and orange carrots topped with a tasty Castelvetrano Italian Olive, and a Chicken Salad with Cheddar cheese and apple pieces. The teas served with this course included a Dragonwell Green tea and a herbal Green Rooibos.
The scone course included our Traditional English Cream Scone and the ever-popular Cinnamon Chip Scone served alongside Sweet Cream and Raspberry Preserves. A rainbow skewer of fresh fruit garnished the plate. A Formosa Oolong and a Honey Bush tea paired with the scones.
The desserts included a Rosemary Cookie sprinkled with dusting sugar to capture the rainbow, a Miniature Fresh Fruit & Cream Tartlet, and a Rainbow Kaleidoscope Cupcake. The teas for this course featured Kenyan Milama and Butterfly Pea Flower.
The Butterfly Pea Flower tea is a caffeine-free herbal made from the dried flowers of a vine native to Southeast Asia. This unique tisane creates its own rainbow of colors as it starts out with a rich blue color, but with the addition of fresh lemon, it quickly transitions to a vibrant purple color. It is enjoying popularity as it is used as a natural food coloring in beverages and desserts. In addition, it is said to enhance brain health. 
