Mother’s Day Tea Party for 10

Our Mother | Our Butterfly

It has been some time now since I last wrote about our Mum. I think I went to sleep for a few years and just woke up again. Health jumped in the road of blogging for some time; however, now I see the road ahead a little more clearly, and I see happy gatherings as our way of living together and with the people we love. Mum turns 92 next week. How could we not want to celebrate Mother’s Day? Covid meant that we needed to be a little more careful and possibly prevented us from doing anything too elaborate, yet what truly matters is being together and doing something.

Like a person upgrading from a small car to a large family van, as with our Mum, she just upgraded from a domestic wheelchair to something much larger and more durable. Mum suffered a stroke a few months back, and moving her about has become a little more complicated. Despite this, she still thinks she has wings and can fly. Therefore we need to support her and fly with her.

Her body struggles massively, and yet her mind still sees the flowers in bloom on what is more so a mushy and brittlebush. One beats the bush, and another catches the birds.

Sometimes I think I prefer laying the table over all else: the precision, the little touches, my anal retentiveness starts to surface again.

The little detail is important to me. The bits one sees and the bits nobody notices yet form part of the total picture.

Happy Mother’s Day

A mother’s hug lasts long after she lets go. Hug your mother and hug her some more. As a mum, I don’t plan to stop hugging my boy for the rest of my life. ♥️

Here is my checklist for a smaller more intimate Morning Tea Party. I hope it provides you with some ease. Remember, you dont need an excuse to have a party. Just go do it.

Table Checklist:

  • Centrepiece 
  • Table Cloth 
  • Tea Pot
  • Milk Jug 
  • Sugar Bowl
  • Tea Cups & Saucers x 8
  • Coffee Cups & Saucers x 4
  • Side Plates x 10
  • Tea Spoons x 10
  • Cake Knife x 2
  • Serving Tongs
  • Cake Stands x 2 (for a high tea, use a three-tiered cake stand)
  • Chocolate Bowl
  • Serving Bowl x 1
  • Serviettes x 10
  • Water Jug
  • Crystal Water Jugs x 10
  • Music – Background
  • Lighting
  • Candles

Menu:

  • Savoury Sandwich Cake
  • Pear Upside Down Cake with Clotted Cream & Candied Walnuts
  • Rasperry & Dark Chocolate Cake with Rose Petals & Pistachio
  • Franski Sausage Rolls & Sweet Chilli Sauce 
  • Bowl of Bacci’s (my favourite)
  • English Breakfast Tea
  • Green Tea
  • Nespresso Capsules
  • Sparkling Water with a hint of Elderflower Cordial, Fresh Fruits & Mint (Iced Tea ideal for Summer)
  • Champagne (only the best – your Mother deserves that) ❤️

it’s all about the food |insanely sweet chicken

Here is a simple (well, simple enough when it comes to anything Ottolenghi) chicken recipe for that special occasion.

It is as sweet and delicious as it sounds.

Ottolenghi’s Sweet and Smoky Mexican Chicken. Emphasis on the sweet is achieved by the grated dark chocolate added before roasting.  Surely you are salivating just thinking about this dish?

His recipe uses chicken thighs and legs; however, I am a breast girl, and I used plump chicken breasts with the skin on and wing in.

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Photo | there is always something gorgeous about how Ottolenghi marinated his food. Who would have thought raw chicken could look and smell this good.

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Photo | my favourite little grating accessory, just perfect for grating fine dark chocolate.

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Photo | indeed, you can smell this as it cooks its fabulous sweet and spicy head off in the oven.  I had to stop myself from continually opening the oven door and enabling the chocolate fumes.
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Photo | all good things must end as my family quickly devoured these tiny plump breasts.

This recipe is perfect for a special dinner with the family or a dinner party. I served our family chicken with a simple coleslaw.

Other side ideas:

-roast potatoes and carrots

-chunky fries