Three Ways to Host a Kickoff to Fall Get-Together….Teatime style!
With summer beginning to wind down and early fall in the air, you might wonder how to share your love of all things tea by hosting a fall tea party. The days are a bit shorter, breezes are a bit stronger, and yes, some of the leaves might be turning to beautiful, bright fall shades of red, gold and amber. As the season changes and we transition from late summer into fall, we move from our fruity cold brews, Boba and sweet iced teas to earthy, heady fall harvest varieties of tea served hot to comfort and warm us. Their tastes and smells remind us of hearty seasonal meals together and sitting by the fire with family and friends. They call to mind just how grateful we are for a bountiful harvest. Think spicy cinnamon, apples, cranberries, and of course……pumpkins! Read on and become inspired to throw a fall tea party get-together, casual and fun, serving a delicious combination of specialty tea varieties paired with both savory and sweet teatime treats for your guests and family to enjoy.
Football Game Day Get-Together
So, you’re having the gang over for the big game, and you’re looking for a different spin on traditional beverages and snacks. The beer and chips still have their place at your fall football get-together, but adding these seasonal touches of tea and finger foods makes for a fun new experience of entertaining with tea. How about brewing up a delicious pot of Caramel Apple Black Tea or a cranberry-pomegranate herbal tea to serve to your guests in darling ceramic football mugs? These autumnal tea choices will be a WOW and are a refreshing twist on fall favorite fruit flavors.
Make a crowd-pleasing ultimate charcuterie board which is both delicious and packed with protein. Feel free to substitute seasonal dried fruit, such as dried cranberries, raisins or dried figs.
For a sweet bite, pile up your favorite serving dish with football-shaped cookies, arranged together with autumnal candies to keep it fun and whimsical…not to mention, delicious! Save time by baking your cookies using store-bought sugar cookie dough for a fun presentation of sweets that compliment your fall tea choices.
What a great way to celebrate fall football!
Let’s Go Apple Picking Get-Together
Tis the season…for apple picking! Getting out of the office or classroom and into nature is so rejuvenating, and a great way to bond with friends and family. Invite your breakroom pals from work, dorm room pals, or get the extended family together for a great seasonal activity, and then back to your place for a fun-filled tasty tea party!
From California to Maine, family farms open up on weekends to allow visitors into their orchards to enjoy fruit picking season. September and October are the best apple-picking months, so now is the time to enjoy this traditional fall activity. Pick an assortment of apple types to enjoy for eating, baking and dehydrating. All of the walking, reaching up to pick apples, and carrying apple-filled baskets will
help your guests work up an appetite, so make sure your tea get-together main dish is prepared ahead and ready to serve, hot and satisfying.
Starting your day early, making this slow-cooker chili is a great idea since it will “cook itself” while you are out having fun in the apple orchard. Serve a variety of cracker and baguette slices on a favorite fall platter, serving sour cream, shredded cheese and sliced scallion chili “toppings” in individual bowls.
With a large group, a couple of caffeinated and a couple of herbal fall tea choices work well. A fall tea assortment with multiple complimentary flavors is a good choice. Serve these great teas along with your hearty lunch.
While your guests are enjoying a wholesome meal, head to the kitchen and start slicing a crispy, fresh assortment of your just-picked apples. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Serve with store-bought caramel apple dipping sauce.
What a great way to celebrate a fall apple harvest!
Family Fall Color Nature Walk and Art Project
It’s finally the weekend and your family is looking forward to getting out into nature. Grab the kids and the dog, cooler weather jackets (depending on your location), and head to the county or city park, or a local land preserve to enjoy the beautiful signs of the change of season together. The kids will love this special day that you have planned for them, including a fall snack and refreshing fall herbal tea.
Do your kids already drink tea? Choices ranging from Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Herbal Blend to Numi Organic Chocolate Rooibos tea and more offer your kids tasty teas to enjoy, and an opportunity for you to find out what they like. Herbal tea is a great alternative to sugary drinks and has all the flavor your kids love.
For your nature walk today, make fall trail mix ahead and divide it into individual bags for the kids to munch on while you are out. This trail mix is a perfect blend of savory and sweet, with protein and healthy ingredients. Next, fill their stainless steel water bottles with their favorite fall herbal tea (cooled to tepid before filling water bottle) and you’re off to nature armed with a nutritious snack.
As you all hike along, have your kids fill a brown bag with “treasures” of nature, gathering colorful leaves in a variety of colors and shapes, twigs, buds, cones and bark which are all part of nature’s paintbrush to a budding young artist. Their individual choices will provide an opportunity for creativity and a one-of-a kind art project to be admired and enjoyed. NOTE: Keep an eye out that your kids do not touch poison
oak or ivy, or any plants which you do not want them to be touching. Make sure they stay on the trail and are always within view.
Enjoy your fall color nature walk!
Art Project: Autumn Nature Stained Glass Window Decoration
Once home, provide the kids with construction paper and wide scotch tape. Have them cut a “frame” out of construction paper, and apply tape to one side of the frame, following instructions on YouTube short video to make autumn nature “stained glass” window decoration.
Tape artwork to a window and enjoy the treasures of your family nature walk!
So savor the flavors of the season with these fall-inspired tea choices, paired with tasty savory and sweet bites. These three fall teatime pairings will inspire you and jumpstart your creativity, sparking many ideas to make your autumn tea party a hit for your family, friends and for yourself! Simply choose your delicious tea(s), savory treats recipes and nibbles, get your house decorated in seasonal par-tea décor, and get your invitations prepared…the time for fall entertaining with tea is here! Happy Fall!