Spring is in the air, beautiful flowers are blooming everywhere, and it’s time to think about hosting a celebratory Easter tea party!
Easter Tea Party Decor
Lovely pastels, lacy whites, and fresh flowers make a very pretty table for your Easter tea party. A bunch or two of fresh tulips will make your table come alive with a spring-time feel.
Holiday candies make great centerpiece accents scattered across the table and around place settings.
For place cards, use paper with a graphic design (like origami paper) to cut out your guests’ first initial and affix it to a decorated egg. I used plastic eggs that I filled with candies for my guests to take home with them. Use basket “grass” to make a small nest, and arrange the grass and decorated egg on a plate at each guest’s seat.
A Springtime Menu
Whether your guests will be seated for a formal meal or milling about in conversation, it’s good to start with some appetizers. I love to serve a creamy spinach and artichoke dip, served with crostini or sliced fresh bread. Or, prepare some delicious Spinach Artichoke Dip Bites ahead of time. The combination of flaky crust, flavorful vegetables, and tangy cheese creates a perfect storm of comfort food.
Appetizer + Tea Pairing: Pair your appetizers with Queen’s Blend Green Tea. Its wonderful layers of complexity fall into your cup, with flavors of lemon, vanilla, bergamot, and apple that add balance and softness.<.p>
A bright Strawberry Beet Salad is refreshing this time of year, and a perfect complement to your Easter tea party menu. Garnish this colorful spinach salad with chopped walnuts and feta cheese. If you like, you can level up this salad by roasting the strawberries and fresh beets, then tossing the warm veggies with the spinach and feta just before serving.
For a scrumptious main course, a quiche makes a lovely entrée, served warm. My local market makes a killer vegetable quiche, which I warm in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Choosing a pre-made option saves me a ton of party prep time.
If you prefer to craft your own, try a Honey Thyme Chicken & Cheddar Quiche. A delectable mix of sweet and savory flavors, its buttery, spelt-thyme crust and creamy custard-like filling will have your guests swooning for more.
Entrée + Tea Pairing:Try the floral Coco-Lavender Herbal Chai as a tea pairing for your entree. A base of both red and green rooibos tea, it’s an expertly made blend of sweet and spice.
Tummy-tempting butter-glazed baby carrots make a rich but healthy side for your Easter tea party. These rustic gourmet beauties are super easy to prepare.
Butter Glazed Baby Carrots
Ingredients:
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Optional: sliced chives for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, about 30 seconds (or in a saucepan on the stove, if preferred).
Toss the carrots with melted butter, salt, and pepper.
Arrange the carrots in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and slightly blistered.
Remove from the oven, and drizzle with lemon juice. If desired, garnish with chives before serving.
A Sweet Finish
Treat your guests to some sweet treats for dessert by dressing up cupcakes with marshmallow Peeps toppers or other holiday-themed candies.
For a splash of international intrigue, try torrijas, an Easter treat from Spain. Torrijas are a fusion of churros and French toast, slices of bread soaked in sweetened milk, coated in egg, fried, and then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
Dessert + Tea Pairing:Strawberries & Cream Black Tea, a smooth black tea blend with fresh strawberry extract, Oregon rose petals, and a heavy splash of vanilla, will complement your dessert.
Games Galore
Invite your guests – young and old – to participate in some party games to celebrate the season.
Egg Hop Relay: Create large egg cutouts made from heavy cardboard. In pairs, one player stands on one egg cutout while their partner places the other egg cutout on the ground in front at a distance they can hop to. When the player has hopped to the next egg, their teammate moves the first egg cutout to the front. Repeat this process, moving toward the finish line as fast as possible. First team to finish wins. As an added challenge, attempt to complete the course by hopping on one leg only.
Egg & Spoon Carry: This is a relay race for pairs using spoons and eggs. Provide the players with a spoon, then have the teammates stand at opposite ends of the room (or yard, if playing outside). Provide the player at the start/finish line with a hard-boiled egg, which they will balance on the spoon while holding it by the handle in their mouth. When given the green light, players walk quickly to the other end of the field, balancing the egg – no hands allowed! When they arrive at their partner, they transfer their egg to the spoon of their partner, who comes back to the start/finish line.
Easter Egg Decorating: Of course, everyone will happily expect to participate in egg decorating. Set up an area where your guests can get creative and design their own Easter eggs. You’ll need to provide hard-boiled eggs, dyes, stickers, pens, and other crafty materials.
Match the Eggs: Did bad weather send you inside for your Easter tea party? Play this next one indoors or outdoors. Gather an even number of plastic eggs that you can fill with surprise treats. Divide the eggs into pairs and put the same surprise in two eggs, such as four jelly beans, or five marshmallows, or two cotton balls. Once all of the paired eggs are filled, mix them up into a basket and let each participant shake the eggs and attempt to pick two that they think match. The person who matches the most wins!
Tea-Themed Egg Hunt: In plastic eggs, place tea samples or individually-wrapped tea bags in each egg. Hide the tea-filled eggs around your yard or house, and let the hunting commence. The guest who finds the most tea eggs wins an Easter basket filled with goodies – and keeps the tea, too.
It’s a season to revel in friendship and new beginnings. Your guests will enjoy celebrating with you at your Easter tea party!
