Cuisine Diva

Coffee House and Tea Party Ideas

Happy party guests at our coffee house fundraiser.

My husband and I do a lot of fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through our local Team in Training chapter. We recently hosted a Coffee House at our house, to help us with our fundraising goals as we train for the 2010 winter season's century bike ride with TNT. My husband is one of the cycle team coaches, and I am training for the Cocoa Beach century ride which takes place on October 31 in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

 

Team in Training fundraising table setup at coffee house.
 

Serve Lots of Yummy Food

Here is a list of food which I made to serve at the party. I've posted many of these recipes online, and have included links to those recipes where appropriate. I've also hosted various tea parties at our house throughout the years, and all of these recipes are also perfect for serving at a tea party, luncheon or bridal shower.

Bounty of party food.

Coffee House and Tea Party Recipes

• Deviled eggs
• Egg salad finger sandwiches
• Walnut chicken salad finger sandwiches
• Ham & cheese quiche - with Swiss cheese and green onions
• Bacon & cheese quiche - with cheddar cheese and fresh thyme
• Lemon bars
• Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
• Party cookies with chocolate chips & almonds
• Peanut butter cookies with Hersey's Kisses
• Pecan pie bars
• Pumpkin spice muffins

Even more food.

 

Make Ahead and Freeze

When hosting parties at my house, I like to make as much food ahead of time as possible. Certain recipes, such as cookies with a lot of butter in them, can be made ahead and stored in the freezer for up to two weeks before the party. Simply take them out of the freezer the day of the party, and they will thaw out at room temperature in an hour or two.

In the case of the crab canapes and asparagus roll-ups, leave them in the freezer until you are ready to bake them. The instructions for those two appetizers are for cooking them directly from the freezer. Other foods, such as the quiche, can be made a day or two ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator until the day of the party.

Fussy Food Handling

More fragile food, such as deviled eggs, egg salad finger sandwiches and walnut chicken salad finger sandwiches are best assembled the day of the party. I cooked the hard boiled eggs the day before the party, so they would have enough time to cool down. But I didn't actually make the deviled eggs, or assemble the egg salad sandwiches until the day of the party. Our party went from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM, which gave me plenty of time to do last minute cooking, assembly and cleaning before the party started.

 

Another group shot.

Party Foods That Freeze Well

• Crab canapes
• Asparagus roll-ups
• Cocoa spice drops
• Pistachio shortbread
• Lemon poppy seed teacakes

A Variety of Beverages

Not everyone likes coffee, and I knew a few children would be attending our coffee house party, so I had a variety of beverages available. I let my husband be in charge of all the coffee making. He is a great fan of coffee and I was quite busy with last minute food prep, and meeting and greeting guests as they arrived, so not having to deal with coffee preparation was a huge weight off my shoulders.

1. Hot coffee - we have a regular coffee pot, cappucinno machine and two French press pots, so we were able to make a variety of coffee throughout the party.
2. Iced coffee - we brewed up an extra strong pot of coffee the night before the party, let it cool to room temperature, then stored it in a coffee carafe.
3. Sweat iced tea
4. Soda - a friend of ours brought a variety of soda to the party for everyone to enjoy; rootbeer, orange, lemon lime and a diet cola.
5. Ice - my husband took one of our coolers in to his office and filled it up with ice. Guests could fill their cups up with ice if they were drinking water, iced tea, iced coffee or soda. His office has a large, hotel sized ice maker in the back, which is convenient anytime we host parties at our house.

I'd love to hear about the types of food and beverages you like to serve at coffee and tea parties. Or have you been to a favorite restaurant or tea house for their tea service? I would love to hear about it!

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Review of Total Tea Products

 

January is National Hot Tea month. I was recently contact by Copco, a Wilton Products Company, that designs and manufactures a variety of tea kettles, kitchen products and food preparation tools. They wanted to know if I would be interested in receiving a sample of one of their Total Tea Products to test and review for the Cuisne Diva blog.

I have a large collection of loose leaf teas, so I'm always looking for innovative products to help me brew my tea into the perfect cup of tea.

Total Tea products

Tea Making Accessories

I received a sample of the Total Tea basket tea infuser and their stainless steel thermal. I really like the stainless steel thermal, it makes a terrific travel mug. It features a twist-to-stop steeping feature incorporated directly into the lid. Simply fill the infuser with loose leaf tea, pour hot water over the tea leaves, let steep, then twist the lid to stop the steeping process.

Total Tea stainless steel thermal travel mug

Top of travel mug removed, showing removable tea infuser

Fill the removable infuser with your favorite loose leaf tea

 

Turn infuser lid to steep, in/out or stop

Suggested Retail Prices

Here's a list of some of the products available in the Total Tea line, along with their suggested retail price.

• Snap open tea infuser - $9.99
• Basket tea infuser - $7.99
• Lily pad tea ball - $6.99
• Twisting stick infuser with lily pad - $8.99
• Soft grip tea thermal - $10.99
• Stainless steel thermal - $14.99

A variety of Total Tea gadgets also available including an infuser ball, tea bag squeeze with stand, a honey/sugar bottle and a stainless steel tea scoop.

Finding Total Tea Products

Total Tea products and accessories can be found at a variety of retail stores including Target, Sears, JC Penney, Kmart, Walmart, Linens & Things and Macy's.

Website: www.copco.com

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA Cuisine Diva

How to Make French Press Coffee

My husband and I are true coffee aficionados. We have a coffee grinder, to grind whole bean coffee, a coffee machine, an espresso machine and a French press pot.

French Press Coffee
When my husband is traveling out of town, on business, I still like to have a cup or two of coffee. I am a freelance writer, and work out of my house, so I usually have a couple of cups of coffee almost everyday. When I'm by myself, I often use our French press coffee pot, instead of the large coffee brewer.

French press coffee, has a smooth and creamy texture, which reminds me of hot chocolate. I tend to put a bit more creamer in French press coffee, then regular brewed coffee, just the way I've gotten used to drinking it I guess.

 

Making French Press Coffee
To make French press coffee, I fill the electric tea kettle with water and turn it on. While the water is coming up to temperature, I prepare the rest of the items. My French press coffee pot makes 4 small cups of coffee, enough to fill 2 large coffee mugs. I place 4 tablespoons of coffee grinds in the bottom of the French press.

When the water comes to a boil, I turn off the tea kettle, wait for the water to stop boiling, then fill the French press with the hot water. I place the lid on the French press, and let the coffee brew for 4-6 minutes. Then you press down on the lid, which is fitted with a permanent metal filter, until the lid hits the bottom of the pot. Then I pour a tablespoon of flavored coffee creamer in a large coffee mug, and fill the mug with freshly brewed French press coffee.

Additional Brewing Tidbits
Coarsely ground coffee should be used in a French press pot. If you have a coffee grinder, you can use whole bean coffee, and grind it specifically for use in a French press coffee pot. I have a Bodum French press coffee pot, the carafe is made out of glass, while the lid, handle and bottom are made out of red plastic. The plunger/filter is permanently attached to the lid.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Recipes for a Tea Party

My daughter and I have hosted a number of tea parties at our house over the years. Last year we held a tea party, called the Girl's Club Tea Party, for mom's and their daughters. I used the tea party as a way to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societies Team in Training program.

 

Lemon ricotta cheesecake

I am always looking for unique and delicious treats to serve at the tea party. These recipes could also be served at bridal showers, breakfast buffets, or even as part of a holiday dessert party.

1. Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes; Recipe for a Cookie-Like Treat Enhanced with Citrus and Poppy Seeds.
2. Ham and Cheese Quiche; Recipe for a Hearty Egg Custard Pie.
3. Banana Bread and Banana French Toast; Two Recipes for Sweet and Delicious Recipe Dishes.
4. Walnut Chicken Salad with Herb Butter; Delicious Finger Food to Feature at a Tea Party or Bridal Shower.
5. Rosy Jellyroll Cake; Recipe for a Raspberry and Vanilla Cream Filled Dessert.
6. Blueberry Muffin Recipe; A Sweet Treat with a Cinnamon Enhanced Strudel Topping
7. Sage, Lavender and Mint Desserts; Shortcake, Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lavender Custard Recipes.
8. Quick Bread Recipes; Chili Cheese Cornbread, Garlic Herb Bread and Parmesan Cheese Biscuits.
9. Gingersnap Cookie Recipe; How to Create a Soft and Chewy Ginger Flavored Dessert.
10. Orange Thyme Teacake; Recipe for a citrus enhanced dessert.
11. Pumpkin Spice Muffins; Recipe for an easy to prepare, moist and spicy muffin.
12. Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake; Recipe for a creamy citrus and herb enhanced dessert.
13. Quick and Easy Tart and Creamy Lemon Bars; Recipe for a classic lemon dessert.
14. Vanilla Bean Dessert Recipes; Learn how-to make vanilla pudding, vanilla flavored sugar and vanilla infused hot chocolate.

Quiche

Try making one or more of these goodies for your next party.

 

Lemon tea cake

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

How to Brew Tea

Basic Tea Brewing Methods
For each serving of tea you want to make, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a non-metallic pan. An enameled, non-stick or glass pan works well. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of dried or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to the pan. Let this mixture steep for between 3 and 4 minutes. This shorter infusion time yields a refreshing beverage, letting the mixture steep any longer may result in a bitter tasting beverage.

Place a lid on top of your container while it steeps to prevent it from cooling off too quickly. Strain the herbs from the water and pour the infusion into your favorite mug or tea cup. You could also use a French press, or tea pot with a built in infuser basket when making larger amounts of tea. Just be sure to adjust the amount of herbs you use according to how many cups of tea you are making. Those little tea balls you find in some kitchen gadget stores can also be used to make a single cup of tea.

Making Iced Tea
If you prefer iced tea, double the amount of herbs used. Don’t double the amount of time you steep the herbs, as the tea could end up developing a bitter taste. Use 2 teaspoons of dried or 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs for each cup of water you are using when making iced tea. The extra amount of herbs used allows for dilution by the melting of ice cubes that you have added to your iced tea.

Additions to Your Tea
I’ve never been a fan of adding milk or cream to my tea. A cup of coffee, definitely, but I prefer to serve my tea with a bit of honey and sometimes add a slice of lemon. You may add any of the following ingredients, in moderation, to help enhance the flavor of your herbal tea:

• honey
• white sugar
• sugar cubes
• peppermint candy pieces (kids love this idea)
• brown sugar
• demerara sugar
• lemon slices
• orange slices
• lime slices
• stevia*

*Read the Tea Diva's article: Zero Calorie Stevia Sweeteners on the Suite101 website.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Spice It Up at Dunkin Donuts

PRESS RELEASE

Fall Flavors Spice Up the Season at Dunkin' Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts brings back seasonal pumpkin favorites and introduces new apple flavors to keep people running with the tastes of fall

CANTON, Mass., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- With Labor Day now behind us and summer nearing its end, Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, gives people a delicious reason to look towards the start of autumn, today unveiling a harvest of fall-inspired menu items available for a limited time at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants. Leading Dunkin' Donuts' autumn array is the return of pumpkin beverages and baked goods, along with seasonal donut treats. For guests in New England and upstate New York, Dunkin' Donuts has also introduced new apple specialties, including Apple Pie and Apple Cider.

 (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080513/NYTU022LOGO)
 (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080513/NYTU022LOGO)

 Dunkin's Donuts' complete fall lineup includes:
 -- Pumpkin Coffee and Lattes: Pumpkin flavoring adds a seasonal touch to
   Dunkin' Donuts' coffee and lattes. Served hot or iced, they are the
   perfect way to keep yourself running with a taste of fall. Pumpkin
   coffee is available for the suggested retail price of $1.39 for a
   small 10 oz. hot beverage. The Pumpkin Latte features a caramel
   drizzle and is available at the suggested retail price of $1.99 for a
   10 oz. hot beverage.
 -- Pumpkin Muffin: Topped with white icing and streusel crumbs, Dunkin'
   Donuts' Pumpkin Muffin is a seasonal favorite and is available for the
   suggested retail price of $1.39.
 -- Pumpkin Donut: Back by popular demand, Dunkin' Donuts' glazed pumpkin
   cake donut is available for the suggested retail price of $.89 cents.
 -- Fall Harvest Donut: The Fall Harvest Donut is a yeast ring donut
   topped with orange icing and a festive pumpkin sprinkle mix, available
   at the suggested retail price of $.89 cents.
 -- New Apple Cider (Available in New England and Upstate New York only):
   Seeking traditional autumn refreshments? Dunkin' Donuts' new Apple
   Cider, steamed via an espresso machine, is available hot or iced for
   the suggested retail price of $1.59 for a small 10 oz. hot beverage.
 -- New Apple Pie (Available in New England and Upstate New York only):
   Served warm, the handheld-sized baked Apple Pie features a flaky crust
   topped with cinnamon sugar. This new bakery treat is available for the
   suggested retail price of $1.29.

According to Dunkin' Donuts' Executive Chef Stan Frankenthaler, each year Dunkin' Donuts' fall menu items create a unique passion and emotional response amongst guests. "When the temperatures begin to drop and the days shorten, people naturally begin to crave comforting foods and the familiar, traditional tastes and scents we grow up associating with the season, such as pumpkin and apple," he said. "We are excited to help people celebrate fall to the fullest any time of day by bringing back our beloved fall menu items along with innovative new seasonal treats."

About Dunkin' Donuts

Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite every day, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the regular/decaf coffee, iced coffee, hot flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories, and the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world. Dunkin' Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for four years running. The company has more than 9,000 restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. In 2009, Dunkin' Donuts' global system-wide sales were $5.7 billion. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands, Inc. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

 Contact:
 McCall Gosselin
 781-737-5200
 McCall.Gosselin@dunkinbrands.com

 Jessica Rosen
 RF Binder
 212-994-7522
 Jessica.Rosen@rfbinder.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080513/NYTU022LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080513/NYTU022LOGO

Source: Dunkin' Donuts

CONTACT: McCall Gosselin, +1-781-737-5200,
McCall.Gosselin@dunkinbrands.com; or Jessica Rosen, RF Binder,
+1-212-994-7522, Jessica.Rosen@rfbinder.com

Web Site: http://www.dunkindonuts.com/

Interesting Breakfast Foods

Although I do have a sweet tooth, I've never been one of those people that enjoys donuts, coffee cake, and other sweet items for breakfast. I even have a problem with cereal and oatmeal. I would much rather have a bowl of grits, or a hash brown or a bit of scrambled eggs.

However, fresh fruit seems to agree with me in the morning. I especially like fresh fruit for breakfast or brunch, if I have just gotten back from an intense cycling or running workout. Something about really cold fruit hits the spot. My favorites are watermelon, pineapple and grapes.

Hearty Breakfast Foods

Some mornings, I even prefer to have non-traditional breakfast foods for breakfast. Today I made some homemade guacamole as I was waiting to drive my daughter to her bus stop. So I'm having guacamole with organic blue corn chips for breakfast right now. Interesting, but it works for me. Some days I will have dinner leftovers for breakfast, such as eggplant Parmesan, or a piece of pizza.

Unfortunately, not having an appetite for sweet foods in the morning, doesn't mean I don't like sweet food. I will often eat a donut for an afternoon snack, or have a bowl of cereal at dinner time. Weird cravings or something. I wish I didn't like sweet foods at all, I'd probably be a lot thinner.

What kind of interesting breakfast foods do you enjoy?

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva