August Arboretum Tea

Emma and I ventured south to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for the August monthly tea on Aug. 14. We strolled the gardens before tea - perennial, annual, rose and lilies. Lots of pretty flowers and gardening ideas - if only one had time to garden.

 

Tea time was in the Snyder Building Tea Room. We were seated near a window overlooking the gardens. The tea is prepared and served by volunteers - it was like an army of grandmas and they liked to hug us. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a hugger, but I let it slide for the little old ladies. Now we know what we can do to keep occupied in 100 years when we retire minus the hugging.

The tea was traditional with the first course being a blueberry scone served with early grey tea. We then enjoyed the savories - deviled eggs, spanakopita, and vegetarian rotolo. The rotolo was unique and our favorite.

Our next pot of tea was white orchard a nice accompaniment to chocolate dipped strawberries, orange tea bread, raspberry brie bites and toasted coconut gaufrette. Now Emma isn't a big eater, but she LOVED the gaufrette :)

We thought we were done eating...but we were wrong as the final course was a triple berry trifle.

A beautiful day to check out the gardens and take time for tea!

From New York to Naniboujou

I'm a little behind with my blogging so travel back in time with me from New York to Naniboujou.

 

At the end of May Jeff and I visited Manhattan for his birthday. The husband highlight was sitting in the audience for the Jimmy Fallon show. The wife highlights included seeing the Tiffany Great Gatsby collection - gorgeous jewels dripping from champagne glasses and tea at BG!

Bergdorf is not just shopping as they also have the John Barrett salon, a wonderful lunch spot, and "afternoon tea at BG." BG tea is, of course, served on BG fine china.

 

What I love the most about high tea is the care that is taken in the preparation and presentation. Time to dig in from savory to sweet. Tea sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and a variety of sweets to eat. Cucumber sandwich, egg salad with avocado, macaroon, petit fours, and more!

The scone was divine, BG waxed paper covered the Devonshire cream and Dammann frères tea from Paris was served.

The flatiron building is across the street from Eataly and what trip would be complete without an Empire State pic? Until next time NYC!

 

Fast forward to the end of July... I grooved to Snoop at Soundset, ran the Mud Games, Rocked the Garden, had tea at Heirlooms, went to St. Ben's Centennial reunion, saw the Queen Bee - Beyonce...and then visited the North Shore of Lake Superior. We decided this would be an active trip despite the 50 degree rainy weather (um hello July - 50 degrees - really?). We hiked and kayaked - I mean we seriously kayaked - 6 hours/10 miles over 300 feet of frigid Lake Superior water.

 

We took time for tea about 20 miles northeast of Grand Marais. Naniboujou was built in 1929 as an ultra exclusive private club. Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Ring Lardner were charter members. Unfortunately, with Black Friday the stock market crashed and so did the founding members wealth and the club. Plans to build tennis courts and swimming pools were never completed.

 

The dining room hasn't changed or been repainted since its completion in 1929 and it is stunning. The Cree Indian design is brilliant and bright. The fireplace is the largest stone fireplace in Minnesota and made of native rock. It's really worth seeing.

 
Naniboujou's afternoon tea is not typically served in the dining room, but because Jeff ordered lunch, I was able to have tea in the dining room - yay!

I enjoyed a cucumber cream cheese sandwich, shortbread cookie, raspberry chocolate Bundt cake, white chocolate chip scone with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Ashby's bagged tea was served.



Garden Tea Party at Heirlooms

The tea partay girls took a road trip to Heirlooms tearoom in Hutchinson. The tearoom is housed in the first floor of a charming Victorian built in 1899. Half the fun was meeting the proprietress, Audrey Hollatz, who I had corresponded with for close to a year. Her home is truly charming.

 

 

And so it begins...

The white and pastels of the tablescape gave it a light and springy feel. Each clear glass charger sat atop a pink paper bloom. All of the tables were decorated with fresh flowers from Audrey's garden.

 

Kimmy wore a cute pink hat with her new yellow dress - perfect attire for a garden party. I loved the ceiling in the tearoom, and as you can see, she had a full house.

 

The food was exquisite, divine, amazing! This woman knows how to cook and to make each morsel special. Warning: Your mouth may water as you read...

 

Savories began with poppy seed chicken salad. The two sandwiches in the middle were meat free just for me - super fresh tomato slices with herb cheddar on a flat pretzel. 

 

No tea party, especially not one of the garden variety, would be complete without cucumber sandwiches. The garden was literally incorporated into every dish - notice the chive flowers painstakingly picked from the blossoms.

Egg salad sandwiches with marigold blossoms. 

This course was served with enchanted earl gray tea.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the scones served where some of the most delicious we've ever enjoyed! It's not every day a girl is served rose petal scones and they were so good! We also nibbled strawberry rhubarb scones with Chantilly cream, strawberry rhubarb jam, lavender honey butter, and Duchess Anna black tea.

 

As a little surprise, I made lilac sugar and brought it for Audrey and the girls as garden party favors.

Here we are! 

Sheri, Andrea, Kim, Jackie

We were missing Tiff and Emma, but that gives us an excuse to visit again. 

 

Dessert! Everything was homemade!

Lavender violet shortbread cookies

Lemon fairy cakes with strawberry icing.
I'm curious as to how these were made; they were a wonderful hybrid of cheesecake and cupcake.

Chocolate raspberry cheesecake

 

 After tea we explored the gardens and the gazebo, which matched the house - adorable!
Love this picture of Andrea.
Until the next tea partay!

Artea

Today was all about art and tea. Kim and I met at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to check out the 30th annual Art in Bloom. You are greeted by an enormous bouquet of flowers. Spring!

Local florists are assigned a painting or sculpture and design a floral arrangement to compliment the art. The arrangements were scattered throughout the MIA.

 

 

 

 

 

We then headed over to St. Paul for afternoon tea at Cafe Latte. Andrea hosted and we each had our own Fiesta Ware teapot, cup and saucer in a variety of colors served on a silver tray. The Earl Gray tea was very good.

 

The sandwiches were probably my favorite ever as I'm addicted to the Sonoma basil spread from the spread sampler as it is. The bread was soft, the Sonoma basil spread generous and interspersed with cucumbers - they did not last long!

And then there was dessert - scones with Devonshire, lemon curd and raspberry preserves, shortbread cookies, a chocolate heart, and a tart - we sampled four different tart flavors - fresh berries, lemon, chocolate raspberry and banana caramel. Delicious! No complaints!

 

And more dessert! Andrea surprised us with chocolate amaretto cake - so decadent! I felt naughty just looking at it! :)

 

Andrea and Jackie - blue eyed beauties. Love the new hair style Dre!

 

Kim and I - taking tea gangsta style - teapots up!

 

We were being too silly for a posed picture - another fun tea adventure!