Tea Sandwiches, Cookies and Cakes
Table Settings and Menus
 

Although most of us lead casual lives today,
certain occasions seem to call for
a rather formal, fairly large daytime party.
At such times a Tea or reception
is the perfect solution.
The Tea is one party that remains
"steeped" in tradition.
Its hours are prescribed "from three to five" or
"from four to six" as they have always been.
Guests may arrive any time after
the starting hour, but they are expected
to leave promptly at five, or at six.

The table is set, as it was
in our Grandmothers' day,
with an assortment of dainty sandwiches,
cookies, petits fours and candies.
Even the most casual hostess avoids,
at this time, such things as tea bags
or instant coffee, and presents a menu
of old-fashioned elegance.
The coffee service stands at the end
of the table nearest the door,
the tea service at the other end of the table.

Generally, close friends of the hostess
are asked to pour and each cup is served and handed
directly to the guest by the pourer.

Because of its unchanging traditions,
this kind of party provides an ideal climate
for mixing guests of all ages.
It offers an atmosphere in which older people
feel particularly at home
and a lovely study in manners for teenagers.

Much less formal, but still traditional,
is the intimate tea for a few friends.
At such a get-together just tea (no coffee)
is served to a group of five or six, who are
usually gathered around the living room coffee table.
The food consists of a few delicate
sandwiches or cookies; the hostess pours.
This is also the perfect time
for the true tea-lover to offer her guests
the more exotic brands and flavors of tea.