Harriets Birthday!x

...It was my sister Harriets 24th birthday on Monday, so I decided to throw a little party tea for her on Sunday. I was only home from University for the weekend, so it was a great excuse to get everyone together for celebrations! I embraced our shared passion for delightfully twee things and tried to channel it into the theme when planning her party-tea! Without fail, each year we get a party-tea for our birthdays and the rules state caterpillar cakes and party rings must be present. I had great fun decorating the table with cake stands, confetti, pretty plates, candles, mini buckets & various other bits & bobs that I have collected over the years for occasions like this! As it has been frosty and cold outside I lit lots of candles to create a cosy atmosphere...

..For party teas I find finger/picky foods are always most appropriate for the menu. Having food that everyone can pick at and share means you dont restrict yourself to a heavy time consuming menu & you can enjoy it altogether. We all have varying tastes too so involving lots of food groups means everyones tastes are accounted for.Laying food out in a 'buffet style' allows a leisurely meal that you can keep snacking on through out the day/evening..

...We ate olives & manchego cheese, sun dried tomatos & mozzarella, mixed leaves salad, spinach & pine nut pasta salad, tuna & sweetcorn pasta salad, pitta breads, hummus, guacamole, salami, chorizo, ham, rosemary roasted potatoes, pepperoni & sweet pepper pizza, caramelised onion garlic bread, samosas, chicken tikka wraps, rustic pork& apple pies, quiche, spinach and tomato goats cheese tarts....

..and for dessert..milk & white chocolate crispy cakes, marshmallow squares, hot cinnamon buns, party rings, yummy lindor chocolate, and for the birthday girl I made a three tiered raspberry sponge cake with a creamy vanilla frosting. Needless to say we all ate way too much and had to retire to the lounge for present opening & horizontal tv watching. It was a lovely day that combined some of my favourite things...family time, pretty decorations, presents and eating! I hope I never grow too old to enjoy a birthday tea & I cant wait until the next one! Unfortunately the caterpillar cake did not make an appearance so it will have to be a post birthday treat sometime this week..


..Couldn't resist posting this cute photo of Harriets dog Lottie the Scottie, such a cutie, she is a little porker & participated in the food binge along with the rest of us!

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Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!
xoxo Abi