Breaking with a long time tradition, this year for Mother’s Day I did a High Tea, instead of brunch.
In 2008, not sure which kids were around, but I made brunch. John & Al were in Milwaukee then, so maybe they both came back.
In 2009, John graduated college, and I took my waffle iron, and made waffles and bacon at Megan’s apartment.
In 2010, I made brunch at School Woods.
In 2011, I did a big, 200-people wedding for the trapeze artists on Saturday. Megan and John and Jake all helped, and then we just had Mother’s Day Brunch en famille on Sunday.
In 2012 and 2013, I made brunches at School Woods.
Which bring us all the way to 2014, High Tea. There were 7 guests and 3 of us – me, Mark and Toni. Here’s the menu, with commentary in italics:
- Date scones with jam and mascarpone cream – I made a dozen and put 4 into the freezer on Sunday night.
- Tea Sandwiches: Cucumber
watercress& radish with Dill butter (on white bread – these were the best ones, I think); curried chicken (on whole wheat – quite a few left, and a tub of leftover chicken salad, but I think I will make chicken salad canapes to take to a birthday party on Friday); olive walnut (old Oven’s of Brittany standard, but I used a loaf of cocktail rye I’d had in the freezer and they were a bit dry); banana bread with honey cream cheese (leftovers taken to work Monday and devoured) - Victoria Sponge – light yellow cake with strawberry jam, the fresh refrigerator strawberry jam from the farmer’s market – I thought it didn’t rise enough, but it was just right
- Warm artichoke, asparagus & goat cheese dip with crackers and crudités; this was a last minute add-on from Epicurious, and not my fave – I trashed it Tuesday morning
- A few cookies or tiny tarts or other surprises (that are likely to be chocolate in nature); I made these chocolate cherry brownies and these lemon thumbprints – I put the jam in while the cookies were raw, and baked it instead of filling after as the recipe says. Both were quite good, especially the lemon cookies. The leftovers are frozen till Memorial Day, and more kids around.
- Strawberries and fresh pineapple – well I never cut the pineapple, but we had a big gorgeous platter of berries that Toni arranged.
- And of course TEA – herbal and caffeinated, hot or iced, with milk and sugar – or not. I made a pot of earl Grey, and a pot of Darjeeling, and served it in the cups and saucers – I was mum, and poured out for people, and let them do their own milk & sugar. I had boiling water and mugs in case anyone wanted herbal or decaf tea. And I made a jug of iced passion tea lemonade, too.
Teacups
Victoria Sponge
John was freaking out about school – I had asked Toni to help with the sandwiches, but I think she was scared off by me arguing with him on the phone. But he got it together eventually, and I put all the food away, and looked at his notes for his talk, and still was able to finish the Proseco two of the guests had brought and watch Game of Thrones and Mad Men. So, I guess a good Mother’s day, all in all.
