Tea for Today and Memories of Yesterday

40 minutes til tea time and counting and I have no food. But I have an idea of what I am going to make. I could stress and think about it, or I could dial myself a solution. I dial the familar 10 digits to VA and H. answers. Hello-oh?!? You know, in her I-have-caller-ID-and-totally-know-its-you hello-oh, her you're-still-alive-I-was-beginning-to-wonder-if you-fell-off-the-planet hello-oh. "Listen, H. I know I am a bad friend and I haven't called in awhile BUT HERE IS THE DRAMA..." And she giggled and sighed all at the same time. She is used to my spontaneous calls in the midst of a pinch. I almost think she rather enjoys these calls. I spilled my guts on all the reasons I was late in my food prep for tea and could she just help me figure out what to make?

In case she hasn't ever admitted it to anyone she is a Food Network addict and she has a memory like a poker player when it comes to recipes. So we ran down the list of ingredients I had, and she spit out recipes like a slot machine in Vegas that hit the jackpot, with a few different recipes.

"No, I don't have...but I do have, do you think I could use..." and in like 5 minutes I had my tea sandwiches set. And one kind I made that day was the best chicken salad accidental tea sandwich recipe ever on croissants. Let me just tell you what was in them. I defrosted a frozen chicken breast and cooked it in my toaster oven while I sliced some red grapes. The recipe called for peaches, too.

"You don't have peaches, do you?"

"Yeah, I have peaches...."I threw open my pantry doors and fished for one of Son1's diced peach snack cups. Yeah, I have peaches.....

So she kept rattling and I keep pulling food out. I grated onion when she started to ask me about the celery. Now the thing with H. is if you tell her that you are going to substitute any part of the recipe, she keeps a running total of that in her mind. And she only lets you do it once before she reminds you that you can only do it once. That eliminated a lot of initial recipes she offered from her repetoire. Anyway, celery...I don't keep on hand. However, I have celery salt. Don't ask me why I have celery salt, but I do. So I tell her that's what I am using...and I can hear her voice laugh, without really laughing at me as she says oh-kaaaay.
Translation: Interesting choice.

They turned out to be the best accidental chicken sandwiches ever. So that was the tea prep.

As for the memories of yesterday.... I ran down my checklist for setting the table and I thought so much of past tea memories. The table cloth and napkins I bought for the first time I ever hosted tea. (Remember the bunny tea when I was nice and pregnant with Son1?) The place mats, sandwich tray, plates, and cups were all garage sale finds. Most of my "good stuff" is in storage in VA. I have been collecting things for future tea times with friends since I have moved here, though. The sandwich recipes came from H. The napkin holders were from R. that selflessly gave them to me, though she had been collecting them. She knew how much I had grown to love tea. If she only knew how much I truly cherish these napkin holders. Every time I use them I remember a time in life when we were both pregnant with our first boys and loved girly things probably even more. She was a pink hat buddy, too. The tea candle holders are from a dear friend from church in her sixties. She loves to set tables. The two Willow Tree sisters are from my tea friend that just moved as a going away present. And the box of Gevalia tea that the sisters sit atop is from another friend that came for dinner several weeks back and she knows I love tea. Some of the tea bags Hubby picked for me. I don't brew loose leaf when I am in a time crunch.

All this to say I love tea because it takes an investment of time, and for me, it takes friendship. I have no problem having tea right there at the tea table next to the baby's excersaucer in my shorts and a t-shirt. It's so not about the formality for me.

“Tea pot is on, the cups are waiting, Favorite chairs anticipating, No matter what I have to do, My friend there's always time for you”.