"Tea Time" Coffee Group

Sometimes I like to have a theme for my coffee menu. This time it was "tea time", so I was thinking little cakes and sandwiches. Here is what I came up with.

Honey lavender madeleines (click for recipe) and lemon bars (my mom's recipe).

Checkerboard cheese sandwhiches (click for recipe). Jonathan told everyone at church that I was making something "yucky". This is what he meant because he hates olives and mayo. Several people today asked me what was supposed to be yucky. Thanks for that, Jonathan!

Early Grey chocolate chips scones. I used this recipe, but I left out the lavender because I was already making lavender madeleines. And chocolate chips just seemed like a good idea. I love tea in baked goods and these had a really great flavor!

I liked the idea of a pinwheel sandwich. I didn't want to do meat and I ran across this recipe for Mediterranean pinwheel sandwiches. It's not exactly a traditional tea time sandwich, but it was colorful and people seemed to like them. I used a spinach wrap instead of lavash bread.

Had to include cucumber sandwiches with fresh dill!

I love coming up with ideas for coffee group! People always comment that I do too much. That may be true, but I do it because I enjoy it. It's fun and challenging. I try to always come up with something different. I usually make things I've never made before. When I decide to take a turn hosting, I start planning the menu that whole week, brainstorming and researching recipes. I plan my grocery list towards the end of the week and usually go shopping Friday or Saturday. Monday, I make ahead what I can, but often have some baking and assembly to do the morning of.

Yesterday, I made the scones, lemon bars, and prepared the madeleine batter in the morning. Then I was away from home the rest of the day. At 10 p.m. when I got home, I made the pinwheel sandwiches. I went to bed about 11:30 or so.

I got up at 6:30 and immediately started making the cheese sandwiches, then I showered and dressed and started baking the madeleines. When they were done, I made the cucumber sandwiches and warmed up the scones in the oven. Everything was done by 9:30, including the dishes! All I had to do was boil the water for tea and wait for people to come. (Jonathan makes the coffee.)

This might sound pretty awful to some. It is a lot of work, but part of what makes it fun for me is the challenge. Plus I get to make all kinds of things I want to try, and I have other people to help me eat it!