An afternoon tea for me

There is something about tea that calms me down. And tea parties are my all-time favourite invites; not only dressing up for the elaborate Victorian ones that socialites were throwing before the pandemic, but also a small cosy tea party surrounded by a few good friends is an instant pick-me-up. What I really love is planning one with children in the late afternoon or if no one else is interested, one just for me.

Sounds a bit off but think about it, the best way to pamper and give yourself some me time is by throwing yourself a tea party. Few chocolate chunk cookies, tiny cucumber sandwiches, or quickly whipping up an orange sponge cake; sitting in the balcony, surrounded by lovely seasonal blooms, enjoying the light summer breeze and sipping the amber gold brew of tea — heaven is right there for you! Nothing stressful on your mind, just listening to the birds chirping their way home… the rustling of the leaves… are these evenings not to die for? Well, for me, they surely are.

If I were to spend such an evening with my children, arranging a tea party for them would be such a pleasure. I would write small invites and hand them the invitation, and ask them to dress for the occasion. I would arrange the balcony setting for an intimate gathering, decorate it by hanging up the their drawings with clips, bake brownies and make pies, brew an infusion tea for them to have something light, or even treat them to a cup of hot sweet milk tea — if it's too hot then maybe opt for iced tea.

Playing fancy with children would be a great way to bond with them, allowing them to play grownups with you, teaching them how to raise their pinkie while sipping tea, talking about games, movies, and music; it would certainly take their mind off electronic devices, they might grudge but I promise you they will remember the party forever. It is upon mums to devise ways to entertain bored children and such a tea would no doubt be a great idea to try.

Unfortunately, I cannot always party, but tea time is my favourite part of the day. Exactly at 4 o'clock, I turn on the stove, measure a cup of water and pour it in my small, local steel kettle — like the ones you find in street side tea stalls. I have the smallest version of those kettles, and I love it. There is a nostalgic feel to it.

While the water is reaching its boiling point, I arrange my 'ghee e bhajha toast' on a plate. Then drop a spoon of loose tea, the local variant that I get from New Market's special tea house, to the water and wait for a few minutes for the leaves to spread its strong aroma and colour.

I like my tea without milk and sugar and dunking my toasts to it. My partner during my afternoon tea ritual is Boo — my pet dog. He loves biscuits like I do, and we both sit in the living space, enjoying ourselves to the fullest!

On that note, you will find some awesome mocktail, iced tea, cold coffee recipes in today's issue of Star Lifestyle to beat the humid stifling monsoon heat. Try them out and happy partying!

Photo: Collected