"Breaking the Mold" Hospital-i-Tea Blog-a-Thon Post...

This week for the Gracious Hospital-i-Tea Blog-a-Thon, we were instructed to post pictures of our favorite Tea Rooms. If that was too difficult, then we were allowed to "expand on the theme...and to not be afraid to "Break the mold!"

Warning: Tea Party Post of a less than mature nature!

Being raised in my part of the south, our daily ritual did not include tea parties and tea rooms. I say that with regret, because I think they are just wonderful! I have learned to throw a swanky party or a beautiful luncheon, but teas were just not our thing. Tea rooms have only recently started to sprout in our surrounding cities, and are doing very well! Growing up, teas were typically for little girls celebrating a magical, special birthday, or of a more regal affair associated with the English...the Queen for that matter!

Not sure if they are preparing the Queen tea or a toddy?

I didn't want to miss this post, for the lack of my experience with tea rooms, so as I expanded my thoughts...favorite teas in children's literature came to mind!

After all, children seem to have the sweetest, prettiest teas, no matter how grand or not!

So, let's revert to being girls for a moment and enjoy the simplicity of a whimsical, enchanting child's tea...

I initially thought of the Tea Party in "Alice in Wonderland"!

As the Mad Hatter said, " it's always tea-time..."

But after Alice crashed that party, we all know it didn't turn out too well, LOL!

I recalled the tea in the Hundred Acre Wood, where friends gathered to enjoy a NEARLY TEA, and a PROPER TEA!

"Christopher Robin was home by this time, because it was the afternoon, and he was so glad to see them there that they stayed there until Very Nearly tea-time, which is one you forget about afterwards, and hurried to Pooh Corner, so as to see Eeyore before it was too late to have a Proper Tea with Owl." ~A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

Recipe for Pooh's Sandwiches

2 slices of Bread

Creamy Peanut Butter

Mini Marshmallows

1) Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer of peanut butter. 2) Sprinkle mini marshmallows onto peanut-buttered slices. 3) Put the two slices together, and ENJOY!

If you would like more recipes to share with your "younger tea party guests," visit

http://www.winniethepooh.net/

Whether the tea posts shared over the course of weeks have been simple or exquisite, I have enjoyed them so very much, and have looked forward to them each Monday!

A special Thanks to La Tea Da, (Gracious Hospitality), for being such a wonderful and encouraging host!

The journey has been TEA-total bliss, and I hope that all will stay in touch!

~Rhonda