Afternoon tea can mean many different things to many different people. It can be an extravagant day out to a chic hotel eating miniature sugary delights, it can be a  party for all your friends, the perfect idea for a hen party or a great way to catch up with a special friend.  I'm going to share some of my tips, cheap decorating ideas and recipes which I hope will inspire you to host your own tea party like I do for birthdays and other special occasions.

I think what really elevates afternoon tea to a grand occasion is the setting and attention to detail. A coffee and slice of cake with a friend is just fine but I love spending time planning what I'm going to bake and really going to town with the table setting. The cost of hosting a tea party could really run away from you but I always make everything myself and on a tight budget.

Setting the scene

Get your best table cloth out, if you own a tiered cake stand, dust it off and use it as the centerpiece of your table. Otherwise, use your best china and make it a little more special with  doilies, folded napkins and homemade name place settings. I've been collecting tea cups and cake stands from charity shops for years and you could mix second hand things in with more modern pieces. I really like the mismatched look and I've never payed more than a couple of pounds for any of the items featured below.  Finally, string up some bunting and you're feeling ambitious, make your own. You can get some great free printable bunting online and I even found cute cake bunting which you can print at home.

I made bunting with doilies and the materials cost under £2. The doilies came in a pack of 60 from Poundland and the embroidery string cost about 35p each. Bargain!


You can customise your buting by drawing on it, stamping words on it like I did or just leave it plain.


I would say the most important element of hosting a tea party is your guests. Invite your friends over, hold a birthday tea party for your loved ones and show someone you care with a cup of tea and a huge slice of cake. I'm more than happy to sit around eating cake on my own but it's much more fun with company.



I hope this post has inspired you to host a little get together. If you have any afternoon tea tips for me please do let me know. I would love some savoury food ideas for my next one so links to recipes would be much appreciated.

I was making a list of things to pack for my weekend camping in West Wales when I realised I hadn't shared these photos from my last trip there. Martyn and I were lucky enough to spend a few days in West Wales when it was nearly 30 degrees. We made the most of the weather and headed out to explore every day and I was excited to visit a place that's always been on my list of things I want to see in Wales, Caldey Island.

Caldey Island lies on the magnificent South Pembrokeshire coastline on the western fringes of Wales. It is one of Britain's holy islands and the Cistercian monks who live on Caldey continue a tradition which began there in Celtic times. The island is a beautiful haven and is very tranquil and quiet.

Boats run to and from the island every 20 minutes or so from 9.30 am until 5.00 pm Monday to Friday, and on Saturdays during the Summer. The twenty-minute trip leaves visitors at the landing spot on the beautiful Priory beach, the only safe bathing spot on the island. From here it is a short stroll to the village and Monastery. I loved seeing all the pretty pastel houses on the way to the island and the sea breeze cooled us down in soaring temperatures.


Martyn and I hung out on the beach and went for a swim to cool down before exploring the island. A word of warning, spray yourself with bug spray before visiting. I ended up with about 20 huge bites all over after visiting Caldey.

Caldey Island is owned and run by the Reformed Order of Cistercian monks, who live a simple life farming the island alongside a small village community. They produce a number of famous homegrown items including chocolate, ice cream, clotted cream plus perfumes and hand lotions derived from wild flowers that grow on the island.


I'm really looking forward to camping in West Wales again this weekend but the forecast is a bit less tropical. I think it's going to be a bit grey and rainy but I'll be packing my bike and waterproofs and making the most of it.

Have you visited Caldey Island or West Wales?

I was so happy with how these little beauties turned out and they couldn't have been easier to make. I always eat shop bought meringues but they lack that chewy centre so I thought I would make my own. I spent ages searching for the perfect recipe and when I saw a photo of these I knew I had to make them because they were so dainty and pretty.

1. Start by lining a large baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Line a deep tray with baking paper and heat 300g caster sugar at 200C until the edges are just beginning to melt. Heating the sugar helps it to dissolve in the egg white more quickly, creating a glossy and more stable mixture. Now, turn the oven down to 100C.
3. Add egg whites to clean bowl of a free standing mixer (or a bowl and use a hand held like me) At first whisk slowly allowing small stabilising bubbles to form, then increase the speed until the egg whites form medium peaks.
4. Using a large spoon, add the sugar spoon by spoon while continuing to whisk. It is ready once you have a full bodied, stiff and glossy mixture (5-7 minutes). Add any flavouring at this point.
5. Turn a disposable piping bag inside out, and use a paintbrush to paint stripes of natural food colouring on the inside. Fill the piping bag ensuring there are no air bubbles, and cut the tip off to the size of a 20p piece. Pipe small kisses onto a lined baking tray.
6. Bake for an hour and leave to cool fully before pulling away for the tray. If you cover them or pop them in a tub they will last for a few days.
   

I grated a square of frozen 50-70% cocoa chocolate into my mix for cute speckled kisses. I used a few more squares melted and mixed with cream to make a sauce.
The recipe I used is the Meringue Girls one and they have lots of videos and tutorials online. If you make these yourself I would love to know how you get on.

I spent most of my weekend in the kitchen, trying out new recipes and really enjoyed making new things and pushing myself. I've done loads of baking and I will be sharing some recipes later in the week but today I'm sharing a recipe for a jam/chutney with more than a little kick. This is something I improvised and came out as more of a chutney than a jam which is what I intended it to be. It makes a good accompaniment to meat or the veggie burger I made on Saturday night.




Ingredients
3 fresh red chillies
2 ripe red peppers
olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g brown sugar
4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

You can double this to make a large jar or add more peppers if you prefer it sweet.


Method
If you want your chutney to last for a while, make sure you have a small sterilized jar ready to go. I just got a jar and filled it with boiling water, emptied it and put the finished jam in.

Place your chillies and peppers  under a hot grill, turning them now and then until blackened. Put the peppers and chillies into a bowl and cover with clingfilm. By the time they're cool enough to handle, you'll be able to peel the skin off easily.

Remove the skin and seeds and chop finely by hand or in a processor.

Heat a saucepan and pour in a splash of olive oil. Add the onions and season. Cook very slowly for about 20 minutes.

Add the chopped peppers and chillies, the sugar and the vinegar to the onions and keep cooking. When the liquid reduces and you're left with a lovely thick sticky chutney, season well to taste.
Either spoon into the sterilized jars and put them in a cool dark place, or keep in the fridge and use right away. In sterilized jars, the chutney should keep for a couple of months.



I used my chutney to add flavour to my portobello mushroom & halloumi burger. I simply cooked the cheese and mushrooms in a griddle pan for around 20 minutes, turning half way through and served them in a soft bun with some rocket. I added some lemon juice and crushed garlic to my mayonnaise with a dash of paprika on the top to dip my chips in. I loved this burger and the chutney had just the right amount of heat for me but I'm not sure Martyn (a committed carnivore) was entirely sold on a meat free burger.