mad hatter’s tea party

  Whether you are playing a round of crocket with the Queen or painting the roses red, being outside during the summer really works up a thirst. So gather up a few of your closest friends and celebrate the sun with an afternoon tea party. Chillax and try a few of these refreshing iced tea heat beaters at your tea party.  Make sure you set plenty of spaces at the table as there are bound to be a few uninvited guests. MARCH HARE'S MILKY MYSTIC MATCHA Here is a very untraditional milky Matcha iced latte with some mystical properties.  For one Matcha latte, start with one teaspoon of the bright green powder. Whisk it with about 1/3 cup of hot (not boiling) water until you get a smooth consistency. Traditionally they use a wooden whisk called a chasen, but if you have one of those little battery powered milk frothers it will totally do the trick. Add sweetener of your choice (honey, maple syrup or sugar) and stir to dissolve. Add one cup of milk and using the frother mix it up until you have a nice bit of froth on top and an even green tint throughout. You can either drink it right from the mixing bowl or pour it over some ice in a tall fancy glass. Get ready to have mystical powers. 

MEET YOUR MATCHA

Matcha is the new caffeine ‘buzz’ word. From it’s noble origins in Japanese tea ceremonies, it has found it’s way to select North American tea shops. The bright green powder is simply ground up choice green tea leaves that are loaded with anti-oxidants, vitamins and all-around good stuff. It lives up to the ‘buzz’ and unlike coffee and black tea, it won’t give you a sweaty, twitchy buzz that sends you plummeting later. Matcha mystically elevates your awareness for hours and keeps you alert and productive. 

  MAD HATTER'S CRAZY EIGHT, CRAZY DELICIOUS ICED TEA Call me crazy, but I think this crazy good recipe is exactly what iced tea should be.  Bring 8 cups of water to a boil, add 8 heaping tablespoons of sugar, stir to dissolve. Turn off the burner and add 8 regular tea bags and 8 slices of lemon(1 lemon)... steep for 8 minutes. Remove tea bags and lemon slice and chill. Serve over loads of ice in 8 frosty glasses with a fresh slice of lemon. Recipe makes 7 friends.   DORMOUSE'S CAFFEINE-FREE MORROCAN MINTY MINT TEA This tea is caffeine-free because it has no tea in it. Place a big handful of mint (stems and all) in a tea pot. Cover with almost boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon. Add honey or sugar and stir to dissolve. It should be extra sweet, as it will dilute when it melts the ice.  Here comes the tricky part. With a steady hand start to slowly pour the warm tea into a glass full of ice, then carefully raise the tea pot high above the glass and continue pouring from two feet (or more) above the glass. The force of the pour is like a waterfall and the result is a slightly forthy and very refreshing minty iced tea. ALICE'S EAT-ME ICE CREAM TEA BISCUIT SANDWICHES  Until now tea biscuits were a last resort cookie. But for these ice cream cookie sandwiches they are the perfect choice. They are round, slightly sweet and soak up tea really well. Soften your icecream (green tea ice cream would fit the theme nicely) in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Place a scoop on the backside of a tea biscuit and top it carefully with another tea biscuit so it forms a sandwich.... still with me? Squish it slightly so it oozes out the sides a little, then clean up the edges with the flat side of a knife or finger. Place the sandwiches on a plate and pop them back in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or up to a day.