A tea for St. Patrick's Day

My sister usually comes over for Sunday night dinner, so this week I had a little tea to celebrate St. Patrick's Day tomorrow.

No Irish party would be complete without music, so here is tonight's song:

This was just a small tea, with my two shamrock place settings:

(Belleek)

(my Belleek teacup with a small Belleek vase)

(Aynsley)

(I don't think my new to me vintage Aynsley set has ever been used--it still had its sticker on the teacup after I bought it!)



Of course I'm serving an Irish Breakfast tea for this party.

Since Irish Breakfast tea is extra strong, I take mine with cream,

 

and sweetener.  Because this is a small tea for two, I'm using an Irish Kearney crystal jewelry box that my aunt gave me to hold some splenda.  I think it is the perfect size to go with this small tea, and I really like the claddagh ring on the top with its green stone.   

I served potato leek soup in my Austrian clover cream soups.  I'll share the recipe for this soup later this week.

With the soup, I served two tea sandwiches:

cucumber and cream cheese, and corned beef with a sweet Irish cheddar ground mustard and mayonnaise.

I also served soda bread scones with currants and raisins.  I shared the recipe for these scones last year here.  I enjoy these soda bread scones with Irish butter spread on top--delicious!

For dessert, I served iced shamrock shortbread cookies on small depression glass plates.



Here is another view of the table in my kitchen nook.  The shamrock runner was a gift from my mother--isn't it pretty?

I have a couple of other touches of shamrock décor in the room, including the Oxalis plant on my buffet,

And shamrock window clings on the kitchen door to my deck.

Thanks for joining me for a St. Paddy's day tea!  I'll share an Irish blessing before I say goodnight:

 

“May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart might desire.”





This week I'm joining:

Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

Bernideen's Friends Sharing Tea 

Rose Chintz Cottage's Tea time Tuesday