Enlightened High Tea Parties

INTRODUCTION I love preparing and presenting high teas and afternoon teas, which I have been doing for the past 20 years at my tea garden in Vista, California. Traditional high tea food is high in fat and sugar and is highly processed. For the past 15 years I have followed a plant-based, gluten free, low fat, low sugar lifestyle. This led me to adapt traditional high tea fare into plant-based, whole food, low sugar, low fat, nutritionally dense menus and recipes, which I am sharing with you in this book. Most of the recipes can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for your next day’s tea. There are many ways to keep food as unprocessed as possible and to combine fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and herbs for a wide range of pallets, complete health and enjoyment of creative meals (high teas). We all like getting together with friends and family to share food. Introducing guests to an afternoon tea can be an easy, healthful, low cost way to both snack and visit. It can be as simple and easy as cutting up a piece of fruit (try cara-cara oranges, very sweet) and making a couple of small sandwiches, plus a dessert. It is a way to eat light, eat less and have comradery. Yes, eat less because whole foods fill you up fast due to their fiber. To obtain low cost ingredients, plant an herb cutting garden for easy preparation of pesto’s, tapenades, and savory spreads. Using raw vegetables and herbs ensures minimal cooking or no cooking and promotes living food with living enzymes for optimal health and well-being. Herbs are a quick and easy way to stay well, boost your immunity and make food taste delicious, without adding fat, sugar or salt. As I enjoy researching how to stay well, be happy and age well, I provide several classes for you to ponder and/or share with others to promote wellness and joy. Each tea and menu begin with a theme and ends with a class based on the theme. If you find something in this book that you like, feel free to adapt it to your needs and make it your own. I hope you will eat food that helps you look good and feel wonderful. Enjoy your friends, take care of yourself, eat well, enjoy your life, and live a healthy lifestyle so you can feel good. Take care of your health. Good health takes work and making good decisions and gives you a good life. Celebrate your victories.