ok, this problem needs creativity and cooking ideas?

Question

my roomate's birthday is in 3 days. I want to take her out on a little picnic, but I dont' know what to bring or make or anything.
heres the bits of info I'm working from:

she loves tea. if I can figure out a way to bring or make hot tea in the middle of a wooded park, I definately want to, but I need ideas for how to accomplish this.
if this is accomplished, I'm pretty sure I want to make her some white tea because she said she really wanted to try it.

as far as food goes, I have no clue. she's going to have plenty of cake and stuff like that already for her birthday, so I'm looking for light finger foods, easy to make (i'm no pro) that arn't pastry or heavy breaded things.
sandwiches are way too easy.

tomorrow I'm buying a picnic basket and putting together a few of the basic tools for the date.

people! give me suggestions for food and everything else. mostly help me come up with way to make the hot tea! thermos just doesn't seem like it'll work well enough.

Answer 1

if you get a thermos you can keep the water nice and piping hot. bring along a teapot and a variety of tea bags so when you get there you can brew it right in front of her!
as for finger foods try finger sandwhiches, ill leave you with a website that has a good vareity of sandwhiches!

Answer 2

Wow what a thoughtful frien you are! Firstly the tea thing. Task a flask of boiling water and then take the tea bags and milk separately. Second get some philly cheese and soften - roll into sausage shape and then chop up some herbs (must be fresh not dried) roll the philly cheese into the herbs. Other ideas are things such as smoked salmon and capers. Pate with carrots and grisini sticks. Terrine (can be bought from most deli's). Basically keep it to finger foods and keep it simple. Make sure you have something like aeroguard to keep the bugs away and something comfortable to sit on. Maybe even take a couple of cushions. For dessert, get some vanilla yoghurt and break up a flake or 2 (chocolate bars) and have some fresh strawberries to dip them into. Have a great time.

Answer 3

As far as the tea goes, I bought a tiny back pack stove that has a cup, stand and heating element that you could use to boil the water to steep her tea - it would fit in the basket.

For the finger foods - one possibility would be to get some flavored tortillas and wrap small quantities of different things like tuna, asparagus, flavored cream cheese etc..and place them in tight plastic wrap in the fridge overnight - slice them in finger size the next day - they should hold up.

Answer 4

Thermos is your best bet for the tea.
U can get several types of snack crackers and different types of cheese and make a cheese & cracker tray. Garnish it with pickles & olives, etc., or you can make a cheese ball.

If all else fails, go to KFC and get chicken!!

Answer 5

White tea brewed then poured into a Thermos will keep warm. Pack china cups, just for fun, and b/c they are a better thing than styro.

Why not have a tea part?! Make scones, tea sandwiches, and small cookies or sweets. I'll bet she'd love that!

Carrot Cake Tea Sandwiches
Makes 18 sandwiches

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ cup grated carrots
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup chopped pecans
12 slices Raisin Bread, crusts removed

Combine first 4 ingredients until well mixed. Spread cream cheese mixture on half of the bread slices, topping with another slice of bread, and cut into 3 fingers.


--Tea Time, Nov/Dec 2006
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Cheese Scones

This recipe, developed in the Chicago Tribune test kitchen, features tangy Cheddar cheese and a slight bite from ground red pepper and mustard.

2 cups flour
1 tsp. each: cream of tartar, baking soda
1/4 tsp. each: ground red pepper, ground mustard, salt
3 Tbsps. unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsps. milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, red pepper, mustard and salt into the bowl of a food processor with metal blade inserted; add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Pulse about five times until lumps resemble tiny peas. Add 1/2 cup milk; pulse. Add up to 3 tablespoons of additional milk until dough is soft but not sticky; add cheese. Pulse four times.

2. Heat oven to 425ºF. Place dough on floured surface; knead lightly two or three times. Roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut out scones with a 2-inch cutter. Leftover dough scraps can be rerolled for cutting.

3. Melt remaining tablespoon butter; brush over scone tops. Place scones on a greased baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
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Shrimp Butter Tea Sandwiches

1 cup butter
1 cup minced cooked shrimp
1/4 tsp. salt
dash paprika
3 tablespoons lemon juice
lettuce (I like Romaine for crunch)
thinly sliced country style white bread, crusts removed
Cream butter shrimp, salt, lemon and paprika to a paste or leave a little more texture if you wish. Spread a small slice bread with the shrimp butter, add a piece of lettuce and top it with another slice of bread. This is also good on a cracker with a tiny sprig of fresh dill topping it off.
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Sunshine Poppyseed Scones

1½ cups A/P flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. poppyseeds
3 Tbsp. chilled butter
½ cup lemon yogurt
¼ cup orange juice
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp. fresh lemon or orange zest

Preheat oven to 425ºF. In a large bowl, whisk together first 7 ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients.

Combine yogurt, OJ, egg, and zest. Add to wet ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Do not overmix.

With lightly floured hands, form dough into a circle that is 1” in thickness and place on a greased baking sheet. Cut dough into 8 wedges and bake 15 minutes until browned.

Serves 8.

--Today’s Diet & Nutrition, Winter 2006
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Pecan Dainty Cookies

Preheat oven to 325°

Cream together:
1 stick of salted butter - softened at room temperature
2 T granutalted sugar
1 t vanilla

Combine and add to butter mixture:
1 C flour
3/4 C finely ground pecans
1/8 t salt

Powdered sugar for coating after cooled/ baking.

Roll into walnut size balls. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for 25 minutes. The cookies will be slightly brown. Cool completely, roll in powdered sugar.