We made it through the holiday season, with its dressy festivities and glammed up get-togethers. Now it’s time to slow things down. Turn up the furnace or stoke the fire and relax with a hygge winter tea party while the cold weather whips up outside. With relaxing activities and a tummy-tempting menu complete with chai tea pairings, you won’t want to leave this nest of relaxation.
Cozy Decor
Hygge, a Danish word pronounced hoo-ga, is all about comfy cozy. To create that atmosphere, I especially love soft lighting using candles. Round up your tea lights, battery candles, holiday candles, strings of white fairy lights or Christmas lights, and place them around the room to provide a warm ambiance.
Bring out all your throw pillows and bed pillows to use as bolsters. Provide some fleecy soft blankets for your guests to wrap up in. Don’t have throw blankets hanging around? Have your friends bring their favorite blanket with them.
Stream relaxing music in the background. A favorite of mine is an Austin-born ambient music duo called Stars of the Lid.
Have your guests dress down for this get-together. Pajamas and slippers would make it extra hygge!
First Course: Soup = Perfection
This party calls for comfort foods, so start your guests off with something that will warm their tummies. In the cold winter months, I turn to hearty soups and pasta. So imagine my delight when I stumbled onto this recipe for Macaroni and Cheese Soup!
A doughy French roll, sliced, makes a delicious side accompaniment, or some crispy crackers.
Tea Pairing: Full Moon vanilla butternut chai. One of the original Plum Deluxe blends, it has an added twist of vanilla butternut extract, giving the traditional base a depth, warmth, and vibrancy that’s perfect for chilly, indoor days.
Second Course: Roasted Veg Side
Oven roasted veggies are beyond simple to prepare and always provide a touch of rustic fancy to your event. One of my favorite vegetables to roast is acorn squash. You know the odd-looking green squash commonly used for fall decoration? Yes, they’re edible, nutritious, and amazingly delicious.
Roasted Acorn Squash
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon butter, just softened
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice acorn squash in half, lengthwise. Use caution, as the rind can be quite tough to get through. If needed, microwave the squash for a minute before slicing to soften the rind. Scrape out the seeds from inside with a spoon.
Rub the inside of the squash with butter. Smash a tablespoon of brown sugar and drizzle a teaspoon of maple syrup into each half.
Line a small roasting pan with foil. Place the squash halves on the foil, cut side up.
Bake for an hour or until lightly browned.
Remove from the oven, scoop the liquified sugar over the meat of the squash. Serve warm.
For an even heartier version of this roasted squash, try it with a stuffing. Rich, earthy mushrooms, protein-packed rice, and the green goodness of spinach make this recipe a meal in itself!
Tea Pairing: Gingerbread Chai. Spicy and comforting, black tea from Sri Lanka complements a sweet and earthy honeybush. It’s a limited-edition winter special, so be sure to get some for your stash when you can!
Third Course: The Sweet Stuff
This is a treat you can make ahead of time and keep chilled until it’s served. Creamy, sweet, and with a hint of mint, this Minty Chocolate Chip Cheesecake has a sandwich cookie crumb crust. It’s a dessert that will surely delight your guests’ tastebuds.
Tea Pairing: Stargazer Caramel Maté Chai. Maté is known as the beverage of friendship — the perfect thing for our winter tea party! It has the most delicious, sweet, caramel fragrance when brewing. The mellow caffeination of maté with help you connect to your most creative self.
Relaxing Activities
While your guests enjoy comforting food and hot tea, unwind with engaging entertainment that soothes the mind and soul. For example, re-discover the creative enjoyment of coloring. Coloring books aren’t just for kids anymore — it can be therapeutic and inspiring for grown-ups, too!
Another fun and super creative project that’s great for a gathering is art journaling. A similar concept to vision boards, your thoughts are brought to life in an artsy collage journal. Have your guests bring things they want to craft with, or provide the supplies, such as old magazines, glue, scissors, glitter, stickers, felt pens, or other crafty gear you have. You can find absolutely amazing versions of these art journals on YouTube.
Other chill and crafty activities will lend themselves well to this winter tea party, like knitting, crocheting, and cross-stitch.
I think you’ll find this winter tea party is just the ticket to decompress from all the holiday hustle. It’s a great way to focus your mindset for an amazing year ahead, too.
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