a tea bar

Hi Y'all!  We hosted our family's Easter gathering this year and as I was thinking of what to serve to drink I an idea!  Yay!  I am not one to drink carbonated soft drinks so I didn't want to buy up two liters that would be left at my disposal.  The guys generally complain about pre-mixed fruit tea.  Dad is the only one who can drink coffee with lunch.  So I felt to please everyone I would offer sweet tea and ice water.  A week or so before the day I remembered a day last fall when my friend Christal and I ventured to a barn sale in Lebanon, Tennessee where we were absolutely delighted, when we got through the tea and lemonade line, to find an assortment of additions for our drinks.  On a hot day it was so fun to add sliced strawberries, fresh mint and lavender water to our lemonade and tea.  So, in remembrance of the fruition, I decided to have a tea bar!

I sliced strawberries, lemons, oranges and pineapple and purchased a couple of fresh mint plants from the produce section at the grocery (planted them in pots later).   Well, you never know how things will turn out but this tea bar turned out fantastic!  All of the ladies had so much fun with it and even a few of the guys!  We flavored our water and tea with all the goodies and felt our posture rise at the feeling of a tea party on a yummy warm Easter day!

Mint Chocolate Pudding Cake

Ah yes... another green recipe for the month of March.  This one is of the sweeter variety and is one of my very favorites!  It is a mint chocolate pudding cake and the result of this cake is definitely green and so tasty!  I used to make it to take to work with me on St. Patrick's Day and I have also made it for a wedding and the bbq place I used to bake for.  It is a very pretty cake and perfect for that lover of chocolate and mint together!  It even had peppermint paddies on top!

I know I have more pictures of this beautiful cake.  I just can't seem to locate them as quickly as I want.  So you are just going to have to make it yourself to see how pretty and delightful it truly is!  These pictures are from a few years ago.

Looks like I used a white cake mix this time.


The green batter... yum!


This is my old kitchen from my house on Haven Street.  Ah what messes I made in that kitchen!

This particular time that I made this recipe it was for a wedding cake in which she had several different kinds.  I topped it with a chocolate butter cream icing and had the mint candies in the middle of the two layers.  I prefer the 9x13 version.  This is the only completed cake picture I could find.

Find my other "green recipes" for the month of March HERE and HERE.

Need some baking tips in the kitchen?  I have a good one HERE.

And just in case you missed my Aunt Sabine's Graham Struesel Cake recipe.