I often see the terms “afternoon tea”, “high tea”, and “cream tea” being used interchangeably. They are actually different variations on the same thing: snacks or a meal served with tea. I thought I’d break it down for you by explaining those differences so you can use the right term for your next tea party.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea is a selection of finger foods like cake, scones, tarts, and other treats that is usually served more casually than a High Tea. It may also include small finger sandwiches with no crusts. Traditional British Afternoon Tea was served in drawing rooms on couches or chairs rather than at a table. It was our equivalent of an afternoon snack, although certainly much classier!

It is this kind of tea that is what most people think of when they hear the words “tea party”. Afternoon Tea usually features china cups and saucers and more delicate brews.

High Tea

High Tea is served at a dining table, hence “high tea”, and is more of a meal. Many High Teas will include cold meats, jam, tea cakes, fresh bread, more substantial sandwiches, pork pies, etc. High Tea is usually served on regular plates instead of fine china, and is a precursor to a light dinner which may be served later in the evening. It is what many workers would consume after a long day in the fields or factories in the UK. Tea served for High Tea is usually strong and most often black, however this is based on preference.

If you search Google or Pinterest for High Tea ideas, you’ll get a misleading number of pictures and articles about things that are technically Afternoon Tea.

Cream Tea

Cream Tea refers to scones with clotted cream (also called Devonshire cream) and jam. If you visit the UK, you will find Cream Tea available on a lot of cafe menus, especially near tourist hot spots like castles or cathedrals.

Clotted Cream originated in Devon and Cornwall, although it is now easy to find all over the UK. A popular question related to Cream Tea is whether the cream or jam should be put on the scone first. If you’re in Devon, the cream goes on first, followed by a hearty scoop of fruit jam. If you’re in Cornwall, the jam is put on first. Regardless of the way you order your toppings, a Cream Tea is an absolute must if you’re visiting the Western regions of England.

Cream Tea is a common addition to Afternoon Tea.

Some regions of the UK will also refer to dinner or supper as “tea”. This term for an evening meal originated in Scotland, but I can tell you from experience that it is also used in a lot of other areas. This confused me when I first moved to the UK, especially as many of my friends would have their “tea” and not actually drink any tea with their meal.

Now that you know the difference between Afternoon Tea, High Tea, and Cream Tea, you’re ready to plan an amazing tea party!

Whenever you require to use your frozen meats, remember that it is very essential that you thaw it the right way.

The best way to thaw it is by transferring the meat from the freezer to the refrigerator, first, instead of directly at room temperature. This will allow it to thaw slowly and can help prevent the growth of bacteria rapidly.

If you require to cook the frozen meat quickly, then you can use the defrost option in your microwave or thaw it using a water bath (placing the frozen meat in a bowl of water and let it remain submerged until thawed).

Canned food will last between 2 to 5 years, when it is unopened. But once it has been opened, you will need to refrigerate once opened (the leftovers) and thereafter, it will last about 5 to 7 days.

Remember to check your can for any bulges and smells, before and after opening it. Bulges in the can and any putrid smell upon opening the can, can mean it is spoilt and there is bacteria.

Always store canned foods (unopened), in a cool and dark place.

Informal Dinner Place Setting and Formal Dinner Place Setting

Did you know your oven is probably lying to you?⁠
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Many home ovens are off by 15 degrees, some by even 25 degrees or more! I’ve never had a home oven be 100% accurate. Before we renovated, our old oven would tell me it was preheated when it was actually 20 degrees cooler.⁠
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It may not seem like a big difference, but baking at the wrong temperature can significantly change your final product. ⁠
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Too cool, and your cookies can overspread and not brown enough (though many people prefer slightly underbaked cookies so if this is you, try dropping the temp slightly!). ⁠
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Too warm, and your cookies may not spread enough, brown too much, or even burn on the bottom. ⁠
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I’m using my Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies in this example because it’s so easy to see the differences, but the same is true for just about anything you’re baking.⁠

Hack 1

How to properly test if the egg is good or bad ? Want to know how to tell if an egg is bad? For a fresh food, eggs have a surprisingly a long shelf life; the USDA considers them safe to eat for 45 days after processing. A simple float test is a quick way to check if the eggs are fresh enough to use or not. Are my eggs still good? To perform the float test, gently set your egg into a bowl of water ( room temperature). If the egg sinks, it is fresh. If it tilts upwards or even floats, it is old.

First, fill a bowl or glass with water and gently place your eggs in it. Very fresh eggs will sink to the bottom and the egg lies horizontally, it’s at its freshest. If the narrow end of the egg tilts upward, it’s still acceptable to eat but they not be just as quite as fresh. If the egg stands upright (but is still at the bottom of the container), it’s past its peak, but is still safe, use such eggs for baking or making hard-boiled eggs.

Any eggs that are too old to eat will float to the surface. Bad eggs float and It has to do with the way moisture evaporates through the shell as eggs age. As that moisture decreases, the air bubble inside the shell grows, such eggs should be discarded.

The sniff test is the oldest, simplest, and most reliable method of telling if an egg has gone bad. Crack open an egg and if you immediately notice a pungent smell, it’s probably safe to toss the egg.

Hack 2

How to bring eggs to room temperature – You should always use room temperature eggs in baking. You can place them in a bowl of warm water for two to three minutes, this will bring them up to room temperature fairly quickly.

Hack 3

How to make poached egg within seconds – Simply pour a half cup of cold water into a bowl or mug, gently crack an egg and slide it in, and then put the whole thing in the microwave on high for 45 seconds.

Hack 4

How to easily peel eggs – Do you find it super hard to peel the shell off your boiled eggs, especially when they are boiling hot? Fill a container with water, then pop in your boiled eggs. Seal tight with the lid and gently shake until the shell has come off! Well, most of us know the hack as to how to immerse eggs in cool water and then peel off the shells. But do you want to know an easier way out? Simply drop in a wedge or two of lemon in the water while boiling your eggs and the shells will almost completely drop off when they are boiled.

Hack 5

How to quickly bring eggs to room temperature For boiled eggs – You can simply remove the heated water and run the boiled eggs under cool running tap water for 2 to 4 minutes.
For eggs from the refrigerator – You will need to take a bowl of lukewarm or warm water and place your eggs in it for around 4 to 6 minutes.

Hack 6

How to separate the egg from the yolk – Crack the egg gently into half and hold in one hand, while you use your fingers of the other hand to “strain” (or separate) the egg white, while holding up the egg yolk. So you should do this while keeping a bowl underneath your hand, so you can collect the egg white.
While this is the easiest hack, for those of you who do not want to touch the egg, you can use strainer instead of your fingers following the same method.

Hack 7

How to make perfect jammy eggs
Do you like your eggs gooey or semi-gooey how they make it to top it over ramen noodles? Basically, soft boiled eggs, with a fancy name! Well, here’s what you can do – Bring some water to a boil over medium heat. Then, place the eggs in the pot (use tongs as the water will be hot) and remember that the eggs will not have to be submerged in the water for this hack.

Next, cover the pot and let the eggs cook on medium heat for 6 ½ minutes exactly (if you want the yolk gooey/runny) and for 8 minutes exactly (if you want the yolk semi-cooked), 13 mins for hard boiled eggs. Then, remove from the heat, drain out all the heated water and run cool tap water over the eggs for around 30 seconds to a minute, to stop them from cooking any further. Lastly, gently peel of the shell and the jammy eggs are ready to eat!

Note

Be very gently as the egg yolk shouldn’t crack during the process.

Hack 8

How to make the best scrambled eggs – Try pouring eggs into the pan through a sieve. You’ll find that cracking eggs into a sieve will help remove the excess liquid from the whites. This hack works exceptionally well for making fluffier scrambled eggs

General Hacks

Hack 9

How to use egg shells to keep lizards away – You can just use fresh egg shells that have been cracked and used as food consumption. So, you can take the egg shells and place them at different corners of your home to keep lizards away. Remember that the egg shells should be fresh as the lizards do not like the smell of the egg albumin or egg white. You can replace these egg shells once in a week or as soon as you have any fresh egg shells (all the better).

Hack 10

How to use egg shells as plant compost – Instead of discarding your egg shells, you can dry them up in the sun for a couple of days and then crush them using your hands or in a blender. Mix this with your manure and mud and use them as compost for your plants. Egg shells are rich in calcium and will act as natural nutrients for your plants to grow healthy.

Hack 11

How to use egg to heal skin – Egg whites help in healing burns without leaving behind scars. Apply egg whites on affected skin and watch the result show up.

Hack 12

How to use egg shells to get rid of garden pests – Dry your egg shells for a few days and then crush them using your hands or in a blender. Sprinkle this egg shell powder all over your garden, in the mud or in your pots. This will help keep garden pests away.