YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Celebrate the Olympics with a Low-Fat "High Tea," Pimms, and Fascinators

    By | Healthy Living – Fri, Jul 27, 2012 5:25 PM EDT

    by QuickieChick Laurel House

    QuickieChick Laurel House having Cream TeaDon't just watch the Olympics. Celebrate it! Obviously the games are the main event, but don't forget about the other fabulous components that go particularly well this time around: Parties and Dressing the Part! I'm talking about Cream Tea, Healthy Finger Sandwiches, Pimms, and Fascinators. Fabulous!

    "Cream Tea" (also incorrectly known as "High Tea") is the perfect way to celebrate the Olympic Games in high style without braving the crowds in London. All you need is a few food, décor, and drink essentials and you will feel like a great Brit! Or at least a highfalutin "yank."

    DECOR
    Rings of Flowers:     Make a floral arrangement in the shape of the Olympic rings using 5 small vases or simply 5 water glasses- 3 at the top and 2 below, then fill each cup with blue, black (or something very dark) and red flowers on the top, and yellow and green flowers on the bottom- the stems cut short so it's just a puff of color.

    CLOTHES
    A Fascinator: You might remember them from the Royal Wedding. They are absolutely fabulous and a total must!



    DRINKS
    Pimms No1Pimms No1
    Pimms & Lemonade cocktail:     This super popular UK cocktail may be called Pimms and Lemonade, but we would call it Pimms and Lemon Soda. Make it lower calorie by using Pimms and Diet Sprite (our version of "Lemonade" is referred to as "Old Fashioned Lemonade" in the UK).
    Ingredients:
    -1 part Pimms 1 (Pimms is a liqueur made from hard alcohol, quinine, and a secret combo of herbs. There are 7 types of Pimms. Pimms 1 is made with Gin and is the classic version)
    -3 parts Lemonade
    -sliced Cucumber, Strawberries, Mint leaves
    -Ice
    Like you are making Sangria, mix everything together in a pitcher and serve in individual glasses. The Pimms has a fantastic herbaceous kick!
    READ: BBQ'ing This Weekend? Make THESE Bites with Benefits Recipes

    Tea with Cinnamon and Milk: Any type of tea will do. The Cinnamon is an added Bite w/Benefit that helps balance blood sugar levels and naturally burn fat. Tea is generally served with Milk in the UK. Green tea is great too- another Bite with Benefits for fat-burning and anti-aging.
    WATCH: Fat-Burning Skinny Herbaceous Cocktails

    FOOD
    Scones with Cream and Strawberry JamScones with Cream and Strawberry Jam
    If you have a 3-tiered cake plate… fantastic! If not, the just use 3 separate plates. Traditionally with the 3-tier, the bottom plate is reserved for Finger Sandwiches, the middle is for Scones with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam, the top is for Sweets! There must be one of each item per person. There is no sharing or picking which you want. Everyone gets their own.

    -The Finger Sandwiches: Remove the crust and cut the bread into 1'x3' clean sandwiches. These sandwiches are intended to be simple, they aren't supposed to overwhelm the palate (read: not much flavor, so don't add flavor builders like salt), and easy to eat with the fingers. I am taking the traditional concepts then Americanizing, cutting some fat, and boosting them to make them multitasking Bites w/ Benefits…
    Examples:
    -Smoked Salmon with light Butter on Rye (Both Rye and Lox are Bites w/Benefits for focus and brain power)
    -Cucumber with light Cream Cheese on White Bread (cucumber is great for de-puffing)
    -Asparagus and Mustard on Whole Wheat (Asparagus has been proven to fight off hangovers)
    READ: I'm Never Drinking Again... How to Avoid a Post-Party Hangover

    -The Scones:     Plain scones topped with Strawberry Jam (NOT marmalade. Only strawberry jam… it's traditional), then Fat Free Whipped Cream on top (traditionally it's served with full fat clotted cream- hand whipped, un-sweetened heavy cream… but why not just use the fat free whipped cream from the spray can!)

    -The Dessert:     This is the part that diners most look forward to. It's where the flavor is meant to pop (and so do the top buttons of their drawers… um, pants). You can go all out with super delicious pastries. OR try a traditional British dessert that is surprisingly healthy called Eaton Mess made from meringue, whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and strawberry syrup.

    Cheers!

    QuickieChick's Cheat SheetLaurel House is a lifestyle author, expert, writer, personal trainer and the "QuickieChick." Her "quickies" are all about making the most out of every moment- whether it's a saddlebag-burning "Quickie Workout in Bed," a de-puffing "Bites with Benefits" meal, or how to get a $150 spa-quality skin peel out of a $1 tomato and lemon at-home Refrigerator Facial. Her YouTube videos have received over 8 million views and now you can get even more Quickie Tips in her new book "QuickieChick's Cheat Sheet to Life, Love, Food, Fitness, Fashion and Finance on a Less than Fabulous Budget" (St. Martin's, May 2012).