What a wonderful feeling to face the day with a hot cup of tea warming your hands.  You are sure to cherish the memories of friends, food and tea all wrapped up in an elegant party.  You have done your prep work and today, the day of the event, you know you can remain calm and collected as you put it all together.

Cucumber Cups and Sandwiches

Using a beveled vegetable cutter or a knife cut 2½ of the cucumbers into 1-1¼ inch sections.  Using a ¼ tsp dig out the center of the cucumber just enough to make a divot your thumb would fit into.  Do not make hole all the way through, this will create a cucumber cup.  Thinly slice the remaining 1½ cucumbers.  Take the bag with the savory cream cheese mixture and cut one corner of the bag so you have a hole that is about the diameter of your pinky.   Squeeze about a teaspoon of the mixture into each cucumber cup.  Sprinkle chopped chives and lemon zest over the tops.  Cover and put in the fridge.  On your flat or white bread squeeze out 1-2 tbsp of cream cheese mixture and spread it into a thin layer to cover.  Shingle the cucumber slices over the cream cheese layer.  With the white bread sandwich place a slice of tomato on some of them leaving it open faced and top with a sprig of dill.  Using the flat bread you should roll it up like a pinwheel and slice on the diagonal.

Chicken Sandwich

Now take your cut rolls place a piece of lettuce in the center and scoop in some of your prepared chicken salad.  Cover and put into the fridge.

Strawberry and Raspberry Cakes

Take your pound cake rounds, sweet cream cheese mixture and cool whip out.  Place your rounds on a baking sheet.  Repeat what you did to the savory cheese bag when preparing the sweet cheese bag.  Squeeze out 1-2 tsp of cream cheese onto half of your rounds.  Using another bag do the same with your whip topping on the other half of your rounds.  Place a raspberry on the top of your cheese mixture rounds and a halved strawberry on your cool whip rounds.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Cover and place into the fridge.

Cupcake Bites

Take your caramel and chocolate topping, place into the microwave for about a minute.  Layer each cupcake round alternately meaning either with chocolate/orange/chocolate or orange/chocolate/orange.  Between the layers put a small spoon of caramel to make them stick together.  Once assembled; dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with chocolate topping.  Take the cupcake tops and squeeze some of the left over sweet cream cheese mixture on the flat side of one and then place another to create a sandwich.

Just before your guests arrive place all of your delights onto serving platters.  Keep the extra in the fridge so you can replenish as needed.  Steep a wonderful pot of tea and enjoy.

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