I am usually very skilled at killing plants.  Though my intentions are good and I try my best to keep them alive, they’d much prefer to croak than endure my underwatering/overwatering/too much sun/not enough sun/is this the right kind of soil efforts.  If having a green thumb is necessary to sustain the lovely gifts of nature, then I’m all fingers.  Until now.  About a month ago I was given a gorgeous peppermint plant and somehow have been able to prevent the thing from succumbing to it’s Jaime-induced demise.  In fact, it’s growing like crazy!  So what’s a girl to do with all this beautiful mint?  I decided to have a nice, little tea party.  Mint-themed, and with gin. Heck yeah!

You have to have tea sandwiches at a tea party, you just have to.

Tea sandwiches three ways.  

Herbed goat cheese with radishes and pea shoots.
Combine 8 oz. softened goat cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions tops, 1 T. finely chopped tarragon, 1 T. lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste.  Spread on white bread and top with pea shoots and radish slices.  

Curried egg salad with arugula on pumpernickel. 
Combine chopped, hard-boiled eggs (10 eggs), 1/3 cup mayo, 1 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp celery salt, and 1/8 tsp salt (adjust seasonings to taste).  Spread mayo on pumpernickel, top with egg salad and arugula.

Smoked salmon and cucumber with dill-mint yogurt.
Combine 1 cup strained greek or homemade yogurt, 1/4 cup chopped dill, 1 tsp chopped mint, 1 – 2 tsp minced onion, and salt & pepper to taste.  Spread on white bread and top with slices of smoked salmon and cucumber.

Peppermint Tea Ginger Cocktail

Ingredients

peppermint tea, chilled
ginger syrup
simple syrup
lemon & lime juice
gin

Fill a glass or mason jar with ice and fill about half-way with tea.  Add 1/2 oz of the ginger syrup, 1/2 oz of the simple syrup, 1 1/2 oz gin and a squeeze each of lemon and lime juice.  Stir and taste, add more syrup if you prefer a sweeter drink.  Enjoy!