Thanks for all the ideas. Compumom, unfortunately, I bought the mushroom turnovers last week, so I'll stick with them. However, I agree that a few more fresh items would be nice. I think I'll make some cherry tomato & fresh mozzarella skewers. Marinate the small mozzarella balls and use both red & golden tomatoes. Depending on how energetic I am, I might even add some marinated mushrooms too. I also will include a bowl of cubed fresh pineapple. I don't want to add any other fruits because I don't want to upstage the fruit tart my daughter-in-law is making. Thanks again for your help and suggestions. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time. Here's the Pimento Cheese recipe: Posted by: woodie2 on Mon, Jan 24, 05 I don't really have many suggestions for tea sandwiches, but I do have this lovely recipe from Cindy Mac for Pimento Cheese, that Teresa made me remember. WORLD'S BEST PIMENTO CHEESE 4 tbls. mayonnaise 1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature 3 cloves garlic Handful of fresh parsley Several vigorous shots of Tabasco and Pickapepper sauces 1 cup pecans 1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimentos with the juice 12 ozs. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated Puree until smooth in food processor the mayonnaise, cream cheese, garlic, parsley and sauces. Turn into a bowl. Coarsely chop pecans. Add pecans and pimentos with juice to the mayonnaise mixture. Add grated cheese. Stir well to combine. Store in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving. The spread is even better the next day. Serve on bread, crackers or on vegetables.

THough time consuming, these are always a fun addition to a tea party..... DECORATED SUGAR CUBES 1 egg white 1/ 8 tsp cream of tartar 1/ 4 tsp. almond extract 1 and 3/ 4 cups confectioners sugar food coloring Combine egg white, cream of tartar and extract. Blend sugar into mixture. Beat until icing hold stiff peaks. Divide and tint with coloring. Cover until used. Makes 1 cup. TO MAKE FLOWERS OR FRUIT ON SUGAR CUBES: With decorating tubes: Squeeze icing through small tips Without tubes: Double heavy waxed paper; roll into cone. Cut tip for small opening; squeeze icing through opening ********************************************************** Petit Fours Now to bake the cake, no special cake pans are required; a 9 inch round or square pan will work just fine. When the cake has completely cooled, cut it in half horizontally. A serrated knife works well for this; gently saw your way through. Brush the liqueur over the cut sides, and then fill with a thin layer of jelly. Heat the jelly until warm; this will make it easier to spread. A creamy filling sprinkled with chopped nuts is also good. Try: Almond Filling Chocolate Meringue Frosting French Buttercream Lemon Jelly Filling Chocolate Fudge Buttercream Frosting Mint Buttercream with Dark Chocolate Glaze The simplest decorating technique for petits fours is to glaze the top of the whole cake, and then cut it into shapes. A white chocolate glaze or fondant frosting works well for this purpose. Both will dry to a smooth surface. Score the top into squares or diamonds, and decorate. Cut the cake only when ready to serve; since the sides are left uncovered, the little cakes can dry and become stale in a very short time. To cut, dip a serrated knife in hot water and then dry it. A hot knife will cut through the glaze more smoothly. Cookie cutters with simple shapes, such as rosettes or rounds, as well as petit four cutters can also be used to cut the cake. These should be used on the unglazed cake. Each cake is then decorated individually. It is important to completely cover the exposed surfaces with glaze or fondant to prevent drying. Quick Pour Fondant Icing Quick Pour Chocolate Fondant There are innumerable ways to decorate a petit four. One way is to simply pipe designs with melted chocolate or tinted decorator frosting. But don't limit yourself. Candied citrus zest, crystallized edible flowers and leaves, and fresh berries are all excellent decorations. You can also use miniature cookie cutters to shape marzipan or rolled fondant. Add these finishing touches before the glaze or fondant sets. Decorator Frosting Best White Icing Ever To get you started on your petits fours adventure, try some of these combinations of cakes, fillings, glazes, and decorations. Before you know it you'll be the host with the most. White cake, strawberry jam, poured fondant, and tinted marzipan animal cutouts for a children's tea.  Genoise, amaretto liqueur, almond filling and a sprinkling of chopped almonds, white chocolate glaze, finished with almond slices and piped melted chocolate for an elegant ladies and gentlemen's luncheon.  Pound cake, maraschino liqueur, cream filling, poured fondant, and small pastille candies for decoration to serve at the bridal or baby shower. There's a combination for every taste and occasion. So have some fun and plan an elegant gathering to show all your newfound tastes. ********************************************************* ANd here is a lengthy thread from a while ago on great tea sandwiches! Tea Sandwiches from the Cooking Forum Now that the weather has turned colder, I find myself hibernating on Saturday mornings instead of being out and about and inviting friends over for a little tea lunch. I don't like to bake that much so I can manage a dessert like lemon bars or shortbread but not the traditional scones and jam. I usually serve one or two soups from tureens, lots of varieties of tea sandwiches and of course, good tea. What are your favorite tea sandwiches? (I often use cookie cutters to cut them into fancy shapes.) My old standbys are 1)cucumber on white bread with chive mayonnaise and butter 2)wheat bread, olive cream cheese, white bread, egg salad, wheat bread 3)chicken salad on rounds of white bread with the edges of the bread spread with mayo and dipped into chopped toasted almonds 4)open face smoked salmon cream cheese with chopped capers and scallion tops on rye -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow-Up Postings: RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: Ginger_St_Thomas (My Page) on Mon, Jan 24, 05 at 19:53 I like egg salad. Here are a couple more: LADIES DAY BLT'S 1 loaf light wheat bread 1 cup mayo 1 1/2 tsp sweet brown mustard 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice Pinch of sugar 1 TBL chopped fresh parsley 1/2 to 1/4 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled 1 pint Roma or cherry tomatoes, sliced Cut bread into rounds with 2 1/2" or 1 3/4: biscuit cutter. Lightly toast rounds on each side. Combine mayo & next 4 ingredients. Spread mixture on bread rounds. Top with crumbled bacon & tomato slices. Use a 1 3/4" biscuit cutter.~~ TEA PARTY SANDWICHES 11 oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup milk 1 TBL Worcestershire 12 oz bacon, cooked & crumbled 1 loaf sliced white bread, crusts removed 1 loaf wheat bread, crusts removed Piniento stuffed olives Beat the cream cheese, milk & Worcestershire in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the bacon. Spread on the white bread slices, top with the wheat bread slices. Cut each sandwich into 3 equal portions. Top each with an olive slice.~~ Can be made a day ahead; cover with a damp paper towel & refrigerate until serving time. Add 1/4 cup each minced green bell pepper & grated onion to the cheese mixture, if desired. (I like it this way best.) I also like chicken salad spooned into bite-sized cream puff shells. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: Ginger_St_Thomas (My Page) on Mon, Jan 24, 05 at 19:54 Oops! That first recipe should say "1/2 to 3/4 lb bacon". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: Roselin32 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 24, 05 at 20:02 They all sound pretty good to me, Ruthanna-if we bring something, are we invited?? I do like to bake! RL` -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: Teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 24, 05 at 20:19 Of course, in the South we like homemade pimiento cheese on white, but here are some of my favorites: Curried Egg Salad 3 hard boiled eggs 1/2 cup mayo 1/2 t. curry powder Mix all. Will keep 3 days covered in fridge. I like it spread on thin wheat bread. Cheddar cheese and chutney on wheat Ham salad on finger rolls date nut bread with cream cheese Vidalia onion slices with herbed butter Pineapple Nut Tea Sandwiches 2 cups crushed pineapple, dreained 1 cup sugar 1 cup chopped nuts 1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese milk or mayo In saucepan combine pineapple and sugar. Bring to boil. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cool. Stir in nuts. Soften and mash cheese with enough milk or mayo to make a good spreading consistency. Combine with pineapple mixture. Spread on thin bread for sandwiches. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: woodie2 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 24, 05 at 22:18 You know, I'm the only one who could actually make it to Ruthanna's in time for lunch (so far, anyway)! I don't really have many suggestions for tea sandwiches, but I do have this lovely recipe from Cindy Mac for Pimento Cheese, that Teresa made me remember. WORLD'S BEST PIMENTO CHEESE 4 tbls. mayonnaise 1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature 3 cloves garlic Handful of fresh parsley Several vigorous shots of Tabasco and Pickapepper sauces 1 cup pecans 1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimentos with the juice 12 ozs. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated Purée until smooth in food processor the mayonnaise, cream cheese, garlic, parsley and sauces. Turn into a bowl. Coarsely chop pecans. Add pecans and pimentos with juice to the mayonnaise mixture. Add grated cheese. Stir well to combine. Store in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving. The spread is even better the next day. Serve on bread, crackers or on vegetables. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: craftyrn (My Page) on Mon, Jan 24, 05 at 22:20 Here's a couple I like: HAM AND APRICOT PRESERVE TEA SANDWICHES Makes 8 tea sandwiches 4 thin slices raisin-pumpernickel bread 2 tablespoons apricot preserves 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 pound Virginia ham, thinly sliced Spread one bread slice with half of the preserves. Spread another slice with half of the mustard. Fill with half of the ham slices and close. Repeat using the remaining bread, preserves, mustard and ham. Trim the crusts from the 2 sandwiches. Cut each into 4 finger sized sandwiches. ========================================= Creamy Date Nut Filling 5 pkg. cream cheese, softened (20 oz.) 1/2 tsp. salt 2 c. chopped walnuts 2 2/3 c. chopped dates Blend until creamy; then add nuts and dates. Makes enough filling for 100 tea sandwiches. Olive & Nut filling 32 oz. cream cheese 3/4 c. chopped olives with red centers 2 c. chopped toasted (in margarine) pecans 1/2 to 3/4 c. cream or milk Whip cream cheese; add milk until soft enough to spread. Fold in nuts and olives. Spread on thin sliced bread. Trim crust (use white, raisin or cinnamon bread). Cut into fingers or triangles. Chill; covered until ready to serve. These are also good as cornicopias--just spread filling on one slice a bread that you've trimmed crust from & rolled a little flat with rolling pin-then roll corner to corner for cornicopia shape. ==================================== RIBBON SANDWICHES This traditional tea sandwich features three ribbons of fillings for a special occasion. Preparation 1 hrs. Chilling 1 hrs. Ham Filling Ingredients: 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked ham 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard Egg Filling Ingredients: 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients: 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, if desired* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives, if desired** Sandwiches Ingredients: 8 slices whole wheat bread 8 slices white bread LAND O LAKES® Butter , softened Thinly sliced cucumber Parsley sprigs Chives Celery leaves Instructions: Stir together all ham filling ingredients in small bowl; set aside. Stir together all egg filling ingredients in small bowl; set aside. Stir together all cream cheese filling ingredients in small bowl; set aside. Cut crusts from bread slices. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Spread about 2 tablespoons ham filling on each of 4 slices whole wheat bread; top each with 1 slice white bread. Spread about 2 tablespoons egg filling on each of 4 slices whole wheat bread; top each with 1 slice white bread. Spread top of each sandwich with about 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling. Wrap with plastic food wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Slice each sandwich into thirds. Garnish with cucumber slices, parsley sprigs, chives or celery leaves. *Substitute 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley leaves. **Substitute 1/4 teaspoon dried chives. Yield: 24 ribbon sandwiches ================================================================== Diane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: Ann_T (My Page) on Mon, Jan 24, 05 at 23:42 Funny that this topic came up today. I just picked up a little cookbook called Tea, Recipes and Table Settings. Ruthanna, you might like some of these ideas from the Chapter titled - "The Tea Larder": Tea Trimmings A bit of milk, some sugar - one lump or two - these are the traditional partners for a cup of tea. But it's fun to experiment with a few variations on them. Crystallized ginger - sugar's sweetness with an added flavor Honey - Clovers fine, but try elderflower, wild flower or cream honey Lemon - slice it paper thin, or stud the rind with circles of cloves Mint - pick peppermint leaves or crush spearmint leaves and brew with the tea Preserves - stir a bit of strawberry or cherry preserves into the cup the way the Russians and Hungarians do Sugar - fill the bowl with cubes, brown sugars like madeira, French raw sugar cubes, pastel crystals, sugar that's been flavoured with a vanilla bean (insert one bean into two cups of sugar, seal tightly and allow to sit for a week before using) Fillings, Breads and Spreads Beyond the pleasures of traditional cress and cucumber, tea sandwiches may be filled with almost any filling that isn't so wet that it will soak throught the bread. Consider using cream puffs, biscuits, scones, puff pastry shells, tartlets, muffins, and crepes along with the traditional sandwich breads. The simplest chicken , ham, or cheese sandwich will be enlivened by one of these tasty spreads: Mayonnaise variations - To a cup of mayonnaise, homemade or store bought, add 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped chives, or two teaspoons of grated lemon rind or orange peel. Butters - To a stick of softened butter fold in until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency - 4 ripe hulled, and mashed strawberries, or 1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon, or mixed herbs, or 2 tablespoons honey with greated rind of one lemon. Cream cheeses - To an 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened, mix in: 1/4 cup chopped dates, or 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, or raisins, or 2 tablespoons chives, chopped, or 1/4 cup raspberry preserves, or 2 tablespoons diced scallions. Tea Sandwiches Make up a quantity of sandwiches, and if you not serving them right away, store them in the refrigerator for a few hours, either sealed in airthight plastic bags or with a slightly damp dish towel draped over them. Here are some interesting tea sandwiches to try in addition to those on page 11. Smoked turkey with raspberry mayonnaise on cracked wheat bread. Curried chicken with walnuts on white bread Shrimp with dill vinaigrette on oatmeal bread Tomato with basil on black bread with homemade mayonnaise Avocado with sprouts and walnuts on whole wheat bread Sliced hard boiled eggs with cracked pepper and bibb lettuc on wheat bread with herb mayonnaise Stilton Cheese crumbled over pear slices on oatmeal bread Sugar cured ham with think pineapple slices on dill bread Asparagus spears with lemon mayonnaise on wheat bread Cream cheese with walnuts on date nut raisin bread. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: sheshebop (My Page) on Tue, Jan 25, 05 at 8:28 My favorite tea sandwich would be cucumbers on thin slices of a good bread like Pepperidge Farm (or homemade)with cream cheese, a little sea salt, and dill. I could eat these all day, and unfortunately as I age, burp them all night. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: Ruthanna (My Page) on Tue, Jan 25, 05 at 20:40 Now I'm really inspired! Theresa and Diane, I like fruit but never thought of using fruit flavors for tea sandwiches but I'm going to try them. Roz, I love guests who bring desserts. LOL I really like pimiento cheese but usually buy it from an Amish stand at our famers' market that makes their own. Ann, I'm such a tea fanatic that I have 2 cabinets filled with tea and various types of paraphernalia, including hand decorated sugar cubes. Woodie, if you were in this area, I'd rather take you food shopping. LOL Ginger, recognize anything in that cabinet? Here is a link that might be useful: tea cabinet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RE: LOOKING for: tea sandwiches Posted by: seagrass (My Page) on Wed, Jan 26, 05 at 13:15 Ruthanna - now I'm craving old-fashioned pimento cheese. I'll have to go home to Ohio soon (I've run out of Amish egg noodles, too!!). A nice, easy sweet-tasting tea sandwich I've had is made using a can of brown bread (with or without raisins) sliced about 1/4 inch thick. Spread a slice generously with softened cream cheese and topped with another slice of brown bread. Cut into quarters and stack on a pretty plate.

I can understand your discomfort with the too-open kitchen but I think you may be panicking and thinking you need to do too much. I note that your kitchen has a one-story ceiling while the dining area and living area have taller ceilings. I would simply cut off the countertop that faces toward the living area and extend the pony wall beneath it upward to the ceiling. You would no longer need the decorative post. I would NOT try to extend that wall beyond the point where the dining room's 2 story ceiling starts because, if you do, you'll have to try and make the ceilings look right. Instead, I would just have the remaining countertop curved off and brought in to meet the newly raised-up wall. (Not sure I'm explaining this well so I'll attach a sketch. BTW, I see a couple of wall lights and a door (closet?) on the wall beside your entry that don't show up on your plan so I've added those.) I do like your idea of making opening into the kitchen that is beside the staircase into an arched doorway. And I know this will sound weird since you're trying to close up the kitchen some... but I would put a small arched opening (pass-thru) into the middle of newly raised up wall. A small pass-thru opening would allow a person working at the prep sink to see the front door. But a person entering the front door would NOT really be able to see into the kitchen thru the arched pass thru. All the countertops would still be hidden. They would just get a view of the window that is over the kitchen sink. Also, two arches complement each other and look planned while a single arched opening may just look like it was an after-thought. I would then strategically place a tall green plant near the bottom of the stairs so it partially obscures the straight-on view into the kitchen from the front door and gives visitor's eyes a stopping point. Maybe a ficus or dracena or philodendron. It'll be a rather low light location tho so you might want to invest in a very good artificial plant rather than trying to keep a real plant alive. I do think that these relatively simple changes would get rid of the overly "exposed" feeling you have now and would cost a WHOLE lot less than adding a bunch of walls and moving a fireplace, etc. Here's the sketch:

These are OH-SO-GOOD! I have made these dozens of times and everyone loves them: Tortilla rollups These tortilla roll-ups are very popular, especially for holiday entertaining. Serve with salsa, Ranch dressing, sour cream, guacamole, or use your own favorite dip ideas. Ingredients: â¢5 large flour tortillas â¢1 bunch green onions, chopped â¢4 ounces chopped green chiles, drained â¢8 ounces cream cheese, softened â¢8 ounces sour cream â¢1/2 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded â¢salt and pepper to taste â¢salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or your favorite dip ideas. Preparation: Have tortillas at room temperature. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl mix with an electric mixer on low until well combined. Spread mixture thinly and evenly over tortillas to within 1/8-inch of edge. Roll up jelly-roll fashion and wrap each tortilla in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, slice in 3/4 inch rounds and arrange on serving plate. Serve plain or with salsa. Note: tortillas will dry out if cut too far in advance. Serve with your favorite salsa or a few different dips, Ranch dressing, guacamole, sour cream, your choice. Makes about 60 appetizers. NOTES : These are good with crab meat or most any other meat, too!