Author: Debbie @CANSA

Entertainment:

It is entirely up to you, whether or not you provide entertainment at your Cuppa Event. You are welcome to just share a Cuppa together with your guests and have fun catching up.

Alternately, you may wish to invite a guest speaker or celebrity to inspire your guests, or arrange for music or entertainment which coincides with your theme choice.

Message:

The host may choose to share a message with guests – again, this is entirely up to you – if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, arrange for:

• an inspirational guest speaker
• a cancer Survivor (anyone who has heard the words ‘you have cancer’)
• a CANSA Volunteer to share about providing care & support to cancer patients and loved ones – ask your local CANSA Care Centre
• a health professional
• check out a suggested theme for the year…

Funds raised are being used to enable care & support programmes at our local CANSA Care Centres.

If you don’t want to share a message in an overt manner, find creative ways of spreading the message e.g. include the message, or material re the message in your ‘thank you’ gift to your guests, or work it into your table decor – e.g. obtain ‘fortune’ cookies from a supplier and ask them to include your own inspirational messages related to health or how to lower cancer risk…

This year Cuppa hosts are once again encouraged to choose healthy drinks / eats for their Cuppa event, and to enter our ‘Healthy Choices’ Recipe Competition, as CANSA is keen to promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle…

Cuppa Drinks

Cuppa is an all-encompassing “tea party” in the drinks department, but try to keep it healthy:

• tea – flavoured teas (Chai, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Jasmine, etc); herbal teas (Rooibos – rooibos cappuccino or espresso – Lemon Rooibos, Lemon & Ginger, Honeybush, Spearmint, Peppermint, Chamomile, etc); Black Tea; Yellow Tea; White Tea; Chinese teas (Keemun, Yunnan, Oolong, Green Tea, etc); Indian teas (Assam, Nilgiri, Masala, Badam, etc), iced tea, etc
• coffee – americano, espresso, cappuccino, blends, iced coffee, etc
• hot chocolate – traditional, white chocolate, etc
• soup – cold, warm, clear, broth, etc
• juice – freshly squeezed fruit or veggie based
• smoothies – healthy and fruity (try our healthy and Delicious Rooibos Smoothie recipe)
• naturally flavoured water – using frozen or fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables

Healthy Recipes:

• Rooibos Iced Tea Variations
• Delicious Rooibos Smoothies
• See the health benefits of Rooibos & Honeybush tea

Be creative and have fun with it – any beverage, hot or cold, will do!

Cuppa Eats

Cuppa Hosts usually provide snacks to complement the beverages they serve & their theme, however, if your budget is limited, why not ask a few of your closer friends, who are attending, to help out with a sweet or savoury dish. CANSA does suggest you keep snacks and eats healthy…

• crudités – sliced veggies (celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, peppers, asparagus) with vinaigrette or a dipping sauce of your choice, etc.
• finger foods – fruit kebabs, olives, pitas stuffed with fresh salads and / or vegetables, cold roasts (non-processed), sushi (with low-sodium soy sauces), low-fat cheeses, quiches, shaped sandwiches, breads and pate, savoury pancakes, etc.
• food by colour – limit your snack choices to one or two predominant colours

and if you really can’t resist:

• baked goods – cookies, scones, cakes, tarts, cupcakes, brownies, pancakes with sweet fillings, muffins, savoury pastries and pies, samoosas, spring rolls, pizza, etc.
• desserts – homemade ice cream or frozen yoghurt
• sweets – chocolate, fudge

Healthy Recipes:

Find inspiration in recipes from Chaine Des Rotisseurs and Megan Pentz-Kluytz, CANSA’s consulting dietician:

• Chaine Des Rotisseurs: Roasted Tomato Chevin Garlic Thyme and Balsamic Tart
• Megan Pentz-Klutyz: Crustless Cheese and Vegetable Tart

Venue Tips:

Underground, overground, wombling free… – anywhere will do – try to choose a venue that will suit your theme and keep the weather forecast in mind.

Be sure to book your venue well in advance if necessary. Who you invite and the number of guests you invite will dictate the kind of space you need and of course any chosen activities.

Cuppas can be held anywhere – small or large venues, inside or outside, the sky is the limit – gardens, parks, mountain sides, boats, church or community halls, clubs, homes, etc…

Themes & Decor Tips:

Cuppa hosts usually pick a theme for their Cuppa event to set the tone or to add excitement to sharing a Cuppa of something.

The theme choice usually dictates decor, snacks & beverage choices and also the kind of entertainment or activities provided. Unleash your creativity…