An Indoor Outdoor Dinner for the Swedes

The Swedes came to visit -- Erik and Anna and sons William and Arvid. They lived here eons ago and William was born in our little town on the prairie. But they moved back home to Sweden when William was small.

And finally, they came back for a visit -- and a visit to our little town on the prairie would not be complete without a visit to Linderhof. When they lived here, they were often dinner guests and when their parents came for a visit, the parents, too, had dinner at Linderhof.

What fun it would be to have the third generation around our table.

To show the boys real American food, we planned a BBQ -- husband Jim spent the day before slow smoking a brisket -- outside!

But, alas, the weather did not cooperative -- high heat and high humidity made for uncomfortable Swedes. It doesn't get in the mid 90's in Sweden -- and the humidity is not 100%.

So inside the party came!

We still used our outdoor cotton tableclothes, however -- the rectangular green ones.
A simple table -- for the wine glasses and wine bottles are still in the living room -- we often start our evening there with wine and snacks and the glasses and the bottles come to the table when we move to the dining room for dinner.
A menu at every place -- and the menu was also the placecard -- their name being at the top.
Garden flowers -- the same we would have used had we been outside -- and to bring the outside in -- some ceramic birds in green. The green and white of the lacecap hydrangeas go well with the green tablecloth. And for candlelight, some silver votive holders -- the best kind of candle to use outside -- they don't blow out!
The blue and white "outside" dishes -- Johnson Brothers Asiatic Pheasant -- bought, really, to use outside, although we sometimes use them inside as well for a change of pace! And gold napkins (in my silver rings) -- which pick up the gold in the tablecloth.

Served family style in the breakfast room -- Jim's heavenly smoked brisket, a platter of shredded lettuce and onion and dill pickles -- in case anyone wants to use the roll for a sandwich, a casserole of cheesy grits (which they don't have in Sweden), and no BBQ would be without coleslaw -- my grandmother's oil and vinegar coleslaw. And to top the brisket, the last bottle of the best BBQ sauce in the world -- Old Fort BBQ Sauce -- once made right here i Fort Scott -- alas, no longer! Saved for a special meal, we felt that this meal was special enough to use that very last bottle!

For dessert, that heavenly strawberry pie -- and not a crumb of that was left! Arvid even had two pieces!

It was a great night of visiting and catching up and we were sorry to see them go. The boys were very good and acted so very grown up. Friends Anne and Tim and his brother, David, also joined us for the evening for they, too, were good friends with Anna and Erik during their stay here. And Anne and Tim had joined us when The Parents came so long ago. It was only fitting when the children came that they also joined us.

It's Thursday and so I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch with my Indoor Outdoor Dinner. See what other fascinating tables there are this Thursday as you join Susan (whose tables are always the best)