A Fall Luncheon . . . For Missourians!

I love having company for lunch

It's a great way to spend the day

Tidying up the house in the morning

Fixing a "ladies lunch"

Washing the dishes and tidying the dining room back up

It's what ladies used to do

Back in the day

Give luncheons!

Every month the Lunch Bunch comes

And I relish those Tuesdays

Having poured over cookbooks for just the right menu

Having decided on a table setting

And four is easy!

But this was not for the Lunch Bunchers!

No, the Missourians invaded Kansas

or as we say down here --

The Bushwhackers came to Jayhawk territory!

In other words, some dear Missouri friends came to lunch!!!

One of my old Quaker Lace cloths

(I look for them at flea markets and antique malls

Their quality is amazing and I'm sure some that I have are 50 or 60 years old)

A table of grandmother's things

My grandmother's china

(Noritake Marcasite )

Jim's grandmother's cutlery

(engraved with the initial "S")

And some antique wine glasses

Of course, damask napkins in silver rings

(for company meals I use no other)

Centerpieces should be low enough to talk over

I love the silver bowls from the 30s/40s with the pierced lid that you can arrange flowers in.

It's fall -- rusty mums are the perfect flowers

The greenery is boxwood from the garden

Oftentimes at luncheons I serve soup in tea cups

It's the perfect amount

But grandmother had such lovely soup bowls that I could not resist

And there is no better fall soup

than Butternut Squash

I love the fall color of the soup!

Champagne chicken

white rice

and a homemade roll

Chicken (or quiche) seems to be what's served at ladies luncheons!

But dessert can be anything!

It's fall and it's apple time

What better dessert than this yummy recipe from my son-in-law

which we have renamed:

Andy's Amazing Prizewinng Apple Praline Cake

Served, of course with coffee

After the guests left, the dishes are done and everything is back to normal.

I did send some cake home with my guests

But there was enough for our dessert that night for dinner.

That's the great thing about having luncheon company

Often a special dinner dessert!