February Lunch with The Lunch Bunch

We've had snow

We've had ice

(in fact last month while we were chatting away, rain fell and froze --

it was interesting as the Lunch Bunchers slid to their cars!

But this month we had

Construction!!!!

Look, Ma, no driveway!

But they preservered!

Parking on the street behind me, walking around BIG heavy construction equipment

and through the neighbor's yard dodging the big pile of dirt and tree roots!

Our menu reflected this "red letter day" of construction!

The table covered with the Quaker Lace cloth

Damask napkins in silver rings, Jim's grandmother's cutlery, the Wedgwood Cuckoo (I only have plates -- sigh) and my mother's iced tea glasses

Leftover Valentine's Luncheon flowers in the crystal ice bucket with silver trim.

The colors of the flowers are reflected in the colors on the plate

Aynsley Pembroke for dessert

 Coffee service set up on the mahogany serving piece

A typical ladies lunch

Hot Chicken Salad, Freshly baked biscuits and Millionaire Salad

Marinated vegetables and mushrooms

(called "Millionaire" because it is a "can" salad and every can costs $3 to $4 --

so it costs "a million bucks" to make!

My favorite and easily made Cream Biscuits

Strawberry Jam Cake

Found on one of my favorite blogs:

One Perfect Bite

Mary's recipes are always good!

It was a good dessert cake for lunch

But would be a perfect coffee cake for a ladies Bible study!

MRS. SULLIVAN'S HOT CHICKEN SALAD

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups chopped celery

1 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. Cheddar cheese, grated

2 t. lemon juice

1/2 c. slivered almonds

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup crushed potato chips

Stir together all ingredients except potato chips.   Put into a casserole or 9 inch square pan.    Top with chips.

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

MILLIONAIRE SALAD

14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts

14 oz. can hearts of palm, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

14 oz. can pitted ripe olives, sliced

2 ounce jar diced pimentos

5 ounce jar roasted red peppers (packed in oil) diced

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

DRESSING:

1 clover garlic, minced

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 c. chopped parsley

1/2 t. thyme

2/3 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Drain artichoke hearts, hearts of palm olives, pimentos and red peppers.    Place with sliced mushrooms in large glass bowl.

Combine other ingredients.    Marinate vegetables in oil mixture overnight.     Remove vegetables from marinade with slotted spoon.    Serve chilled in lettuce lined bowl.    For individual servings, line plate with lettuce and top with salad.

CREAM BISCUITS

2 cups self rising flour

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

Mix together until it forms a dough.    Knead a few times.    Pat out on work surface and cut with biscuit cutter.     Bake in a preheated 500 degree oven for 10 minutes.

STRAWBERRY JAM CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup strawberry jam
Optional: confectioners' sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan.   (I prefer the tube pan).

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

 Beat butter until light and creamy. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in sour cream and vanilla, beating until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until blended.

 Transfer 1/2 cup of batter to a small bowl. Stir in jam, mixing well. Set aside.

 Pour remaining batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Make a 1-inch trough in the center of the batter all the way around the pan. Spoon batter/jam mixture into trough, spreading evenly.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake begins pulling away from the edges of the pan. Cool cake in pan for about 15 minutes. Then, invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you wish Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

NOTE:   I used homemade strawberry jam for the cake.