Company for Lunch

Some of my favorite company came for lunch today

My Nevada friends . . . 

And for them, I like to set a pretty table

the lace tablecloth

and tall candles in crystal candlesticks

(which I don't light -- it's luncheon -- you never light candles during the day!)

My grandmother's china (Noritake Marcasite)

Jim's grandmother's cutlery

damask napkins in silver rings

Antique wine glasses

And a menu . . . for everyone!

A etched ice bucket serves as a vase for garden black eyed Susans

The menu

Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Romaine, strawberries, pecans, onions and a homemade poppyseed dressing

(one of my favorites)

Sarah's Chicken

The original recipe was called Chicken Red Apple from an old Nevada Thalia's cookbook

(and actually, it's one of those recipes that everytime the recipe is printed, it has a different name)

Chicken with dried beef, bacon and a sour cream, mushroom soup sauce

Baked every so slowly in a lower oven

Served with white and wild rice

Pecan Cream Pie

Kansas is one of the pecan capitals of the US

(ours are smaller than the big Southern pecans but they are tasty)

And I like anything pecan

And I like anything with cream cheese

And I like anything with whipped cream

So this is a winner/winner of a recipe!

It's an easy pie, a great summer pie

And it's so rich that a pie will serve 8!

PECAN CREAM PIE

9 inch baked pie shell

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

16 ounces full fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. real maple syrup

1 cup finely chopped pecans plus 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans

In a bowl of a mixer using the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.    About 5 minutes.

In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese, vanilla, brown sugar and maple syrup until combined and creamed together.

Fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture and stir together.     Add in the 1 cup finely chopped pecans and stir together until combined.

Pour into the pie crust and smooth out the top.    Garnish the top of the pie with remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans.    Refrigerate for at least 4 to 6 hours before serving.    Overnight is even better!