Company for Lunch

Monday I had company for lunch

And it was nice to have a group for lunch once again

The lace cloth

(a estate sale find with several set in red wine stains that I got for "nothing" 

(because of those stains)

A little soak in Carbona and it's as good as new!

I love lace for it's such a perfect base for setting the table!

The Aynsley Pembroke

It seemed appropriate -- and it does set a pretty table

Anniversary roses still holding up in a Waterford bowl

My menu:

A salad of mixed green, blueberries and Rosemary pecans with First Watch Restaurant's Salad Marinade -- a poppy seed type dressing

Cottey College's Chicken Divan with white and wild rice and a corn Madeline

The Madeline shape is much nicer for a ladies luncheon methinks than a muffin!

Moist and Spicy Toffee Apple Cake

A perfect fall dessert!

Last Cookbook Club of 2019 -- PIES!

Michelle and Belynda were our hostesses

(although Belynda (as fitting for an October meeting) was our "Ghost Hostess)

and the them was

"PIES"

The "Ghost Hostess" left a message for us

And a table well set

With name cards no less!

It was, after all, just a week before Halloween!

We were greeted with the sweet pies

Pies you ask, how can that be a theme?

Won't it all be chicken pot pie and apple pie?

No, we rose to the occasion . . . 

Our savory pies . . . 

Liz's quiche.   

One of the best I've had

Simple -- cheese, cream and milk, bacon

But oh, my was it good!

Donna's rustic Italian pie

Full of cheese and prosciutto

Angela's pear and feta pie

A galette -- it was full of wonderful fall flavor

Belynda's Chicken Pie

A Bobby Flay recipe, made by her Mom -- it was the prettiest pie there!

My Tourtoire -- a French Canadian pork pie usually served at Christmas

It's just pork and onion in a crust

I will make it again!

 Our plate of pie -- the savories

Michelle came through with a salad to go with

"We needed a salad she said" and it was delicious -- full of fall flavors

Notice that basically, there is a whole pie on that plate!

And then on to the sweet pies!

Michelle's lemon hand pies

Full of homemade lemon curd (which she'd never made before)

Oh, my were they good!

Michelle also made an apple pie -- "just because"

Michelle's pumpkin pecan pie -- for those at Thanksgiving who can't decide

between the two -- it's all in one!    It was delicious!

Donna made a Chess pie which she's never done before

Chess pies are always so good!

Sara made an apple butter pie -- very seasonal and very good

 Barbara made a honeyed pear pie that was as good to eat as it was to look at!

Full of fall pears and honey with pommegranetes sprinkled on top!

Marie Antoinette may have said "let them eat cake"

but last night at the cookbook club -- we ate pie!

Fifty Years Ago Today . . .

It wasn't exactly 50 years ago today . . . 

for it was November 26

not October 19

But we chose that day to celebrate because

a) we met in October and that blind date was what really changed our lives --

not the wedding

b) the weather is much nicer in October and we could also have guests in the garden

c) a party on Thanksgiving weekend is never a good idea

d) our daughter, son in law and grands could come for several days

And so we celebrated early . . . 

My only request --

A big "50" hanging from the front porch!

Daughter Sarah was full of surprises

Our only "wedding" picture

because we were married at the Courthouse in Kansas City

she had blown up to poster size!

It greeted our guests!

A slide show running constantly --

not only of the last 50 years but also some of our childhood pictures

And now I know why we never dated in high school--

we were both pretty nerdy looking!

As our wedding never included flowers . . . 

She filled the house!

Flowers galore

Creamy white roses and white hydrangeas!

 Food was served in the dining room

Punch, cake, nuts and mints in the breakfast room

Additional seating plus beer and a bar outside!

Granddaughter Lucy -- all ready for the party

Granddaughter Piper got shy!

I shed a tear or two when the cake arrived

We never had one of those either!

Friend Rob of Crooner's Cakery made the cake

A festive table for cake, punch, nuts and mints!

The reception was form 1 to 4

so it was light
"reception" food

Chicken salad and mini croissants

Rare roast beef and rolls with jalapeño mayonnaise

Marinated vegetables

Heart shaped sugar cookies frosted with white and sprinkled with gold

The silver punch bowl (my 25th Anniversary present) filled with

champagne punch

 A smaller punch bowl held Anniversary Punch

Grand Lucy presided over that punch bowl.

She loved pour punch!

It was a great day and we were happy to share it with friends and family.

Our cousins, my brother and his sister, our nieces and nephews all came

As well as many friends -- both old and new!

We were both awed with the friends who came to wish us well.

It was fun to sit together on the couch and open the cards that were left --

Pictures of us you might ask -- where are they?

Daughter Sarah arranged for a professional photographer to be there

to record the event --

we've not gotten those back yet!