Hosting a Luncheon for Some Special Ladies

Last evening when I went to write my Dilly Bean blog, I came across the pictures of this special luncheon I had a couple of weeks ago for some friends, old and new, so I decided to share them with you.

I had worked with a couple of the girls years ago, and the other two I met in recent years. The great thing was my old friend and new friend were mutual friends, too. I know it sounds a little confusing, but when all was said and done, we enjoyed each other's company.

I served them lunch on my all-white ironstone. I told them that everything they were eating off of was also for sale. Ha! I had the dishes left over from my vintage sale.

Carolyn loved on Daisy as we waited for the rest to arrive.

My personal favorite from the place setting were the porcelain cow napkin holders.

I opened my home-canned tomato soup for a quick-to-fix lunch and served it in the ironstone tureen.

I harvested lettuce from my garden for the salad...

...and served it with some homemade herb dressing--balsamic vinegar blended with olive oil, brown sugar, and fresh herbs.

I was thankful that I had some ciabatta bread from Aldi in the freezer that I could throw into a basket and...

...serve with my homemade herb butter.

Fresh red beets with homemade soup hit the spot.

I also made Mojitos using fresh mint from my garden. My problem with sharing recipes is that I never measure ingredients! I just dump and mix to taste. But I'll share my method anyway.

For Mojitos, I blend water and fresh mint in the blender, strain, and add syrup that I make from 50/50 sugar and water. I add squeezed limes, then club soda or 7UP. If you like, you can add rum to it, too. We also make berry and watermelon Mojitos by blending and straining the fruit before I add it to the remaining ingredients. The measurements vary every time. :-)

The cheesecake I made was a delight to serve on this all-white setting, especially to women who love cheesecake.

The recipe I used is here.

I served the melt-in-your-mouth treat with iced coffee.

Basically, all you do for the iced coffee recipe is this: mix a can of sweetened condensed milk to a half-gallon of really strong coffee. Chill and serve over ice.

We let time slip away as we sat and visited afterward. That leads me to this little hosting tip that's not always easy to do as a hostess. Always remember that the best conversations occur after a meal and before people leave the table. Everyone's relaxed, and usually the ice has been broken. If you get up and start clearing the table, the party is over. Sit and enjoy the moment! Let your guests be the guide for when it's time to leave!



Before these lovely ladies scurried off to their next destinations, they asked to go peek into the shed and see what treasures I had for sale in my little store in the back yard. One friend asked if, by any chance, that silver butter dish was for sale on my luncheon table. I said, "Sure! You can have it with the remaining herb butter, too!"

I don't get attached to my things. I think it's the hunt I enjoy more than anything.

I wanted to share with you that I'm going to start opening my shed by appointment only. I'm totally revamping it and adding treasures as I find them. So if you and your friends want to shop my vintage goodies, just email me at lena@lenasamishgranola.com or, if you have my number, you can call or text me.

I hope you are inspired to host a luncheon for your girlfriends, too. And don't forget the most important part--to sit long and talk much!