A Special Lunch

 

There is a time to go out and a time to invite in.

Last week (before Ben and Kari left) I saw my opportunity to host a special lunch and

. . . with anticipation and excitement . . . I began to plan.

 

To save time in the morning, I played with table setting options on the night before,

loving an opportunity to add a few extra touches!

 

I also prepared a menu . . .

 

Croissants with West Coast Chicken Salad filling

Roasted Butternut Squash and Orzo Salad on a bed of Kale

Fruit Explosion Muffins

 

 

Part of the morning was spent

chopping vegetables, roasting squash and preparing dressings for the chicken filling and salad.

I took the croissant pastry out of the fridge to do the final rolling out -

 roll them up, let them rise and bake them.

These mini croissants still challenge me a bit,

but I enjoy making them and plan to perfect them yet.

My giant  muffin pans were pulled out for this occasion . . . 

the buttermilk batter mixed . . . and frozen fruit carefully folded in.

When everything was done it went on the table.

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with a scatter of glazed pecans

 



West Coast Chicken Salad Sandwiches . . . a few croissants I left unfilled

for anyone wanting to enjoy  them with jam.

 

Fruit Explosion Muffins with a drizzle of icing

 



 

Something for our birthday girl



A few tea lights lit . . . and the doorbell rang.

Because a lunch with my three girls does not happen every year

we will most likely remember this one . . .

 

on days when one will be donning her down coat and pulling a sled

while another will be wiping sweat from her forehead and spraying for ants.

And this is what makes these times special!