The day for moving is drawing closer and I feel the year-end holidays beginning to stalk toward all of us. That made it a good time for a more leisurely, perhaps last dinner with two other couples we have enjoyed being with for over one and two decades.
The table is set for six.
The menu was decided on Monday, the shopping began Thursday and the table was set yesterday. As I finished it with the candles in the middle that are refusing to stand straight, I am filled with gratitude that I am able to do this for my friends. The saddest tug of moving is leaving people behind. Both couples have promised to come visit us and it’s certainly not like we’re leaving the continent, but I know the competing calls of every life that make it difficult to do all we want.
The apple cake and caramel sauce is all I have been able to make so far this day. It is now time to start the rest for an evening I know I will treasure. Here’s the menu they have not heard yet, but I think will be good. I have a somewhat questionable reputation of trying recipes on friends but this time it’s only one.
Hors d’oeuvres – olives, crackers, cheeses, thin deli meat
Dinner – salad (This is the experiment with citrus fruit, almonds, greens, pomegranate seeds and it says to put in grated carrot which would be great for color, but I’ll decide as making.), stuffed and rolled flank steak, potatoes baked in cream (this should result in a delicate dish with grated potatoes rather than sliced), steamed green beans (People are so picky with vegetables!), french bread
Dessert – apple cake and caramel sauce with ice cream. This is a tried and
Well, I’m not a food photographer, but it truly is wonderful.
true very rich, always well received dessert I got from Gourmet Magazine years ago.
Drinks – Beer, wine, juice, water. Everyone’s different.
I am so lucky and grateful to be doing this.
I LOVE reading what people are going to eat.. it’s almost as much fun as eating it, and much better than just reading recipes!
Thanks for reading it and I’m with you completely. Putting together a menu is true fun to me.
Sounds like a wonderful menu! It’s nice to have friends coming over to share your yummy recipes with. I usually try new recipes at potlucks. “+) I know it’s difficult moving away from people who you care about. We just did that A little over a year ago.
Thank you for visiting the blog. I will visit yours and see if I can figure out where you moved from and to. In the beginning I thought we would about be in Arizona by now, but no such luck.
I use to live in Arizona before moving to Montana several years ago. People thought I was nuts moving from Arizona to Montana in January usually people do the reverse. It was a record breaking snow year that year too. :+)
Yes you did move at a more difficult time. Hope it turned out well for you.
Your meal sounds delicious. This is my first time here, I think. (I don’t always leave bread crumbs as I go along the web.) So, I’m no sure what is taking you to new horizons, but I wish you well on your readjustment.
Thank you for visiting Christine. The meal did turn out well and I loved seeing my friends. The desire to expand horizons, new experiences, and opportunity are taking us to Arizona. I’ve pretty much been a Utah lifer so it is a big deal for us.
Apples + caramel + cake = a sort of deep, spiritual goodness that is like, “wow, this is so amazing, I don’t care if I ever eat another thing again in all my days on earth.”
I agree. It’s one of those naturals that seem made for each other. I hope you never have to make that decision, however, because there are way too many wonderful combinations to enjoy.
As I’ve aged, I find prepping for dinner guests less appealing. Cleaning house, menu decisions, grocery shopping. The anticipation of accomplishing all that can overwhelm. Having fibromyalgia doesn’t help. I never know if my energy level is going to carry me the distance. But once I commit and the evening arrives and conversation and laughs flow freely…I’m so delighted to have gathered friends around our dining table. And as I usher them out the door, I’m already planning the next time I’ll have them over.
Obviously you love having great friends to dine as well. No matter where you live.
I have hesitated to have dinner guests as the years have passed by, too. They are a lot of work to those of us who feel we must do it a certain way. I’ve tried to back up from that, but not always been successful. I really enjoy the menu decisions, but I’ve tried to make them easier to pull off. Kudos to you for saying good-bye and looking forward to next time. I try not to think of that for a little bit!