Friday, April 22, 2011

SPRING LUNCH FOR SPRING SATURDAY

Linking to PINK SATURDAY.


Instead of our Easter Lunch this Sunday, we had our Spring Lunch last weekend, because of DDIL's family's big gathering at her Grandmother's house this weekend.     There were six of us at table, one of whom enjoyed her lunch from the Princess plate.   The lunch plates are called "chop plates" and I love all their beautiful pastels on a Spring Table; goblets are pink Fostoria, and candle-ring of silk posies was made by Caro   This was such a casual thing, I forgot to get out "real" silver, and we just scooped some knives and forks from the everyday drawer.   

We started with a bowl of grape tomatoes and pink salt:



Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly:


Paminna-less cheese, because I forgot we didn't have any---both spreads served with crackers:
 Chris' morning-grilled ham, in the smoke for about five hours, was sampled repeatedly as he carved---Sweetpea made at least ten dancing trips into the kitchen for a tiny flick of it before we sat down.



Devilled eggs and pickled beets with cocktail onions---I love the little pale lilac pearls. 



A tart Dijon-vinaigrette salad with thin sweet onion and Mandarins:



My Mother's table had Cheese and Macaroni on every holiday---this one is Penne with Four Cheeses:





Bright steamed Broccoli, a refreshing note amongst the other rich fare:



Sweet potato casserole with two toppings: one side Streusel with brown sugar and pecans, and the other half with marshmallows the size of Princess Diana’s weddin' sleeves.    Those big ole things are like flat-sided baseballs, and except for putting them on a casserole or on a stick at a weenie roast---well, they’re just a conversation piece.    I don’t think you could actually EAT one.  It would be like that old dream joke:   I woke up and my pillow was gone.




Plain little carrots, slender and elegant in their own right:




Yeast-Riz Rolls:





The Buffet---we also had some cooked-low snap beans in place of the usual asparagus (which we had last night, roasted with grape tomatoes, olive oil and Parmesan---a treat on a cold night).   That's my Mother's white china bean bowl, and Mammaw's egg plate.



Dessert served right from the table:




Lemon Trifle, with layers of Lemon Icebox Pie filling, whipped cream and crumbled Madeleines:




Coconut Meringue Pie:


Big Pretzels, dipped in White Chocolate and colorful sprinkles (look at the shiny little pearl ones): 

The two desserts are family favorites, and though they're pudding-y and a bit alike, there were enough chocolate treats in the house to satiate ANY chocolate-tooth.

I wish everyone a wonderful celebration, and a Happy Spring!

32 comments:

  1. I would be sitting right near the desserts- Sweetpea would have no ham eating competition from me.

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  2. Happy Pink Saturday, dear Rachel. Easter blessings to you and your family.

    Your feast looks delicious. I love serving on pieces which belonged to loved ones, too.

    We will be having our Easter family dinner Saturday evening, and we will have an Easter brunch Sunday morning.

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  3. What a great celebration!
    Happy Easter

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  4. What a special time you had and the food looks amazing!
    Happy Easter and Happy Pink Saturday!

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  5. So yummy!

    Here's my Pink creation, hope you can visit and comment. Thank you!

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  6. Oh my, that is quite a feast and looks delicious!
    Happy Easter and Happy Pink Saturday, too!
    Jil

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  7. Fit for a queen ... me! Wellll, I MIGHT share a wee bit ... looks fabulously deelish!

    May your Easter is filled with eggs-tra special blessings ~
    TTFN ~
    Marydon

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  8. I want to eat with you!! :) Happy Easter!

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  9. My mouth is left watering, it all looks so good. I think your table is perfect with all the spring colors. Happy Pink Saturday and have a wonderful Easter weekend, Char

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  10. Happy Pink Saturday and Happy Easter! It looks like you all ate real well! Hugs Marilou

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  11. MMMMM...wish I had been at the yummy looking lunch...I'll bet you all had a grand time...
    Happy Pink Saturday and Happy Easter...

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  12. Happy Easter my friend!

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  13. What a wonderful fare!!! Now I'm wanting a chocolate covered pretzel. :)

    Happy PINK Saturday and Happy Easter!

    Mrs. T.
    Acorn Hollow

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  14. Rachel..as I was scrolling down and reading I was getting hungrier and hungrier! What a perfect Springtime feast! Everything looked delicious from start to finish.
    Have a very lovely Easter weekend!! xo Tami

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  15. Happy Easter to you and your family..it has been a pleasure to "be" at your table all through the years.

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  16. Wow! I'm just imagining all the fabulous treats! It looks wonderful and I am sure it tastes even more wonderful!

    Happy Easter to you and yours, my friend! Blessings!

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  17. Let's see ... my plate would be filled with some of that scrumptious ham, paminna-less cheese, macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli, deviled eggs, grape tomatoes, some of those "low-cooked beans," and a roll. For dessert, I'd probably go back and get some more macaroni and cheese.

    What a beautiful Spring Lunch, Rachel ... thank you for sharing your menu with us!

    I hope your weekend is filled with sunshine and peaceful skies ... and time spent under "your tree."

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  18. Oh my goodness! I'm coming over for leftovers!!

    Have a great Pink Saturday - and enjoy the dinner at Grandmothers!

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  19. Thank you for sharing your Easter Bliss...HPS!

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  20. Oh my goodness, What a spread of food! Those pretzels are like a piece of edible art. :0)

    Have a blessed Easter and lots of Pink Sparkles for your day,
    Stephanie ♥

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  21. My goodness!! Everything looks so delicious! I really would like to try the dijon-viniagrette with mandarins. It looks so yummy and so fresh and spring-y!! Hope your weekend is going great!! Happy Pink Saturday!!
    -April

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  22. Haveing had the pleasure of your table, I can only say that it is an instant and endless addiction. I would dance to Joe for an hour for just a nibble on that ham and a plate o' mac, with perhaps just a friendly big spoon of that pie (two spoons if Kim is looking the other way.)

    Have a blessed Easter.

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  23. Happy Easter Eve, Rachelist of Rachels! What a feast! I'm sitting here stuffed to the gills with Italian food and I'd pull up to that table in a second!

    I've seen those giant marshmallows in the store and HANKERED for them in some odd way. Things that are out of size (one direction or another) always do that to me. It's a mystery.

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  24. Oh my! Can I come over for lunch? What a wonderful spread... and pretty too! It was nice to hear the background on the family favorites. Happy Easter :)

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  25. Oh my, what a lovely spread! That dessert table would be calling my name for sure. Hope you had a wonderful, blessed weekend.
    Carolyn

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  26. Gotta love that sweet potato casserole with two toppings. My mom always topped her baked sweet potatoes with marshmallows. I top my sweet potato casserole with the brown sugar concoction. Oh how I miss the days of my moms homemade macaroni and cheese topped with big buttered bread crumbs!

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  27. Hello Rachel,thank you for being blue and missing me. Your comment will more than suffice!!! Big smile here. I know it is late but California time still has a hold on me. This hour in CA was dinnertime. I had a wonderful time this past week but it is good to be home.

    I love your wonderful celebration 'Spring Lunch' and the beautiful spread of food makes me want to eat. A wide variety of delicious food and desserts make for a special celebration indeed. I missed deviled eggs this year since I was gone on Easter. I guess I will have to make some this week.

    I must make myself go to bed my dear friend. It is good to visit you and how wonderful that you have 27 comments on this very special post.
    Warm hugs,
    Jeanne

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  28. Hi Rachel, Yes, my granddaddy was a Longfellow fan. It is something I should have mentioned. I will post some current photos of the cabin. I recently found some when we visited there several years ago. Sadly all of my aunts and uncles have passed away except my mother's youngest sister. She is now in her eighties but she thinks she is a young girl. Smile. She actively sells antique buttons and other antiques as well. Aunt Shirley has been the subject of a few of my posts. She is amazing.

    Hugs, Jeanne

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  29. Oh, oh, oh! I wish I could tell you how much I enjoyed this post! I felt like I was there - I could smell the food. (Sure wish I could taste it.)

    I love your celebrations. So lovely.

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  30. Thank you ALLL for commenting!!! I've tried to reply to everyone, so I hope you know that I SO appreciate your chiming in on this Spring Post.

    Despite the DAYS and DAYS of rain, or probably because of, I'm having a VERY Dry Spell when it comes to writing anything---I'm just at a loss for subjects, and then have no words to put to any lately. That's so unlike my usual Verbal Essence self that I don't know how to feel about it.

    DO forgive me and bear with me, and I'll be returning sometime soon.

    Thank you all for your patience and your great kindness in visiting and commenting.

    And if there's anything Southern---ANYTHING---that you might like to hear about, I'll give it a try if you'll just sing out. My THINKER is rusty from all this WET.

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  31. Hi sweet friend! I haven't been by lately...life has been crazy busy and there's no end in sight since I'll be gone for a long weekend and then my grandchildren (Eric's) will be here next week. Life is good though so I'm not complaining!

    I've enjoyed catching up with you tonight and reading your posts I've missed. It's ALWAYS fun to visit YOU.

    Hugs,
    Kat

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