A little luncheon for friends
One of my favorite things is a day in the studio. Throw in friends and the day is ideal! It isn't always easy to get everyone together, with all of their busy schedules, so when we do, it is even more special.
I went out to the coop and gathered up some very fresh eggs to whip up little mini quiches (because any food looks more special when baked in individual pans), baked some rosemary garlic rolls (because rosemary makes anything seem fancier), and set the table with my favorite old dishes (because, DURH! Birdies!!!).
For the quiche, I tried something a little different and used puff pastry instead of pie crust. I liked it, and it was even better for leftovers, sometimes quiche pie crust can be soggy on the second day.
I thought I'd try to make a flourless chocolate cake too. It really fell apart pretty bad when I took it out of the pan (the trick is to have the right kind of pan, instead of just a cake pan, I think). So, I drizzled it with lots of dark chocolate syrup, dusted it with powdered sugar, and sprinkled a few chopped choc. chips over it. That did some camouflage work. Plus, no matter how crookedy a cake is, placing it under a glass dome works miracles.
Beth taught me years ago when we shared an antique booth, that anything looks better under glass. She could set the oddest bit of junk under a cloche in the middle of a pretty display, and it would be the first thing to sell every time.
Since I had company coming, it was a good reason to spiff up around the cottage. And to take some photos, because I don't think the place has been cleaned up much since I put away all the previous holiday decor.
The trapeze like swags of cobwebs even got wiped away. Those are the one downfall I've come across from the tin ceiling. The uneven surface tends to attract cobwebs. And I end up not noticing them until there are enough for a full fledge circus performance overhead.
But I discovered the perfect way to get rid of them! A quick brush with the cinnamon broom that I got at Trader Joe's over the holidays snags each little web easily.
My tables are always a mismatch of pieces. I've given up on silverware. Who knows where the forks disappear to???? sigh
I've discovered that I can replace cutlery for 10 cents a piece at Goodwill, so I just don't worry about it anymore. Most of my house is a hodge podge, why should my table settings be any different?
Mostly, I was just happy to have a break from my house looking like this. I love a reason to clean up, because if I don't have one, this is how it stays.
But messy or clean, there is no place like home! And I love having company come to join me here.
