I Love a Luncheon

Luncheons were always things adults did.  Kids had lunch, at school.  Moms who played bridge or volunteered for organizations had luncheons.

Well, I don't play bridge, but sometimes my playgroup used to host mommy-only luncheons and I do volunteer, so a couple of times a year I get to go to a luncheon.  I love them!  It's always food I don't usually get--interesting salads, often a tangy punch, unique desserts.  And party favors!  Kinda like the birthday parties of my youth but without the games.  

Yesterday, I went to the volunteer luncheon of the historical house and had a fun time.  It was a small group, but we feasted well--local deli wraps, a delicious Sweet Potato Bake (see Miss J, I didn't call it a casserole!), and these lovely little Peach Squares.  So, of course, I got the recipes (I always get good recipes from a luncheon--see Norwegian Apricot Squares and Orange Poppy Seed dressing for salad here, Sticky Coconut Rice here, historical syllabubs and switchel here, Florentine Lasagna Roll-Ups here, and Pea Pesto Salad and also Caramel Apple Dip here.)

There was even a door prize and t-shirt giveaway.

Looking forward to another year at the house, happier not to be in charge of tours this time around.

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Miss JR's Sweet Potato Bake

5-6 sweet potatoes, washed and cubed (peeled, optional) 4 tablespoons brown sugar cinnamon to taste (generous sprinkles across the potatoes a few times) olive oil to coat Preheat oven to 425F.  Toss ingredients together until coated.  Spread evenly in 9x 13" pan or even larger baking dish (good to give them space).  Bake 45 minutes or until caramelized.  Delicious!

Miss CA's Peach Squares
So easy. Buy the puff pastry sheets (I get Pepperidge Farm).   There are 2 sheets in a package. Take either one or both out of the package and defrost for about 1/2 hour. It is folded in three. After it defrosts open it up. It measures 9x9. Easy to cut because you are going to cut 9 - 3 inch squares. Cut thin slices of either peaches or nectarines. Lay 2 or 3 slices on each square. Then, I take a tsp of sugar and sprinkle it on 3 of the tarts. And do the same for the other 6 tarts (so u will be using 3 tsp total). Put them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until browned. Cool on a rack. Drizzle the fruit with honey right before serving.  It makes it taste and look good. This would be a fun project to do with the kids. It is. Soooo easy and they come out so good they would be proud of their accomplishment. Enjoy!,,

Blessing the Hands

"Clearing" by Martha Postlewait
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create a clearing
in the dense forest of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself
to this world
so worthy of rescue.

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Today was our annual hospice volunteer luncheon, which is always a fun and touching event.   And I was so excited to go--I made it the whole time!! This is huge because I haven't eaten in a restaurant--in uncomfortable chairs!--since my surgery.  And you know how I love eating in different restaurants.  I also haven't seen my hospice friends since March either, so it was good to see them.  It gets lonely at home by myself.

It was a lovely event, with a special blessing of the hands that the chaplain performed. "May your hands be blessed as you offer compassionate care to those that you touch," she said.  Actually, we perform it on each other, saying a blessing or a wish for the person next to us as he or she dips fingers in the basin.   "In this work, may you be a comfort to others and, when you are in need, may you be comforted," I said to the person next to me.  The person on my other side wished me healing and a full life.  

And we ate great food!  It's so much nicer not to be a vegetarian at these events--pasta is usually the phoned-in dish.  But the rest of it was delicious.  (I do feel the pull of vegetarianism strongly, but it will probably just be a larger percentage, not total.)  There were also cake pops, as there always are at our gatherings; someone in the office makes them--and I get sent home with extras for the kids!

All the volunteers received nice swag--both volunteer appreciation bags with candy and pens and such, and things with our company logo on it (an insulated lunchbox--last year was a picnic blanket--we are part of a multi-state corporation that provides hospice; they are required by federal law to have a volunteer corps--it's a nice change from non-profits sometimes!  We eat better.)--and were recognized for our work.  The daughter of a former patient gave a moving speech about how our hospice team helped with her mother's dying.  It was a nice addition to hear from a family member, especially since we have no contact with the family after the death (that's the bereavement team.)

I love this work and I really like my team.  Today was extra-special because of these last few months.  It's nice to be a volunteer again, and not a patient!!!

(Though, thankfully, not anywhere near a hospice patient in March.)

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Blessed be the hands that have touched life.
Blessed be the hands that have nurtured creativity.
Blessed be the hands that have held pain.
Blessed be the hands that have embraced with passion.
Blessed be the hands that have closed in anger.
Blessed be the hands that have planted new seeds.
Blessed be the hands that have harvested ripe fields.
Blessed be the hands that have cleaned, washed, and scrubbed.
Blessed be the hands that have become wrinkled with years.
Blessed be the hands that are scarred from doing justice.
Blessed be the hands that have reached out and been received.
Blessed be the hands that feed those who are hungry.
Blessed be the hands that comfort the dying and touch the dead.
Blessed be the hands that greet strangers.
Blessed be the hands that guide the young.

Blessed be these hands.

Happy Hospice Month!

Today was our annual hospice volunteer luncheon, where the organization's staff cook for the volunteers.  The food is always so good!  And I am grateful for the appreciation--today, they even blessed our hands in a communal water ritual that we passed from one to another, saying kind things

And I got two more great recipes--Pea Pesto Salad and Layered Caramel Apple Dip--maybe even for Thanksgiving.

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Pea Pesto Salad
1 bag frozen peas, defrosted
1 bag baby spinach, washed and sorted
pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese, shaved
prepared pesto

Layer spinach, peas, pinenuts, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.  Top with pesto.  Toss before serving.

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Layered Caramel Apple Dip
whipped cream cheese
caramel (topping or dip)
granola (like Aurora brand)
Granny Smith apples, sliced

Spread cream cheese at the bottom of a pie plate, then spread on caramel topping.  Sprinkle on thick layer of granola.  Used sliced apples for dipping.

Lovely Luncheon

We hosted a thank-you luncheon for our historic-house docents earlier this week, a simple affair with wraps, potato chips, pickles, and salad, followed by my almond cake with fresh berries.  But the director of the house made it elegant with her china and linen, which looked beautiful in the historic house setting.  How fun to eat in a 300+ year-old house!  Imagine all the dinners that had gone before.  Very few with potato chips, I imagine.

At the luncheon, one of the docents, who is a frequent and generous baker, brought to me a copy of a recipe for her delicious Apricot Bars that I'd requested--and she had hand-printed it on a lovely recipe card.  How often does that happen?  I expected an email in Arial or Times New Roman, just as I send out my own recipes to friends--it was another lovely touch.

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Orange Poppy Seed Dressing for Salad
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
dash salt
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
3 tablespoons orange juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Whisk the honey, vinegar, mustard, salt, poppy seeds, and orange juice in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in the oil until the dressing is thickened slightly.  The dressing may be refrigerated for several days if desired.

Serve with strawberries, mandarin oranges, and pecans over spring greens.  Or with candied cranberries:

2 cups cranberries
1 tablespoon (cup? measurement missing) sugar

Preheat oven to 350F  Spread cranberries in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle them with sugar.  Cover the pan slightly with foil and bake for one hour stirring occasionally.  They will shrivel and appear soft. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until well chilled or up to two days.

Miss C.A.

Norwegian Apricot Bars
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 eggs
2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Rinse apricots.  Place in saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.  Drain well.  Cool--cut into small pieces.

In mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, and 1 cup flour.  Blend until crumbly.  Press into bottom of greased 9" square pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.

While crust is baking make topping.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs and gradually add brown sugar.  combine 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add to egg mixture with vanilla.  Fold in nuts and apricots.Remove crust from oven and spread topping over.  Bake 30 minutes more.  Cool.  Cut into squares, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.  Enjoy!

Miss P.K.