March tea time

 The ladies came over for tea on Saturday.  I do wish you could have joined us.  We had carrot cake with pineapple and coconut, shortbread cookies with passionfruit puree, ginger cookies, oatmeal cookies, roast chicken wings, and grapes.  I had such fun setting the table in spring colors.

It was a a wonderful day. I got caught by the sunrise and watched, rapt, for about twenty minutes.  It should have had musical accompaniments - great, rich, swelling chords from the strings, glorious fanfares from the brass.  It was stunning.  Pity the camera doesn't capture what the eye beholds.

Then I got to work plating goodies and making the coffee and tea.  I set the table and cleaned house on Thursday, enjoyed baking frenzy on Friday, so that on Saturday I have time to enjoy my friends.  Saturday afternoon I clean up, and Sunday I put things away.  I have this down to a science.

I expected twenty guests, and my table seats twelve if we squeeze in, so I set up an auxiliary section in the living room.   Last month, I expected twelve and got 14.  This month, eleven people actually showed.  I baked two cakes!  Well, one was eaten entirely, and Kyle will take the spare to work, so it won't go to waste.

I had such fun putting together placemats, napkins, napkin rings and china. Mix and match is a great sport.

The tea cozies added their own cheerful  note, and who doesn't love a nice bowl of grapes?.

Carrot cake above the roasted chicken wings.  The chicken wings went over well, too. I'm always at a loss for what to serve as a savory, and this was a happy solution.

My violets are blooming, so the little vase-napkin rings got a good workout .  And Lindor balls scattered about quite happily.  Who likes white, who likes dark and who prefers milk chocolate?

Janette sent me a jaciva birthday cake with a bouquet of live flowers on top.  The cake was gone in two days, but the flowers lasted and lasted.  Orchids and white roses enhanced my decor.

Meanwhile, I continue the knitting - or in this case, crochet.  I adapted the dead fish hat for the crocodile stitch which makes fun fishy scales.  It doesn't make it a warm hat, but it is pretty, and great to use up leftover yarn.