the genteel lunch lady

I recently channeled my inner "lady who lunches" and helped host a lunch and program for a women's group I've been a part of for over 9 years.  Thank goodness my mom had the role of hosting, because while I am not a centerpiece/tablescape person, she has the gift. 

 

 

I provided the food, and put quite a bit of pressure on myself in the days leading up to the meeting, scouring different old cookbooks and recipes sites for something that would as close to universally-appealing as possible without insulting any palates.

I landed on French apple cake for dessert, with ice cream and a caramel drizzle.  Along with a salad and bread, the main dish was a tortellini and garden vegetable bake, found on the Better Homes and Garden's website.  The tortellini pics are from my iPhone/Instagram as I didn't snap any on the day-of the luncheon.

Our speaker was Mary Hamer of the Loess Hills Lavender Farm, who spoke about her farm and all things lavender.  Luckily for all of us, she also brought some of her lavender products for us to sample and see - I ended up purchasing some lotion and lavender spritz, which I now spray on my pillow each night before bed.

The day was a win-win(-win?) for me, as I went home with leftovers, a vase of tulips, and a few great local lavender products!