5/14/08

Lunch is Easy!

Isn't it so nice to have friends over for lunch, where there’s no pressure in serving a whole bunch of food?

There is something about making a lunch for others that just has a different feel and touch than making a dinner. Last Friday I experienced this as I had two friends over for lunch. One friend was on her lunch hour so we had only 45 minutes.

There is nothing better than homegrown lettuce, as it is so tender and tastier than store bought. And that is exactly what I served.

Using these guidelines, my Easy Lunch had meaning and taste!

· Make a salad, (I used lettuce from our garden) using what you already have in your fridge or cupboards or counters.
· Don’t run to the store! Be creative!!
· Serve water for the beverage.
· No pressure for dessert – most friends want to eat healthy these days!
· Have your food made up in advance, so when you guests arrive you can immediately sit down and take advantage of the time.
· Save the dishes for later! Your guests need to be able to leave immediately to get back to work.

Our time together was long past due. As we caught up with each other, we found ourselves saying, “Let’s do this again soon!” and “Why don’t we do this more often?”

Trying to look for ways to support, build up, stimulate and encourage another person takes an attitude of giving rather than receiving.

Starting small and easy, like a simple luncheon, is a great place to begin!

Next time I won’t wait so long!

(Are you looking for a delicious salad dressing that everyone will love? If I don’t have time to make a dressing from scratch, I always keep on hand a bottle of Riverhouse Blue Cheese. Drizzle on your salad lightly, and add a small amount of balsamic vinegar – and you can’t go wrong! This dressing is made in Pacific City, Oregon, a tiny surf-town tucked away off of HWY 101, that everyone should visit! Photos: salad served last Friday and tulips in our back yard!)

15 comments:

dawn klinge said...

Great idea..that sounds much less intimidating than a dinner.

Deidre said...

Great, great idea! Sounds so much easier that a dinner with many courses. I love this.

Sincerely Anna said...

Thanks for posting things like this, Sandy. It's great to have reminders of how hospitality doesn't have to be overwhelming and complicated!

Chris @ Come to the Table said...

I agree Sandy, sometimes having a few friends over for lunch is so enjoyable.

I need to invite someone over! ;)

Laura said...

I've started inviting friends for lunch at least once a week. I absolutely love how casual and spontaneous a lunch can be. Fantastic!!

Donnetta said...

Thanks for the reminder that I'm due to invite other's for a lunch date! :-) They are always such fun!!!

Andrea@Sgt and Mrs Hub said...

I love having friends over for lunch - it seems the conversations are much more intimate. And I feel more calm and peaceful as well.

The salad looked delicious!

-Andrea

Jen said...

This sounds wonderful. ALL of my friends work and oh how they would love this...I may just do this soon. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Simple food and good friends make the most delicious meals!

Kirstin said...

Hmmmm, that looks so good! It's true that lunches, or meals in general can be last minute and very simple yet satisfying.

~j~ said...

those tulips! are those yours? beautiful. love this idea Sandy and I am going to do the same very soon. There are alot of women in my life that don't have time for dinner plans but lunch works out much better,such a great, simple way to stay connected.
thanks for the prompting.
love j

Sheila said...

I like lunch entertaining, too!

I often do "make your own" sandwiches. Put out wraps, bread, buns, and then tons of meat and veggies and cheese. The platters look so yummy, and then people can fix their own! It looks like you've gone to a lot of work when you really haven't.

I do homemade soups for lunch, too. Just keep broth in the cupboard (or homemade broth in the freezer), and then throw in leftover beef or chicken (again, I keep this in the freezer), add rice, barley or noodles, veggies, and you're done! Soups look a lot harder than they really are!

But I'm jealous of you for having lettuce in your garden already. Our snow only went away a few weeks ago...

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Anonymous said...

Sandy-
I took your advice and stuck to tried and true recipes that I felt confident making. People keep saying what a great cook I am. :) I'm sticking to my 3 basic menus and we've had people over for the past few weeks. I've been having women and their children over on Wednesday's and families on Saturday's.
Thanks for showing me easy ways to open my home. I have even sent links to my husband since he is even more outgoing that I am.
Keep blogging and we will keep reading!

~nanashouse~ said...

Mom and Dad just moved in with us last week. This Sunday we will be "hosting" a dinner for my Aunt and Uncle. Mom is really excited (she has dementia) Dad says "whatever you cook will be fine" (he has terminal cancer). So, our menu is pasta, salad and ice cream. I'll throw in a few fat/carb loaded items to stoke their bodies and just pray that they can digest them! The Spirit in our home has helped them weather many trials! Than you Jesus and Thank you to all who open your homes for hospitality.

MyKidsMom said...

I love the red and yellow in that salad, they dress it up nicely.

Thanks for stopping by!