I've been a busy gal hosting three dinners in two weeks thus the delay in sharing this post. I was the April hostess for our dinner group, and chose "Stepping Into Spring" for the theme. There were birds nests, pussy willows and yellow pansies everywhere in the house. Confession time - I rarely wear an apron, but a special friend gave me this owl apron for Christmas and it came complete with pearls. I love it!
We sent out invitations about two weeks before the dinner.
I made a goat cheese and pesto nest, and there was much conversation about it. The inspiration came from the beautiful blog Home Is Where The Boat Is, and the recipe can be found on the Southern Living website. It was a big hit.
I found these beautiful yellow napkins at the Jewish Community Center's semi-annual thrift sale in February. I bought 12 napkins for $1.50. My sweet mom shared pussy willow branches from her tree, and I made simple napkin rings.
Each guest took home a potted pansy, seeds and a cinnamon whisk (for crumbs) from Trader Joe's.
We used our white Vietri dishes, and decorated the table with pansies and nests.
My friend Gwen made the beautiful lemon tart with a chocolate almond crust.
Our entree was a whole roasted loin of pork. Big and dramatic, so it's great for a party. I ordered a "Frenched" loin of pork with the chine and feather bones removed. Seasoned the pork before baking for about an hour and twenty minutes. After letting it rest for about 15 minutes, Joe removed the strings from the meat, sliced, and we served it with a dijon mustard sauce.
Joining these hosts:
Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish
Beyond Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday
Thank you for visiting!
xo
Debbie
