Presented with a day off work (Canada Day), Tim suggested we invite some friends for dinner. Two quick phone calls and everything was set. One friend offered to bring appetizers, the other a salad. We provided the rest - grilled steaks with basil garlic butter, new baby potatoes, crispy roasted tomatoes, and a green salad. Oh, and let's not forget dessert - a frozen blueberry concoction.
What fun to set a pretty table outdoors. It was a baby bear temperature - not too hot, not too cold - just right! Music by ABBA played in the background. The six of us, long time friends, laughed and talked about how much we had missed these get togethers. It has been well over a year since we last met, although we've gone on walks with one or the other. As the sun slid behind the hills, the air cooled, and around 9:30 our guests left, for some had to work the next day.
After a dinner party Tim and I work together to clean up the kitchen. It doesn't take long, and it's a wonderful time to chat together and go over the highlights of the evening. Everything but the glassware and big platters goes into the dishwasher. I wash the crystal in hot soapy water and he dries them to a fine finish with a linen tea towel. Going to bed knowing that the kitchen is tidy is such a great feeling. In the morning, all that's left to do is unload the dishwasher.
This morning I received a text saying thank you (and a link to the warm cauliflower salad), and "we love eating your food." Such a lovely compliment from someone whose food I love to eat in return.
Tonight we'll have another party on the patio to celebrate a son-in-law's birthday. There will be laughter and conversation, and I expect our guests will go home a bit earlier to put little ones to bed. And afterwards, Tim and I will chat together as we clean up.
Do you enjoy having guests for dinner?
The rose above is sunburned from the intense heat earlier this week. I'm happy that most of my garden fared well.
Happy weekend, dear readers.
Those are the happy times to remember. Plus good food. Good times.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to have close friends for an impromptu meal, and your menu sounded delightful.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely of you...
ReplyDelete🌿🌼🌿💛🌿🌼🌿
We do love to host! Having friends old and new over is wonderful, and tidying up is not a burden, to us either!
ReplyDeleteYour evening sounds fun!
How wonderful to enjoy having friends around your table again after a year! Your evening sounded delightful!
ReplyDeleteYour meal and evening sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your photographs.
Have a happy month of July.
All the best Jan
Oh my! You almost described what happened here to a tee! We hosted 2 couples (good friends) for dinner on our patio on Canada Day ..playing Anne Murray in the back ground. It was so much fun! One of the couples brought a big basket as house warming gift ...
ReplyDeleteand got the tour ... over a year after we've moved in! After they left, we cleaned up together. That's how it works. I feel like I've been initiated back into hosting. I know that we'll also be invited and that always inspires me. I know how good it feels!
Sounds like a very successful evening! We love to have others over and cleaning up, just the 2 of us later, is something I always love as well. We've had our neighbors over on our deck but nothing inside just yet. Soon, very soon!
ReplyDeleteX Chy
Happy Weekend!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to read about people getting together.
Your dinner party sounds delightful.
ReplyDeleteI often enjoy the cleaning up with my husband as much as the dinner party.
ReplyDeleteYour evening sounds similar to the ones we use to have, right down to doing the dishes and talking over the evening! We do love having dinner guests.
ReplyDeleteHello, Lorrie. Your evening sounds lovely and I know it was a special treat for you to be with your friends. Your food sounds scrumptious and your table was so pretty. It truly is wonderful to enjoy time with friends. Happy weekend to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteI have hardly had anyone around to eat a meal with us for such a long time that I am wondering whether I am still capable or not of making a meal for guests.
ReplyDeleteSome lovely colours blooming in your garden.
It sounds so lovely, like life is returning back to normal. Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I love to have dinner parties. We do the same routine when guests leave. I like to talk over the evenings conversations and it is definitely nice to get up the next morning to a clean kitchen.
ReplyDeleteYour table looks so inviting. I hope your birthday party went well.
What a treat to have friends come for a meal and shared joy, then chat with Tim as you clean up.
ReplyDeleteI do love having guests come occasionally for a meal too, but it has been a long time.
We have burned flowers and leaves in our garden, but so lovely to be seeing a bit of recovery.
your dinner table in the garden looks so inviting. As we are a numerous family, we love to meet in the summer and have lunch on our sunny terrace. Wishing a lovely new week Lorrie.
ReplyDeleteThat was an absolutely perfect way to celebrate Canada Day and the end of pandemic restrictions.
ReplyDeleteHooray for the return of dinner parties! I loved how you used your pretty crystal and china for your patio dinner.
ReplyDeleteYour flower shots are also stunning. Of course, my fave is the lavender!
We were the guests for this weekend's festivities. Drove to Nebraska and met our daughter's probab1e in 1aws. Their family has a large poo1 and it was so refreshing on a very hot humid Nebraska fourth
ReplyDeleteThis post made me feel like having such a fun, cozy, and safer party at my wood deck in August. Till then, all of my families except for grandchildren, and my friends have antibody to COVID. But August in my country is notoriously sweltering and scorching, so I’ll wait till autumn. I saw a news of intense heat wave on the west coast of North America. Stay cool, and take care.
ReplyDeleteYoko
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ReplyDeleteHow nice to share dinner with friends, especially those who bring something. The menu sounded fabulous! I’m interested in the crispy tomatoes, as they sound like something I’d like. Cleaning the kitchen before bed is important to me, too!
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like a lovely evening! I personally do not like doing parties but I love having my children over. By the way it looks like one of your comments is spam. Kit
ReplyDeleteLorrie - how delightful to return to "normal" - I hope we don't ever take these things for granted as we might have done in the past. We do enjoy throwing dinner parties, and since my husband does all of the cooking, I defer to him to say how often he wants to do this. We used to reject offers for help with cleaning up, but now we say yes, especially to rinsing plates and the like and loading the dishwasher. Although the kitchen is not my domain, it is hard for me to go to bed if it is not tidy!!! Love the shots of your garden!
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds delightful! I do enjoy having dinner guests...though I'm must admit I'm feeling a little rusty at hosting after the long break!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a wonderful evening.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to enjoy the company of friends again after a year!
Unfortunately, our covid-19 numbers are surging and restrictions are tightening.
lovely flowers. Nice to have friends for meal. I hope you have my comment I have problems with blogger!
ReplyDeleteMy son is coming from Dubai next week! One year we haven’t seen him!
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