Yes, my fabulous, hipster friend Celeste is preggers. Mighty preggers. And, so, my pal Stacy and I thought it only right to throw the royal Queen a bash in honor of her new Princess. (Yes - it's gonna be a girl!)
Of course that meant decorating my apartment with adorable cut-outs of Babar's famous Queen Celeste avec her daughter Flora. (BTW - Kinda like the name Flora, but I don't think it's in the running.) And then I crammed 20 ladies into my place.
Why so crammed?
C'mon folks - the food I prepared took up ample space too! The menu:
*Mango Mimosas and Sweet Iced Tea
*Freshly Baked Rolls with Orange Butter and Strawberry Butter
*Strata with Artichokes, Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese
*Canadian Bacon
*Cucumber and Tomato Salad in a Shallot Vinaigrette
*Fruit Salad
*Cupcakes (Courtesy of Stacy's run to Buttercup Bake Shop)
Needless to say, no one left hungry. And, although the Strata was a big hit, the ladies didn't end up touching the second lasagna tray full of the savory bread pudding. Stacy was forced to bring it to her church potluck later that night, where I understand it was a big hit too (and apparently was discovered to be an ideal accompaniment to Split Pea Soup).
And, for those of you intrigued by the fruit butters noted above, they are incredibly easy to make:
Fruit Butter
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup high-quality jam or marmalade
Cut softened butter into food processor. Add jam or marmalade. Process for 1 - 2 minutes until well-combined. Place mixture in a small bowl or mold and refrigerate for at least three hours or until desired firmness.
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