CHRISTMAS FRIENDSHIP LUNCHEON

Christmas Friendship Luncheon In order to share a little holiday cheer with friends who are so dear, a Christmas luncheon is an ideal way to spend the Christmas in July season. The most important element of the luncheon is a beautifully set table. Start with a lovely embroidered tablecloth and white placemats with silver satin around the edges with matching silver cuttlery, glasswares, Off-white plates, napkins that match the placemats to complete the setting. Include a flower arrangement in a beautiful vase or flower pot made from your favorite flowers. Write each guests name on cardstock, punch a hole in the corner, and tie it around the bottom of the urn with a pretty satin ribbon. On each friend's plate leave pretty poppers filled with tiny gifts. Now that your table is complete, for the rest of the how about the rest of the house? I try to stick with the holiday colors of red, green, yellow, gold and silver. Evergreen garlands are draped over the mantel and doorways. An abundance of candles are lit around the house (and bathroom – it's nice to enter a restroom with the glow of candles.) I add fragrance to the house by simmering cinnamon sticks and cloves in a pot of apple cider on the stove. The entryway, bathroom, coffee table, and select corners are adorned with containers of poinsettias. And I hang silver stars with iridescent marbles in the center from the kitchen fan and on doorknobs. The kitchen is where I set up an appealing buffet. I put another cranberry organza tablecloth on the kitchen table. Here, guests can help themselves to holiday punch, coffee, or champagne (with orange juice if they'd like.) On my kitchen counter I lay a silver linen tablecloth and scrunch it up to add a relaxed but dressed look, on which I put the plates of food. Lunch includes a cranberry and toasted almond green salad, chicken, (I try to change the kind every year) quiche, (again different each year) and homemade bread (it might be corn or banana or garlic or…) After we've eaten at the table and talked for a while, I clear the plates and serve dessert. If it's cool out I'll serve hot chocolate. If not, more juice or champagne is in order. I put a variety of small desserts on a tray and ask each guest to help herself as I go around the table. The tray includes fresh baked cookies, muffins, fruit tarts and brownies. The conversation continues until we are all talked out and caught up with each other's lives. Friendship needs to be nurtured and a holiday luncheon is a great way to thank your girlfriends for their companionship. They've enjoyed the lunch, love their party favors and look forward to getting together again the next year. GAMES Card Game The idea is to have 2 decks of cards, pass out one deck of cards to everyone at the party circling around giving everyone one at a time until all the cards are gone. Hopefully everyone will come out with an even number of cards.. Have a bunch of nice little gifts wrapped 5 or 10 depending on the amount of guests.. Put the gifts in the center of the room.. Then with the second Deck of Cards have someone call out each card, the person that has the card that is called gets up and picks a prize, when all the prizes are taken from the table, everyone can steal the gifts from each other, when the whole deck has been called out the people with the prizes on their laps keep them.. This game is fun because everyone likes to pick a certain prize that looks interesting and they try to steal it back and forth and other people try not to let you remember they have a prize, but of course they have to keep them in the open.... (This game works for birthdays too.)