The two of us and 22 of our closest friends were invited to a dinner prepared and hosted by 18 of our collective daughters.
A friend of mine leads a group every year for girls aged 10 thru 18 where she teaches about a specific country - its culture, history, famous people, saints, etc. This year they are learning about France and so she decided to treat all the parents to a seven course French dinner.
The girls arrived earlier in the day and prepared the following menu (some items had been started earlier in the week!):
Champagne Punch with Hors d’oeurves – 1) Salmon Mousse served on crackers, 2) Olive Tapenade served on crackers
French Onion Soup with Toasted French Bread topped with Swiss Cheese
Salad with Vinaigrette
Boeuf Bourguignon – cubes of beef sautéed with onions, and then slow-roasted with carrots and mushrooms
Chicken Chasseur – chicken breasts, sautéed with green onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and herbs
Triple Rice Pilaf – Wild rice, white rice, brown rice
Fruit
and cheese course – fruit trays with multiple sliced fruits, and
Cheeses – Camembert, Brie, and another cheese I cannot remember
Dessert Crepes – spread with either Chocolate Nutella or French Banana Filling
My friend is also a woman after my own heart as she is incredibly organized. Check out this chart she made so that everyone knew what their jobs were and to ensure that all things got done when they needed to!
Not only did they cook the meal, but we were greeted by them and then served hors d'oeuvres and champagne punch. During the meal there was also various forms of entertainment. Some sang, others played instruments and did some miming, which the French are famous for.
The evening was absolutely wonderful! The company was great and the food was scrumptious. By the time we left, the girls were exhausted and my friend will probably sleep for a week. What a blessing she is to have given so much of her time for her friends and their girls!
God Bless!
