All ladies love roses, and pink is one of the most popular colors. Pink roses symbolize elegance, refinement, sweetness, and femininity. With so many shades of pink, the meaning can actually vary between light and darker hues. Light pink roses are often associated with grace, gentleness, joy, and happiness while deeper pink roses convey appreciation and gratitude, making them a great way to say thank you. Use pink roses to add elegance, grace, and gratitude to your table, and give them to loved ones to show them just how much they are loved and appreciated. Pink roses are a gift for royalty.
This intimate luncheon table is set with a rose theme from décor to food on a cream linen tablecloth etched with soft green leaves. The place setting layers a gold wire laurel leaf charger mat with a green cabbage leaf charger topped with a pink rose and green leaf majolica luncheon plate. Strawberry soup is offered in a pink rose tea cup. Even ruffle-edged linen napkins are adorned with soft ribbon roses. Pink goblets and golden flatware complete each place setting. It is the perfect garden setting to surround a single beautiful arrangement of several shades of pink roses. The light ladies’ menu consists of
Chicken Salad, Rice and Artichoke Salad, and Seasonal Fruit with Honey-Lime Dressing served with Lemon Madeleines and Brie and Raspberry Croissants. For desserts, guests enjoy White Chocolate Mousse with Meringue Rosettes served in small gold-edged glasses resting in pink rose bases.
It is a special time for royal ladies to be honored with roses of appreciation and memories to savor for a lifetime.
Menu
Strawberry Soup
Chicken Salad
Rice and Artichoke Salad
Seasonal Fruit with Honey-Lime Dressing
Lemon Madeleines
Brie and Raspberry Croissants
White Chocolate Mousse with Meringue Rosettes
Strawberry Soup
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup sour cream
1 cup half-and-half
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
½ teaspoon vanilla
For garnish: whole strawberries
In food processor, place strawberries, sour cream, half-and-half, sugar, brandy, and vanilla. Process until smooth. Chill until serving. Pour into bowls, and garnish with strawberries.
Yield: 6 servings
Debbie Sisk, Memphis
Chicken Salad
Salad:
3 cups chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
½ cup chopped pecans
2½ cups grapes, halved
Dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt, black pepper, and Cayenne pepper to taste
For garnish: lettuce leaves and pecan pieces
In a bowl, place chicken, celery, and grapes; set aside. For dressing, in a bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, and peppers. Pour dressing over chicken mixture, and stir gently until everything is thoroughly combined. Stir in pecans. Chill for several hours or overnight. Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with pecan pieces.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Rice and Artichoke Salad
Salad:
1 (8-ounce) chicken Rice-a-Roni
1 green onion, chopped
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup diced green pepper
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 (6-ounce) jar artichoke hearts in oil, drained and chopped (reserve oil for dressing)
Dressing:
Oil reserved from artichoke hearts
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon curry
For Garnish: real bacon bits
Prepare Rice-a-Roni as directed but reduce water by ¼ cup. Do not overcook, cook tender but firm. Chill rice. In a bowl, stir together rice, onions, olives, tomatoes, celery, green peppers, water chestnuts, and artichokes; set aside. For dressing, in a bowl, whisk oil from artichokes, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and curry. Toss rice mixture with dressing and chill until serving. Top with bacon bits if desired.
Yield: 8 servings
Fruit and Honey-Lime Dressing
Strawberries, green grapes, blueberries, chopped apples, pineapple chunks, tangerine slices
Honey-Lime Dressing:
½ cup lime juice
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon celery salt
In a jar with a lid, combine ingredients, and shake well. Chill; bring to room temperature before serving.
Yield: 1½ cups
Lemon Madeleines
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With mixer, beat butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and zest. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour. Spoon batter ¾ full into Madeleine pans sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and drizzle with Lemon Glaze.
Yield: 2 dozen
Lemon Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Stir together sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
Brie and Raspberry Croissants
4 mini croissants
Brie cheese
Raspberry jam
Confectioners’ Sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a knife, slice croissants lengthwise. Place a slice of Brie on one side of each croissant. Place open croissants on parchment-lined baking sheet, and heat for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Spread each with 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam. Replace top, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
Yield: 4 sandwiches
White Chocolate Mousse
2 (3.3-ounce) boxes instant white chocolate pudding mix
4 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
1 cup crushed vanilla wafer crumbs
With mixer, prepare pudding with milk as directed on package; set aside. With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually stir in pudding. Fold in whipped topping. In dessert compotes, layer crumbs, mousse, crumbs, and mousse. Top each serving with a Meringue Rosette.
Yield: 8 servings
Meringue Rosettes
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sugar
food coloring
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. With mixer, beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla until frothy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peeks form. Beat in a small amount of food coloring. Place in piping bag with a large star tip, and pipe rosettes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. To create a rosette, start in the middle and pipe a swirl out to the outer edge. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off oven, and leave the meringues inside to continue drying out.
Yield: 2 dozen
Resources:
Wire Laurel Leaf Gold Charger Mats from www.shopartisantablewareco.com
Green cabbage leaf chargers from HomeGoods, Jackson and Madison
Rose majolica china and ruffle-edged linen napkins from Bloomingdeals, Jackson
Rosebud dessert cups and ribbon for roses from Hobby Lobby, Jackson and Madison
Linen tablecloth fabric from JOANN Fabric, Jackson
