A Simple Lunch Spread, for a Celebration Gathering | Recipes

If I had one goal, for the entire day of  our triplets’, {JM, O & S}’s, First Holy Communion, it was to ‘keep it simple‘.  I wanted it ALL simple, so that we could all focus as much as possible on the purpose of the celebration, and enjoy it. That certainly included any food prepping I had to do, to feed our guests, who came back to our home following Mass.  I didn’t want anything that needed to be re-heated or kept warm, and certainly not anything messy. I was going for a light, spring lunch.  I was pretty happy with what I came up with!

For a few of the platters, I made a wrote a little food description card, so no one needed to ask what was in this or that, nor would they be surprised when they took a bite. ; )

To start, we put out very Fresh Fruit Cups, we assembled the night before.  So very simple, but everyone was commenting how much they were loving the fruit cups.  You can’t miss, with fresh fruit!   We included:  clementine slices, pineapple, strawberries, black berries, and green grapes.

Roast Beef Horseradish Spirals:  This was one of the items I wanted people to know ahead of time, what it was made with – since it would possibly be an iffy preference for some.  So easy to make, so fancy to display, and as it turns out, a real hit for all! (Even the kids, here!)
Combine these 6 ingredients:   1 8oz. of packaged cream cheese, 1/2 cup or 2 green onions chopped, 1/4 fresh parsley, 2 TBS prepared horseradish, drained, 1/4 tsp salt, & 1/4 tsp garlic powder. 
Spread evenly over 2 10″ tortillas (we used tomato tortillas), leaving 1/2 inch border around edge.   Divide 8 oz sliced deli roast beef  over 2 tortillas. Roll up tightly, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate to firm > 30 minutes to a day ahead of time.  When ready, remove from fridge, and cut diagonally into 1/2 slices, and serve.

Chicken Salad (w/ a touch of Apple):  4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped, 2 apples chopped small, 3 stalks of celery, chopped, and mixed with mayonnaise until desired consistency. (We use Real Hellman’s).  Stuff fresh finger rolls, and serve.

Deviled Eggs: We used 18 hard boiled eggs.     Cut eggs in half the long way using sharp knife, gently  remove egg yolks and place in small bowl.  Mash yolks well w/ fork, add 3 tsp of dijon mustard, 3 Tbs minced onion, 1/2 – 3/4 tsp tobasco (preference), salt & pepper, and 1 cup of mayonnaise. Mix well together.  Fill pastry bags with mixture, fill egg whites, and sprinkle with Paprika.

Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes: Prepare tuna salad as usual.  We add chopped celery and onion.  Hollow out grape tomatoes, using a apple corer first to cut in, and then scoop out all of the inside with a melon ball scoop!  Fill with tuna salad, and arrange on platter.  I garnished the platter with fresh parsley.

Cucumber Sandwiches: I forgot to take photos of these, and darn, because they were so cute!  Very easy, very tasty.  Mix 1 package of cream cheese (8 oz.) with 1 packet of Italian Seasoning.  Peel and slice cucumber.  Spread mixture on slices of minim pumpernickel loaf (usually found near deli), place a slice of cucumber on each, and sprinkle w/ a little dill seed.

We also served pita chips with red pepper humus.

For drinks, we offered water, Raspberry Crystal Light, and we also had a punch bowl made, of which I should share the recipe.  It’s my Dad’s recipe and we have it on many special occasions w/ the kids.

One might wonder where the First Holy Communion Cake is. Well….that was one thing I wanted to be so special.  I knew we would not have time to bake anything and decorate it nicely, with all else we had to prepare, and because of {S}’s peanut allergy, we can’t just order a cake from a bakery. SO…..I hired a ‘professional’ to custom bake for us.  What I wanted instead of a cake, was very special cupcakes. (You all know how much I adore cupcakes!)  After several, (several) very specific e-mails, and an in person meeting at which I also included drawings and reviewed again exactly what I wanted, with a professional local custom baker I found online (who has a convincing web site),  ……. they were a disaster. < Insert eye roll here, with perhaps a tear escaping, here.. > Not what I asked for, not cute or pretty (or photo worthy), and they were not even enjoyable to eat, as they were HUGE, and so dense.  SO……they were the talk of the party, but not in a good way. It is almost comical, that the one area we hired a PRO to take care, and the one area we spent the most $ on, was the worst part of our whole food spread.  I can’t tell you how disappointed I was, with such a special piece of this special occasion.  That’s why I hired a pro!  Michael said all along “We can do that ourselves Honey, I don’t want to spend the money.“…. and I always said, “But this is the one thing I really want to be special!“.  In the end, we could have done much more of a professional job, ourselves. I have not even contacted the baker with my complaints yet, because I am quite sure if I begin to speak, I will spew venom.  And we all know that’s not like me. ; )

And since I don’t want to leave this post on a tense note (doing head/shoulder rolls as I type…)…..please remember the light, spring, cheery lunch items above!  I hope you find some of these ideas useful, for an occasion or gathering of your own sometime!

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