Dinner Party

Last night was one of those special nights that warms the heart.  Laura and I both invited a friend over for dinner and we had a lovely little all girls dinner party.  I cooked, choosing to make it a Tex Mex night, bringing a little of North American culture to London.  I cleaned our newly rearranged lounge, did some tidying in the garden, grocery shopped, baked, cooked, and before long, we had a feast.

We had hard and soft shell tacos, veggie mince and real mince for the carnivores, baby spinach leaves and lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, cornbread muffins, black beans, onions...the only thing I couldn't find were tortilla chips for dipping in the salsa.  To finish the evening, I made brownies.  Rather than the American ice cream, we topped it off with single cream.

O surprised me by bringing a dessert as well.  She tends to do that.  She went to Paul.  

Paul is a very clever man.

O said in her delightful French accent, "It is Forêt Noire."    Oh, well, looks fantastic even if we don't know what it is!  After dinner, I asked O what it was called once more.  "Forêt Noire."  "And that means...."  "Well noire is black and forêt...it means...lots of trees..."  Suddenly, lightbulbs went on.  "Oh, black forest cake!"  Oh, it was good!

All in all, it was a great night.  A dinner which turned out a well, two great desserts, and a nice movie with friends.  As I walked O to the station, I was really touched that she kept repeating, "Your home is so welcoming." That is an answer to my prayers.  I always want my home to be a place where people feel welcome to come in, share a meal, and unwind from a stressful week.