A Fiesta Tea Luncheon

Last Friday I invited three ladies to my home for a Mexican themed luncheon.  I wanted something informal yet welcoming and nice.   The sunflowers in the photo below were removed from the table after everyone was seated.

We began with an appetizer of Cowboy Caviar [selsa] and corn chips.  It was my second time to make this recipe recently, and both times to rave reviews.  It's delicious.  The next day I tossed some with Romaine lettuce and it made a great salad too.  Since the recipe has Italian dressing in it, no additional salad dressing was needed for the salad.

Next was Chicken Quesadillas and Mexican Rice.  A video came through my Facebook feed for rice waffles and I thought that sounded like such a fun way to serve the Mexican Rice, so I went out and bought a mini-waffle maker.  It makes 4-inch waffles.  So cute!

I topped the waffles with Pinto Beans, Mexican Cheese, a dollop of Sour Cream and a Black Olive slice.

I read online that Hibiscus is a tradition in Mexico, so I served Hibiscus tea.

I have a red teapot, but opted to use my blue Polish Pottery teapot instead.  One of the guests said that made our luncheon International.  ;-)

Dessert was Fried Ice Cream - which really wasn't fried.  It's Vanilla Ice Cream balls rolled in crushed Corn Flakes sauteed in butter.

We chatted for over two hour and enjoyed a delightful afternoon together.

Part of our table conversation centered around hospitality.  A meal can be simple or elegant.  I can't draw a straight line, but tablescaping and food presentation are my personal art forms - my creative outlet.  I read a quote recently that sums it up perfectly for me - "Food is love on a plate."  It's my way of expressing love and appreciation to those who sit around my table.