Refreshments are Served

Last night I cut desserts, arranged them on trays in an attractive fashion, and mingled. My mother is the new activities chair and I am in town. After the fireside, refreshments were served. I brought to the task what I learned in my few short months in a new relief society calling where catering figures into our duties. I am pleased with my new-found knowledge and rejoiced in spreading this wealth to a desert with the goal of improving life as we know it and making things lovely.

About 8 to 10 were scheduled to bring desserts. I waited in anticipation, trays and knives ready. My mother made a square pan of Ghiradelli brownies from the package. I showered it with powdered sugar and cut them into 1-inch squares. The first offering to arrive was a paper plate with oatmeal-y chocolate chip cookies covered in foil. A homely and homey start. I hoped for variety and thanked the giver.

The next time I turned around there were two 9 x 13s with frosted cakes. One a spice cake with cream colored frosting and one an orange cake with white frosting and much moisture. I worried how to cut these and arrange the pieces on the trays. I gave the orange cake squares center stage for its color. The spice cake suffered in comparison only because it was not exciting (dull brown) and most likely from a box. Short shrift. (We dished more out later but it was not the first picked for the team.)

We came out grandly with a eye-pleasing variety: baby cream puffs filled unfortunately with heavy raspberry frosting (not a light cream as desired), Hello Dollys that were excellent in every way (baked in a jelly roll pan for thinner crust), tiny chocolate chip cookies, chocolate and caramel cookies bars, mint brownies. I sampled a bit of each. May I explain the fascination? I have always been taken with the results of a pot luck. One day an important article will be published.

In a traditional mealtime potluck, the baby cream puff maker equates to a main dish. Someone who knows not everyone has time or inclination and who delivers each time. My friend Andrea is a main dish person with a middle name of Chicken Casserole. I enjoyed the tiny cc cookies for their cunning size and charm. Improving the visual with a change of shape or size. Easy and important. The maker is a beautiful person I don’t know well . . . we seem to have become friends in recent visits. She lived in NYC until recently but is from this area. She is now back and misses her friends who were so interesting . . . artists and doctors (a delightful pairing, no?). A husband and small baby in tow who is christened something lovely and foreign. I enjoy this quick and wonderful interchange. It is always good to know there is someone who understands who is seated on the other side of the room.

Bar cookies must be my favorites. I enjoy them all. One cannot tell if our efforts were overwhelmingly restorative but I believe they were. Someone complimented the serving platters and trappings brought from home. Another praised the small size of the desserts. I suggested they have cheese, crackers, veggies, and dill dip next time.