A New-To-Me Book From the Library Book Sale

Our local library takes in donated books specifically for selling to raise money for programs and new books to lend. The book sale is on-going and always has a few new books. Books are $1 and magazines are 25 cents.

This week, my daughter spied this wonderful 1960 McCall's Book of Everyday Etiquette. She bought it for me, as she new I would like this one. Vintage anything to do with homemaking is right up my alley.

Since we're planning a brunch on Mother's Day, I thought I'd consult the etiquette book for tips. First of all, the suggested time is between 10 and noon and most often on Sundays. A brunch is typically hosted by "late-rising people for their late-rising friends."

It's expected that guests and hosts alike will not have had much to eat beforehand, so the menu should be heartier than a standard breakfast menu. 

The atmosphere for brunch is decidedly more relaxed than that of a luncheon. It's okay to serve the meal buffet style and may be eaten at a table or in the living room. Any serving is done by either the guests or the host/hostess, even if the household employs a maid (ha ha, I gave the maid the day off). Coffee and/or the main dish may be served by the host at the table, even if the remainder of the menu is served buffet style or family-style. Alternatively, all of the foods may be served family-style at the table.

Okay, so how am I doing with our plans for Mother's Day. First of all, we'll be having our brunch around 1:30. I like to go to church in the morning beforehand, and my son and daughter-in-law are a tad too late-rising to make it to a 10AM brunch. We all will have had very little besides toast and tea or coffee before church, so our menu will need to be substantial. 

Here are some menu suggestions from the book:

"You usually start with some fruit or fruit juice. Next is the main course of something like creamed chicken on toast, fried apples and bacon, mushrooms and chicken livers en brochette, waffles and sausages or scrambled eggs with fried tomatoes. Anything that isn't a bread itself, such as waffles, should have hot bread served with it -- biscuits, muffins or the like. Serve several kinds of jams, jellies or marmalades and make quarts of coffee."

Our actual menu:

I have frozen orange juice concentrate for orange juice. We'll also have sliced assorted melon (I'll buy one of those melon bowls that usually contain cantaloupe and honeydew). My daughters will be cooking the main dishes, so I need that to be quick and easy for them. I'm considering a peppers, onion, sausage, and egg casserole for one main and sliced ham for the other main.  As suggested by the book, I'll have a homemade blueberry coffeecake and some croissants (brought my by son and daughter-in-law) on the side. I will get out a couple jars of homemade jams and preserves for the croissants, likely raspberry and rhubarb. 

We don't all enjoy coffee. So I'll also provide some sparkling water, and two pots of tea, one black, and one herbal. And because no meal would ever be complete in my house without a dessert, I have a plan for a trio of small desserts: chocolate-covered strawberries, scratch shortbread (using the mold my daughters gave me 2 years ago), and mini (shot glass size) refrigerator cheesecake cups (using up leftover cream cheese, some gelatin, milk, vanilla, sugar, and graham crackers, then topped with berries -- I need to find an actual recipe).

Cloudy and cool at best, rainy and cool at worst for our weather this Sunday. We'll do Mother's Day brunch indoors. I like the idea of a casual meal in the living room. We really don't use our living room enough. So I think I'll cut some lilacs from the garden for the coffee table, have my daughter set up a nice music playlist for the google home, and we'll get comfortable in the living room. And we will definitely be doing this occasion buffet-style. There. Our Mother's Day brunch is all planned.

How about you? Will you be doing anything special for Mother's Day? Do you do any of the cooking for your own Mother's Day, or do you let other family do the work? Or do you prefer to go out for a special meal in a restaurant? Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and motherly girlfriends.