This past weekend, we had good friends over for happy hour and a meal. It is so fun to be able to entertain again, and it gives me a chance to not only set a pretty table, but also to show off my cooking a bit. My friend is a great cook herself, so she got to shine for dessert. But first, a pretty table is essential. It lets our guests know they are special.
My Colors of August placemats and table topper are placed on the table first. That post will tell you my idea of the colors for the last month of summer, when the harvest is just beginning but the heat of the dog days are still here. The post contains step by step tutorial on the placemat design, and links to the quilting / finishing, plus the improv table topper.
Yellow print salad plates are placed on white dinner plates and yellow chargers. Yellow napkins are held with clear rings. Everyday flatware, crystal glasses, and individual salt and pepper shakers complete the settings.
The centerpiece is my yellow ceramic basket filled with yellow and white silk flowers with a touch of orange and green here and there.
I set candles all around, but we didn’t light them.
The table looked nice as they arrived for an enjoyable evening.
I served my Chicken Florentine Lasagne. There is a pdf download of the recipe on that post. This time I doubled the amount of spinach, and used more cheese. I began the day before with roasting a whole chicken. When it was done, I let it cool, then put it in the refrigerator overnight.
The day of the dinner, I chopped up the chicken and prepared the dish. I used both the light and dark meat of the chicken.
Stepping out to the veranda, I cut fresh basil and parsley for it. This was added to the sauce.
I layered noodles and spinach, chicken and sauce, then topped it with mozzarella cheese.
The layers were repeated a second time, then a third time. I put a combination of cheeses on top with mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan. One of my secrets for appetizing dishes is to add some dried herbs to the cheese on top before baking. It puts little flecks of green in the baked dish that just look delicious. Here I used dried oregano. The dish went into the refrigerator until time to bake, and I could clean up the kitchen early in the day.
Before our guests arrived, I was setting out a plate of appetizers when I realized I had no paper napkins. I asked My Sweet Babboo to put out some folded paper towels. Didn’t he do a nice job of folding on the triangle? The towels are not squares, so this isn’t as easy as it sounds. I had thought he’d just do squares.
After we had visited for a bit, the lasagne came out of the oven, hot and bubbling.
How easy is this! It is a one dish meal, and I was able to enjoy our company without a lot of effort during their visit.
Our guests brought dessert, and it was so good! She is a Milk Street fan, so we enjoyed a Chocolate Orange Tart from the Milk Street Cookbook (on sale now 49% Off on Amazon). She did her own crust instead of the one on the recipe.
This recipe is also included in the new Milk Street Bakes cookbook, publishing in October and available for pre-order now.
Yum! This was a delicious meal all the way around, made better with great conversation.
A relaxing and quite enjoyable evening with good friends is always a treat. We hope to do more of this soon.
From My Carolina Home 
Looks delicious! Sounds like a wonderful evening!!!
Carole, your table is so pretty with the Colors of August placemats and table topper. I know your guests enjoyed seeing a lovely tablesetting. Chicken Florentine lasagne is perfect to make ahead and bake as you are enjoying appetizers. How nice for your guests to bring a tasty dessert. Sounds like a perfect evening!
Carole, you prepare so many amazing dishes and frequently refer to Milk Street Cookbooks. I’m about to purchase my first Milk Street recipe book, do you have a recommendation?There are so many listed
Yes, I would start with the Milk Street Annual Cookbook, now on sale at Amazon. Click on Milk Street Annual 2017-2024. It will give you most of the recipes in the widest array of dishes – appetizers, main courses, desserts. My other two favorites are Tuesday Nights, and World in a Skillet.
Another beautiful table, Carole. The lasagna looks delicious and I’m sure it was.
Fabulous all around – a lovely setting (in more than one way), good friends and good food – makes for a wonderful evening.
Another gorgeous table setting. Yellow is my second least favorite color (I cannot abide most oranges…lol) but this setting is just lovely. It’s summery and soothing. Your Chicken Florentine Lasagna looks delicious. Lasagna is a favorite at my house so I’m going to try your recipe for sure. Thank you for another inspiring post. Blessings from WV!
What a fun evening and a wonderful post! I love your table topper with the matching mats. And yellow is the perfect color for August — I couldn’t agree more. It’s cheery, sunny, still summery but with that early bit of fall — the “sunflower” feeling. Dinner looks beyond fabulous and I know you all had the most wonderful time!
You do such pretty tables. This one in particular is colorful and pleasing to the eye, as well as functional! You are so clever to get everything ready ahead of time and relaxing with your friends. I hope you are able to continue your dinner parties, as I know you enjoy them.
Beautiful! I wish you would open a B & B – although then I would probably want to move in! Here it is 9 am and I want chicken! Love to see the place settings – I’m not a very good cook so I try to at least make my table pretty! Thanks for “Inviting” us into your home.
Pretty table Carole, I love the yellow color palette! It sounds like you had a lovely evening, and your Chicken Florentine Lasagna surely was a bit hit, it sounds amazing!
Jenna
Oh Yum! This is printed for a future meal with friends. Love that you simplify great recipes~~I’m all for using less pots and pans. And your table settings are always so inviting and beautiful.
What a lovely evening! Thank you for all the details.
Your table and dinner looks great. I will try both recipes soon. thank you for sharing.
Did you cook the spinach before assembling the dish? If so, how?
You can’t go wrong with lasagna, especially when it’s one of Carole’s recipes! Yellow is my #1 favorite color so you know this table is a real treat for me to see. The placemats look exactly like August to me, late summer with the gardens in all their glory.
Your table is beautiful and the mats are lovely. The Chicken Lasagna Florentine looks delicious and will have to try this. Thank you for the recipe. I just made chicken and dumplings yesterday or could have used the chicken to try the recipe today.
Blessings,
Beverly
Charlotte, NC
Your chicken recipe looks SO good. I’m going to try it. Thanks!
🙂 Hugs & Smiles, Angelia
Good food, good conversation and good friends, what could be better. I must try that chicken recipe, it looks delicious.
What a beautiful table! And I downloaded the recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you for the recipe. I take a meal when we visit our 5 adult grandkids. They have families and jobs and we e
How fun, Carole! Beautiful!
That is such a pretty table, Carole! I love the colors of August, too – I made a tabletopper with that far quarter bundle and need to get it out. The chicken lasagna sounds delicious!