Late Summer Luncheon

This afternoon I had two friends over for lunch. What a beautiful day - a bit warm but pleasant enough to let the windows blow some fresh air in. We ate in the living room near the window to give the guests a view of the pond. It was very lovely to sit for a few hours, enjoy good company and good food.

For our late summer luncheon, we enjoyed:

* Homemade Orangeade
* Fresh Summer Fruit Salad with a Garnish of Sweetened Coconut
* Veggie Bake
* Cranberry Orange Bread
* Blackberry Trifle - Layers of German Pound Cake, Vanilla Pudding & Fresh Blackberries


Homemade Orangeade

Combine the following:
6 oz. orange juice concentrate (most oj concentrate is sold in a 12 oz. can so you can double this recipe or use the other half for plain orange juice)
1 1/2 C. sugar
Enough water to make a gallon
2 lemons squeezed in and then toss in the shells

Veggie Bake

1 - 10 oz. frozen bag of broccoli in cheese sauce
5 slices of multi-grain bread
10 eggs
1 1/2 C. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 C. chopped onion
2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 C. chopped tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350. Cook broccoli and cool. Spray 13x9 pan. Cut each of the bread slices into 4 pieces and lay in bottom of pan. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper and whisk until well blended. Stir in veggies and cheese. Pour mixture over bread, spreading evenly with spoon. Bake approx. 50 minutes or until edges are golden brown and center is set. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.