Sandra Lee Mother’s Strawberry Lunch- Mother’s Strawberry Lunch

Mother’s Strawberry Lunch

Remember all the times she took your temperature with just her hand? Baked you cookies when you’d had a bad day? Bought you those jeans you just had to have? To show Mom how much you appreciate all she’s done, another brooch just won’t do. Instead, give her a gift she’ll truly cherish: together-time with those she loves. Fresh and natural sets the tone—and the table—with a straight-from-the-garden palette that blends the blue of the sky with the shimmer of the sun. A family of dainty cobalt and yellow pottery accessories is a craft store find, but you could just as easily mix and match pieces for a cheerful effect. Homey red strawberries dot the tablescape—in the dessert, in baskets, and as the star of the berry-patch centerpiece.

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Accent Pieces

Beaded faux berries glisten in a cute ceramic basket that works in tandem with the centerpiece to bring the reds, yellows, and blues together. Its curvy shape and handle recall vintage berry baskets, but the pattern is a match to the dishes and vase.

If “Cherish” comes to mind when you think of Mom, choose The Association’s Greatest Hits, which includes that loving ballad. Or put on Doris Day’s Greatest Hits for more reminiscing.

Centerpiece

A cluster of faux strawberries gives the arrangement a little sparkle; tuck in plenty of faux greenery and fruit blossoms to hint at a summery strawberry patch. The tall squared urn balances the table’s frills to keep it unfussy.

Favors

Pick up some canning jars for a homestyle favor, (as shown on following page) with a raised fruit-embossed design and fill with color-coordinated Peach Preserves. (You can buy them new or find them at flea markets.) For the topper, cut a square of yellow gingham cloth with pinking shears and hot-glue to the lid. Secure with a narrow blue satin ribbon. A plain vintage-style label makes it nicely nostalgic.

Lemony yellows and deep cobalt give painted pottery a French country air, enhanced by a white lattice design that adds winsome garden inspiration. Crisp white napkins are tied with thin yellow satin ribbons and accessorized with stems of freesia and sprigs of faux strawberries. For the table runner, snip a swath of silky sheering fabric that lets the sunny yellow of the tablecloth shine through. Its feminine blue scroll design plays perfectly off the dishes’ painted-on scalloped border.

Food and Drinks

Kick off the party by clinking glasses of Passion Fruit Martinis that swing right into the color and mood of such an upbeat celebration. For dessert, a bit of bubbly is definitely in order. You could toast Mom’s years of devotion with a glass of Champagne, but instead, use this festive sparkler to enhance a beautiful Champagne Parfait. Served in a fabulous flute, it’s a sweet way to raise a glass to your guest of honor.