'ladies events': orange blossom special punch

thirsty thursday
notes from maggie's farm

When I was a little girl, it was always a great thrill to go to ladies events with my mother.  I'd have polished shoes and lacy white anklets and a perfectly starched dress, likely homemade, but never looking it.  My mother would comb my hair into taut doggy ears, with ne'er a hair out of place, and matching bows would be somehow cemented onto my scalp such that they wouldn't budge under threat of a typhoon.

I was lectured all the way there, to stay still, and silent, and ladylike. I was not to speak unless spoken to.  I should avoid acting too clever.  And I was not to overdo it on the punch.

Those who know me know that staying still, silent and ladylike were marching orders that I, much to the chagrin of my mother, was not born to follow.  Not speaking unless spoken to confounded me because I had so much to say.  Couldn't imagine what was meant by acting too clever, because how clever is too clever?  Is there such a thing?

But I kept my word.  I stayed (relatively) still, silent, ladylike, did not interrupt, and avoided clever at all cost.  I did this all so that I might have...
MORE PUNCH.  

Oh I loved the pretty crystal cups, the crisp linens, the best china, the petite silver spoons, the delicate cookies, the sugary pastel cake frosting, the salty goodness of mixed nuts, the magical melt-in-your-mouth buttermints.  But the love. of. my. life. was PUNCH.


Punch with sherbet, punch with ice rings, punch with little frozen grapes, punch with pineapple juice, punch with ginger ale, punch with lemon lime soda, punch with anything.  I loved, and still love, punch.


We had a gathering of some of my favorite women at our church last weekend, and I, delightfully, was in charge of breakfast. They thought it was because I was being generous.  But it wasn't.  It was because I don't get to play hostess for ladies events nearly enough!  We had green chile egg puff with lots of gooey cheese, little cocktail smoked sausages in jezebel sauce, mixed berries in honeyed vanilla dressing...and, naturally, the best part, PUNCH!

This is what I came up with:
Orange Blossom Special Punch

2 quarts freshly-squeezed orange juice
one litre sparkling white grape juice
one pint fat free half and half, all chilled.
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
1 tsp pure vanilla

Except I made four times that amount.  We drank about the quantity, above, along with coffee, for the women's breakfast of about twenty.  We drank the rest at home.  I cannot say whether it would be good with champagne, or perhaps vodka.  Because this is for church,  people!



What we drank at home shall remain undocumented.

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Join us tomorrow as we prepare to celebrate the Chinese New Year, on Freestyle Friday, Notes From Maggie's Farm.  See you then!