Laidback pre-summer lunch

Now that the house is coming along well and the study is complete two of my good friends from university came over to visit. All of us were married the year after each other so it was nice to catch up together with our husbands as well.  The cool breezes of our shady garden were much appreciated on such a hot Saturday though some smoke from out of control back burning nearby wasn't quite so pleasant. 

To keep things laid-back in the heat I started things off with fresh watermelon and mint juice topped with a little lemonade, an appetiser of antipasto and a cold entree of chicken sesame noodle salad. For the main we then had slow-cooked-pull-apart pork with guacamole tacos. For dessert some beautiful fresh berries lightly poached, poured over savoiardi biscuits and topped with some whipped cream. 

Watermelon and Mint Lemonade with antipasto appetiser. 

Poached chicken and noodles with sesame seed, cucumber, celery and snow pea salad. 

Tacos of slow-cooked-pull-apart pork with guacamole salsa.  (I originally served this on round roti breads but I was too busy chatting I forgot to photograph it at the time, so this is the evenings leftovers-remake version)

A simple take on a berry trifle, served in my Seletti palace tower bowls. 

It was great to see the house filled with chatter and laughter, one of the girls has a son whose nearing two now and she also brought along their two miniature-smooth-haired Dachshunds, Doctor Brown and Winston, so it was fun to see them all running about the place enjoying the verandahs and the grass.   The house really comes to life with the pattering run of small feet (of small humans and puppy dogs alike). 

Doctor Brown the Dachshund 

The dachshunds at play