By Sheila Centner
@sheilacentner • @eatertainment

For some Canadians the winter months may fly by, with weekend ski trips and celebrating the holidays with family and friends. But for others, like me, the arrival of spring can’t come soon enough!

Each year I like to host a ladies lunch in early April with some of my closest girlfriends. Not only does this give us a chance to catch up, but it also allows us time to start our summer planning.

One of the most important things to consider is the use of colour. I like to incorporate lots of light pastels with a few vibrant pinks and yellow accents to really make the table stand out! Just like the blooms and bulbs we will see in Spring our gardens shortly, these pops of colour really set the mood.

Since I am hosting ladies the menu needs to offer a nice variety of healthy options, but also have enough substance for a full meal. This year, we started with bite-size canapés including mango salsa cups as the girls arrived, and then sat for a simple room-temperature lunch consisting of a chilled soup, seasonal salad and cold poached salmon.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a ladies lunch without some delicious cocktails! This year I decided to serve prosecco margaritas and pink lemonade rosé, which fit seamlessly into my spring theme.