All your ideas sound lovely! You are a gracious and generous host for sure!

Keep it easy on yourself! Especially for things like dessert that can be bought!

Enjoy your visit!

I think planning for guests is almost as much fun as actually having them. I always have lots of good ideas but as the time gets closer and I realize how much work it will be I always dial it way back. All of your ideas sound really good.

I'm not seeing any diabetic-friendly options, to be honest, but you know your audience better than I do. I hope you have a wonderful visit.

What about a crockpot chicken or beef stew — or beef short ribs!—so the sides are already included? then a salad, biscuits or cinnamon rolls and you‘re done. Well, dessert of course.

Fun2BHere, I think the diabetic options come in with their responsibility to know what they can and can't eat. So if they don't want cinnamon bread or crackers, they can eat the cheese, the veggies, the dip, the salami, the nuts. The entree and veggie side dish and salad will be lower carb and it's up to them if they want the starchy side or how much of it they want to eat. My biscuits are whole wheat so a bit more diabetic friendly. And breakfast too with the egg and veggies and greek yogurt (plain, nonfat) are also diabetic friendly. Up to them if they want a muffin or toast on the side or whatever. I will be feeding more than just diabetics, so I want all to be satisfied.

It all sounds delicious, and a nice visit with friends.

For someone that only eats breakfast and our big meal for lunch, I would have to restrain myself from too many goodies at tea.

Is there a link to the NYT crock pot chicken dish?

It all sounds very good. Anything I could make ahead would be great. I love a good cream cheese pound cake for those who can indulge in dessert. Easy to make and easy to add fruit to make it even better.

I just made a big batch of herb spiced nuts (pecans and cashews) to serve as an appetizer for our supper club. I also made up a couple of jars for our guests to take home. I can send you the recipe if you’d like. Easy to make a few days ahead of time and stores well for a couple of weeks.

I also love a good pork tenderloin. My favorite is a Dijon marinade and then browned and oven roasted. For a crowd I usually serve with scalloped potatoes and green bean bundles or asparagus I can quickly roast too.

Here's the crock pot chick breasts from the NY Times

The pork roast would be my choice. It seems a little more festive. I would keep the sides simple. Steamed or roasted asparagus or green beans for the vegetable and baby red potatoes for the starch. Ice cream for dessert is so fitting for a girl's night. ;-) I love your idea of coffee and your choice of toppings. Maybe have two ice cream flavors? The coffee and one that is fruity like peach or lemon? I think tea time should be more of an appetizer time. If you up chatting into the evening there might be snacks during that time also.

How fun, Annie! Love the coffee ice cream/maple syrup/walnut combo, that sounds like a hit. I also think the pork seems a little more special, and will look good plated with the sides.

DH pointed out I have a turkey breast in the freezer and it might be a good time to cook that up, though that would need some tending. I like Ina Garten's version: https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/herb-roasted-turkey-breast 

I also like PIerre Franey's https://www.pierrefraney.com/recipes/poultry_and_game/roast_breast_of_turkey_with_apple-sausage_stuffing.html

I’m not a huge fan of turkey and have in fact cut our consumption of it down to once a year instead of twice, but we are probably in the minority WRT that. You could bill the meal as a belated friendsgiving though!

To me, the only ice cream flavor worth eating is coffee. Yum. However, I know so many people that cannot stand coffee ice cream. Even some that love coffee. I'm sure you know your guests, but something to consider.

I would pick the turkey breast because I don't like red meat. I do like pork so that would be my second choice, but again not everyone likes pork.

Sounds like a lovely time is going to be had! And I agree with the comment about maybe having a snack for if (when?) you all stay up late talking. It seems likely to happen!

Late night chat? That's when a cookie platter would be nice, and would go nice with ice cream too...hmmm....

I have no trouble with re-runs for friends like these, so the biscuits at dinner can do double duty for breakfast the next day too...fresh fruit I serve for the afternoon thing can also end up in a dish with yogurt for breakfast the next day... if I make ham, it can end up in the eggs the next morning too....

OMG...Danny Naugh!!! It happened again!!!

I think for me, after the tea with nibbles, I wouldn't be so up for a dinner so I'd make that simple. You know your friends and their taste but again, for me, I do not love pork so the turkey breast sounds great- simple and also nice as leftovers. I just season and put in overn and it's delicious. The only effort is slicing. As a coffee and ice cream lover, that idea sounds wonderful but I agree that having an additional flavor might be good.

I think your ideas all sound delicious.

The activity seems to be yours: https://www.houzz.com/activities/user/webuser_214042088

I also think it sounds like a lot of food -- but I wouldnt want to do away with the delightful surprises like afternoon tea and cookies and milk or ice cream in the late hours. I think they sound lovely!

I would go with a lighter evening meal amid all your other planned treats. For the end of May, I would want to celebrate lighter spring foods .. maybe a french chicken paillard (not crockpot meal but cooks in minutes!) ... chicken salad served in a cantaloupe .. spinach strawberry salad with balsamic and chicken ..

You and I eat differently so I am sure you will have your own light and seasonal recipes to consider.

The herbed turkey sounds lovely. I do this but put the herbs on the night before so the flavor really gets into the meat. Keep in fridge, pop into oven and ignore.