Normally, my brother in-law and sister in-law take on the burden of family entertaining during this great American pastime. But, they have a five month old, and it was "our turn" in the family cycle of entertaining, and I was up for the challenge.
The goal, an "easy" prepare-ahead meal that could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
Result: meh.....
Menu:
Chips and guacamole: Bought.
Baked Potato Bar: Made real bacon bits ahead of time - great. Bought shredded cheese (usually a big no-no for me, but with nine people eating, a necessity) and sour cream, and shredded some broccoli. Potatoes came out lovely. Well received and very-doable.
Chicken Wings: Had to make this classic super bowl meal. I didn't eat them (can't look at chicken while pregnant....). Adults liked them. Kids liked them. My daughter ate THREE. Made the sauce in the morning. Should have used aluminum foil on the pans. My husband is still soaking them two weeks later.
Caesar Salad: My Mom's classic. Made the dressing in the morning. Have to write a separate post about this someday. Not my best....Mom can make it better.
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream for dessert. She who makes it gets to pick the flavor. Made ahead of time. Fabulous and finished by all!
"Meh" explanation:
Positive: The food was happily eaten by all (except my daughters won't eat potatoes that are not in the form of a fry). The preparation was not difficult, with salad dressing, ice cream, chicken wing sauce, and potato ingredients all prepared ahead of time - only took about an hour in the morning. Meal presentation looked good. I am blessed with appropriate serving dishes and utensils, and coincidentally "Panther" colored plates.
Negative: The dishes..... what are we going to do with these.They took forever, an it was not because of plates, bowls, and glasses. I HATE PAPER PLATES, BOWLS, AND CUPS. Not only do you feel guilty using them, they are not the items that take masses of time putting in the dishwasher. Five minutes tops for all those dishes. It is cleaning and drying the cooking and serving dishes, and figuring out how to store the leftovers (I HATE leftovers, mostly for this reason) that took took over an hour and left me in shambles. I could not move. There needs to be a solution to this problem. I am not entertaining until summer.
The goal, an "easy" prepare-ahead meal that could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
Result: meh.....
Menu:
Chips and guacamole: Bought.
Baked Potato Bar: Made real bacon bits ahead of time - great. Bought shredded cheese (usually a big no-no for me, but with nine people eating, a necessity) and sour cream, and shredded some broccoli. Potatoes came out lovely. Well received and very-doable.
Chicken Wings: Had to make this classic super bowl meal. I didn't eat them (can't look at chicken while pregnant....). Adults liked them. Kids liked them. My daughter ate THREE. Made the sauce in the morning. Should have used aluminum foil on the pans. My husband is still soaking them two weeks later.
Caesar Salad: My Mom's classic. Made the dressing in the morning. Have to write a separate post about this someday. Not my best....Mom can make it better.
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream for dessert. She who makes it gets to pick the flavor. Made ahead of time. Fabulous and finished by all!
"Meh" explanation:
Positive: The food was happily eaten by all (except my daughters won't eat potatoes that are not in the form of a fry). The preparation was not difficult, with salad dressing, ice cream, chicken wing sauce, and potato ingredients all prepared ahead of time - only took about an hour in the morning. Meal presentation looked good. I am blessed with appropriate serving dishes and utensils, and coincidentally "Panther" colored plates.
Negative: The dishes..... what are we going to do with these.They took forever, an it was not because of plates, bowls, and glasses. I HATE PAPER PLATES, BOWLS, AND CUPS. Not only do you feel guilty using them, they are not the items that take masses of time putting in the dishwasher. Five minutes tops for all those dishes. It is cleaning and drying the cooking and serving dishes, and figuring out how to store the leftovers (I HATE leftovers, mostly for this reason) that took took over an hour and left me in shambles. I could not move. There needs to be a solution to this problem. I am not entertaining until summer.
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