Another First

As I review 2010, there have been more firsts than the two that I’ve blogged about and other people are on my mind now as I think about a friend who went to heaven unexpectantly with her car slid into the path of a big truck.  Another friend became a widow when her husband “lost” his battle with brain cancer and “won” an eternity in heaven with Jesus. The almost two year old son of missionaries that I know died in his sleep and left a mom and dad with achingly empty arms.  God knows and cares but we suffer on earth as fallen humanity.

Last weekend I was “hired” to cater a Christmas dinner for eight. I was excited and writing notes about the details all over the place and forgot to take my camera along to get photos.  This slice of cake was leftover.

Mile High Buttermilk Cake

I worked with the hostess to create a menu with which we were both comfortable. She choose some staples and standards for her guests and I suggested some recipes that I loved. I did have to do research for two on the internet so that she could have a jello salad and a fruit salad.

Menu

Shrimp Cocktail (in the cutest glasses found antiquing)

Ham Balls

Chicken Breast Supreme (mother in laws recipe)

Sweet Potato Casserole (Anne’s recipe)

Parslied Red Skinned Potatoes

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots

Succotash

Cranberry Jello Salad

Microwave Pickels (supplied by the hostess)

Homemade Rolls (made by my mom) with Butter & Jelly

Mile High Buttermilk Cake

Special Fruit Cocktail with Orange Sherbert

Chocolate Covered Strawberry

Coffee and condiments

I arrived on location at 10:00 a.m. and left at 1:30 p.m. with the dishes in the dishwater and the kitchen looking perfect.  The hostess tipped me…. 🙂 and this was my first tip since waitressing in the early 80’s.

I had fun but when I got into the van to drive home, I realized how tired my feet were feeling.  I enjoyed spending the rest of the afternoon knitting and relaxing.  When I felt totally rested, my family went to the Big Oak Cafe to enjoy chocolate fondue and chat.

I want to remember to make the most of each moment with my family….with my friends and even with acquaintances.  We don’t know how God wants to use us in each and every situation.

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A Lighter Post

A long time friend, Susanna Scott, and her husband and children are coming to dinner this evening. The last time we tried to schedule dinner, we got more than a foot of snow.  I think we’re okay for tonight unless Hurricane Earl changes his path.  I asked “does you family like ribs?” and she replied that “Harry (her husband) is the rib king”. Oh no…I thought that my husband and son were already vying for that title. So….how many racks do I need? I decided on four and was thankful that they were on sale at the Butcher Shoppe this week.

I unwrapped ribs and sprinkled and/or rubbed each side with McCormick Pork Rub. I heated the grill and carefully put each rack down so that it would get the “proper” grill marks.

So, I flip them, grill a bit longer (5 minutes per side) and then carry them in for the sauce. I covered them with sauce, added a liquid to rinse out the bottles and cover the bottom of the pan and then covered them with tin foil.  Mark, who is working at home today, walks out of his office and suggests that “maybe you need to have them on the grill longer”.  NOT.  In his defense, one time they were a bit on the rare side, but that was back at Father’s Day and I was rushing to get them done after church.

So, the ribs are in the oven. The Gourmet Potatoes are ready for the oven. Susanna is bringing a salad and Aaron requested corn as the vegetable.  Dinner is ready and dessert is an assortment of leftovers from the freezer:  bread pudding, chocolate chip cheese cake, Strawberry Ice Cream Cake from Cold Stone (my birthday cake) and freshly made peanut butter rice krispie brownies.

I doubt that I’ll remember to take photos of the finished product but for now….I’m finished working and I’m going to knit until my friends arrive.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

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Sang-a’s (Summer’s) Visit

It is hard to imagine how my life would have been different if Sang-a hadn’t come to live with us in August of 2005. We would have missed learning about an entire culture, meeting some lovely people and having someone who didn’t grow up in our home/country/culture question the peculiarities of life in our house.

Alexis and I tried to surprise Sang-a at Dulles Airport last Tuesday morning since she didn’t think we’d really leave the house at 5:00 AM. She somehow got by us and picked up her luggage before we spotted her heading for a Starbucks. We ran to meet her with two homemade signs that Alexis made the night before (really, it was earlier that morning).

Sang-a loves cooking and eating so it has been fun making her favorite recipes from high school and showing off new dishes that I’m sure she’ll love. We spent Sunday afternoon in the kitchen preparing for a family picnic so all of the Witman’s and Grove’s could “see” her this trip to Pennsylvania.

Sang-a made the brownies…..her own way…..a bit of competition between us to know who made their brownies fudgier.  🙂

We think that this may have been the “piece de resistance”. Even the people who were “full” were able to find an empty spot to taste and an extra spot to eat a piece. 

So….while we are having fun with food, I was able to teach Sang-a to knit and she started a throw. I’m not sure when she’ll get it finished but she is able to stay more calm while watching FIFA World Cup if her hands are busy.

Sang-a is also sharing podcasts from her church and asking me questions that are really making me think (not about cooking or knitting)…..this is a good thing, a very good thing.

I’ll really miss her when she travels back to Berkeley but when she leaves with a piece of my heart….she leaves a bigger imprint on my life.

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