I have been planning the party for the big 4-0 for some time now. I've been going back and forth on what to serve. I have so many ideas and just not enough time or storage space.
I seem to plan a menu then I look at another magazine or cookbook and change the whole theme. I also figure I will order a few things already prepared.
I was thinking Paella from LaEspanola but they only make it on Saturdays and now the party is on Friday. They said they'd do it for a few more $$ per person. I'm still thinking about it.
I hope hubby doesn't read my blog.
Now that I have sprained my ankle I feel like I will be set back a few weeks too. I am hoping to be up to full use in a week or 2. It must be worse than the ER doc thought b/c it still hurts and it happened almost 2 weeks ago. It has nothing to do with food but I tell you the story. I was jumping on a mini trampoline and somehow it twisted weird. I instantly knew it wasn't good b/c I saw the way it twisted and then immediatly felt excruciating pain from my toes to my knee. My ankle was instantly swollen. Or broken. I dropped to a laying position and got son #2 to get ice right away. Son #1 started phone calls for help. Hubby. No luck. Coolest nurse friend in the world. 15 minutes away. While waiting for her I was writhing in pain not sure if I should elevate it or stay still. Well, it hurt so much I wasn't about to move. Nurse friend says yes, lets get to the ER for an X-ray. Lucky for me Son #1 is over 6 feet tall and strong. Not only did I have to get up but I had to go down a few stairs and then down the hill in our front yard to the car. Thank goodness it wasn't broken, but I was on the couch for 1 day then on crutches for a day. I probably should have used the crutches longer. Ok, now I know how to tie food into this story. Since it happened all I can do is sit around and eat. No power walks, no trampolines, no bike rides, no basketball, no frisbee. It stinks. We need a pool.
How to Get Rid of Food
I finally figured out how to clean out the fridge. Invite over ten 15 and 16-year old boys. Man can they eat! I kept putting out the food and it kept getting devoured. I bought about 7 pounds of sirloin steak to grill for them, plus I made 5 pounds of spicy chicken wings, salad, 3 bags of chips, salsa, and sodas. In addition, I got rid of a bag of potatoes (threw them in the oven to bake), a tray of baked penne with peas and bechemel from the freezer, a few bags of leftover Easter chocolates and jelly beans. Oh and the 2 cakes we served for dessert! They all seemed very appreciative. Kudos to hubby for grilling the steaks perfectly. And Kudos to the boys for helping me make some fridge and freezer space!
Big Son's Birthday Cake
Son #1 asked for a Tres Leches cake for his birthday. I have made Tres Leches several times and it's not hard at all. As a matter of fact it's very easy. But you do have to make it at least one day before you serve it so all that milk can soak in.
So since his birthday was 2 days after Easter and I have been hobbling around on a sprained ankle, I basically realized that making a homemade Tres Leches was not happening. So before I left for his volleyball game at 4 pm on his birthday I ripped out the bakery page from the Yellow Pages (remember the Yellow Pages? no one uses them anymore b/c of the internet) and stuck it in my pocket. In between games I would call the Hispanic bakeries to find a cake for hubby to pick up on his way home. I had my doubts. Would there be one along his route? Would a bakery still be open at 7pm? Would they have any Tres Leches? If they did would it be good? I got lucky. The first bakery I tried had it, and they'd be open till 8:45. I had to settle for a cake that serves 18, but oh well, better than one that serves 50. It was just for us 4. It was El Molino Bakery in Lawndale. They even wrote Feliz Cumpleanos on it for us.
It was delicious. Better than mine? Yes. They have way more experience with it than me and my Italian, Polish, Russian heritage. As a matter of fact I'm off to have another piece right now.
So since his birthday was 2 days after Easter and I have been hobbling around on a sprained ankle, I basically realized that making a homemade Tres Leches was not happening. So before I left for his volleyball game at 4 pm on his birthday I ripped out the bakery page from the Yellow Pages (remember the Yellow Pages? no one uses them anymore b/c of the internet) and stuck it in my pocket. In between games I would call the Hispanic bakeries to find a cake for hubby to pick up on his way home. I had my doubts. Would there be one along his route? Would a bakery still be open at 7pm? Would they have any Tres Leches? If they did would it be good? I got lucky. The first bakery I tried had it, and they'd be open till 8:45. I had to settle for a cake that serves 18, but oh well, better than one that serves 50. It was just for us 4. It was El Molino Bakery in Lawndale. They even wrote Feliz Cumpleanos on it for us.
It was delicious. Better than mine? Yes. They have way more experience with it than me and my Italian, Polish, Russian heritage. As a matter of fact I'm off to have another piece right now.
Big Son's Birthday Dinner
Yesterday was Son #1's birthday. 16. Wow. Could I possibly have a 16-year-old?
Anyway, like MM said, I've been a slacker. It's tough to keep up -- So much to eat, so little time to blog. There's so much I haven't blogged about - like the beef recall/slaughterhouse problems, my continuted and expanded hate of chemicals in food, my new calling of helping revamp some school lunch programs, my trip to Marakai, my disgust of canned cream of chicken soup, the discovery of veggies at Sprouts having no taste, my sprained ankle right before Easter preparations, Alton Brown's homemade cottage cheese, should I go on?
So regarding son's birthday and my renewed disgust of any meat that's not organic and Kosher, we let him choose the restaurant for his birthday dinner. Claim Jumper. He's a carnivore. Of course, he's 16 and he plays volleyball for 3 hours every day. Ever since Claim Jumper (CJ) was built many years ago, not 3/4 of a mile from our house (we drive by it several times a day) we have been able to observe the clientele quite regularly. Now, if you don't know CJ, it is primarily a steak place with HUGE servings. I mean huge, huge like one entree could feed my whole family huge. The baked potato is the size of a watermelon. The chocolate eclair is dessert for 6. So too is the clientele. HUGE. It's weird to me. How do these large people find places like this? Do they know? We haven't eaten there since the week they opened. Back then our kids were under 5 and they could eat what they wanted and were only charged something like 5cents for every pound they weighed. Great deal when your kid weighs 45lbs! So flash forward to last night. We ate some good food. Son's burger was a delicious heart attack. My seemingly harmless rotisserie chicken, grilled asparagus and baked sweet potato I'm sure was much more fat and calories than I could have dreamed. There was 2, yes 2, huge scoops of butter on the baked sweet potato. And then about a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. I removed them both. Son was happy with the dinner, that's what matters, it was his night. I did like the food, but next time I know to ask for certain things left off. If there is a next time. Is the clientele huge before they become regulars, or not till after?
Anyway, like MM said, I've been a slacker. It's tough to keep up -- So much to eat, so little time to blog. There's so much I haven't blogged about - like the beef recall/slaughterhouse problems, my continuted and expanded hate of chemicals in food, my new calling of helping revamp some school lunch programs, my trip to Marakai, my disgust of canned cream of chicken soup, the discovery of veggies at Sprouts having no taste, my sprained ankle right before Easter preparations, Alton Brown's homemade cottage cheese, should I go on?
So regarding son's birthday and my renewed disgust of any meat that's not organic and Kosher, we let him choose the restaurant for his birthday dinner. Claim Jumper. He's a carnivore. Of course, he's 16 and he plays volleyball for 3 hours every day. Ever since Claim Jumper (CJ) was built many years ago, not 3/4 of a mile from our house (we drive by it several times a day) we have been able to observe the clientele quite regularly. Now, if you don't know CJ, it is primarily a steak place with HUGE servings. I mean huge, huge like one entree could feed my whole family huge. The baked potato is the size of a watermelon. The chocolate eclair is dessert for 6. So too is the clientele. HUGE. It's weird to me. How do these large people find places like this? Do they know? We haven't eaten there since the week they opened. Back then our kids were under 5 and they could eat what they wanted and were only charged something like 5cents for every pound they weighed. Great deal when your kid weighs 45lbs! So flash forward to last night. We ate some good food. Son's burger was a delicious heart attack. My seemingly harmless rotisserie chicken, grilled asparagus and baked sweet potato I'm sure was much more fat and calories than I could have dreamed. There was 2, yes 2, huge scoops of butter on the baked sweet potato. And then about a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. I removed them both. Son was happy with the dinner, that's what matters, it was his night. I did like the food, but next time I know to ask for certain things left off. If there is a next time. Is the clientele huge before they become regulars, or not till after?
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