One of the best things about having a large family that has large family gatherings is the food that arrives at the gathering with the relatives. Living in Chicago does not hinder me from going to the get togethers that my family has in Ohio. I will drive the 7 hours to have an afternoon of eating, socializing and game playing with 45 of my closest relatives. That is exactly what I did on Labor Day.
The menu was huge and I will try to the best of my recollection to recount it for you. Dad prepared the main dish. Frogmore Stew. The ingredients in the stew always vary depending on what we have and I don’t even know if it should really be called Frogmore Stew. My dad puts water, old bay seasoning, potatoes, corn, kielbasa, shrimp, lobster and clams in a turkey fryer and cooks it up. It’s damn tasty.
I made Italian nachos. Fried wonton chips, alfredo sauce Bob Evans spicy sausage, tomatoes, olives, banana peppers, and mozzarella cheese baked to a crispy delight. I made 2 heaping hotel pans of this and it was gone in about 30 seconds.
There where the standards that you could find and any Lee family picnic, 2 kinds of baked beans (Aunt Elaine’s are the best, sorry Aunt Shelby) broccoli casserole, potato casserole with corn flakes that my cousin always makes, lasagna casserole (notice a trend?), waldorf salad, etc. There where the unusual (to us) things made by the creative members of the family, like my sister’s salad that was made of mixed greens, pistachios, mandarin oranges, blue cheese and apples and a fantastic dressing that was store bought but I can't remember the name.
Then there was dessert. Oh the dessert. Birthday cake (mine), brownies, cookies, apple pie, the best banana pudding you’ve ever tasted and a weird s’mores concoction that had a graham cracker pecan crust, a layer of melted chocolate and sliced marshmallows baked on top. This is just the stuff I ate. I am positive there was more that I am forgetting! What a wonderful day.
After we ate and we were sitting around feeling like we where going to barf, I noticed something about my family. I am the only fat one. How did this happen? I am in a family that could eat for a living. I did not eat more (more or less) than anyone else. Perhaps it is what I eat on the days that we aren’t having a picnic that makes me fat. Once again I really think that I should get the hell out of the restaurant business. I bet the fat would just pour off of me. Ugh. What to do?
The next time my family gets together it will be for my second cousin Tiffany's baby shower. I am sure that I will not be invited because I do not speak to Tiffany because she is an uppity bitch, and she does not speak to me because.....hm. I don't know why, I'm so sweet!![]()
The menu was huge and I will try to the best of my recollection to recount it for you. Dad prepared the main dish. Frogmore Stew. The ingredients in the stew always vary depending on what we have and I don’t even know if it should really be called Frogmore Stew. My dad puts water, old bay seasoning, potatoes, corn, kielbasa, shrimp, lobster and clams in a turkey fryer and cooks it up. It’s damn tasty.
I made Italian nachos. Fried wonton chips, alfredo sauce Bob Evans spicy sausage, tomatoes, olives, banana peppers, and mozzarella cheese baked to a crispy delight. I made 2 heaping hotel pans of this and it was gone in about 30 seconds.
There where the standards that you could find and any Lee family picnic, 2 kinds of baked beans (Aunt Elaine’s are the best, sorry Aunt Shelby) broccoli casserole, potato casserole with corn flakes that my cousin always makes, lasagna casserole (notice a trend?), waldorf salad, etc. There where the unusual (to us) things made by the creative members of the family, like my sister’s salad that was made of mixed greens, pistachios, mandarin oranges, blue cheese and apples and a fantastic dressing that was store bought but I can't remember the name.
Then there was dessert. Oh the dessert. Birthday cake (mine), brownies, cookies, apple pie, the best banana pudding you’ve ever tasted and a weird s’mores concoction that had a graham cracker pecan crust, a layer of melted chocolate and sliced marshmallows baked on top. This is just the stuff I ate. I am positive there was more that I am forgetting! What a wonderful day.
After we ate and we were sitting around feeling like we where going to barf, I noticed something about my family. I am the only fat one. How did this happen? I am in a family that could eat for a living. I did not eat more (more or less) than anyone else. Perhaps it is what I eat on the days that we aren’t having a picnic that makes me fat. Once again I really think that I should get the hell out of the restaurant business. I bet the fat would just pour off of me. Ugh. What to do?
The next time my family gets together it will be for my second cousin Tiffany's baby shower. I am sure that I will not be invited because I do not speak to Tiffany because she is an uppity bitch, and she does not speak to me because.....hm. I don't know why, I'm so sweet!
