Tom and I, and 2 other couples have a Cooking Club. We rotate monthly through each others homes. The host couple picks the menu; we sometimes decide together the whole menu or a theme is chosen then we each decide, with coordination what we will make. We bring all our ingredients, and any specific cooking utensils we need to the host house and we prepare the meal together.
It's great fun, And the food is also fabulous.
The host couple also typically invites a guest (couple, singles, whatever) whose responsibility it is to bring dessert.
August was Tom's and my turn to host. It also happened to be the first of 3 upcoming Spay n Neuter clinics being coordinated through santuario evolucion, Planned Pethood veterinary clinic, and with assistance from the Municipal Government.
Now Tom and I have worked these clinics in the past and we were going to work this one when the idea came up for our 'Club' to prepare the food for the volunteers.
What a FABULOUS idea, Thank you Mimi!
I posed the question to the 'Club' and everyone immediately agreed.
The dates of the first clinic got switched and the first clinic actually happened the 3rd and 4th of September, not in August, but ni modos (whatever).
We decided what we would each do and Saturday morning about 9:30 we convened in my kitchen and set to work preparing portable food for 30 - 35.
We were cutting, peeling, chopping, boiling, baking, and sweating OMG, with this seasonal humidity we were all puddles, even with every fan we can move directed at us.
We had decide on 3 items, vegetarian of course, it is an ANIMAL clinic after all.
The McQ's made brownies, lots of brownies, The Brancy's made a gorgeous colorful veggie pasta salad, and we (Tom and I) made a white bean veggie casserole a gratin.
And I CAN NOT believe I didn't take a single picture of us during the 3 1/2 - 4 hours we were in the kitchen cooking.
We got a last minute call asking us to pick up plates so off the guys went.
And then Tom made some wooden board trays for us to carry the huge aluminum trays of food on since they were flexible and especially the veggie bean casseroles were heavy and hot.
It was a good time, but then we always have fun with this crowd. We got the food delivered just about 1:15, made sure the vets got their plates first served and then skeedaddeled out of there. Too many people, too much confusion.
Here are 2 of the 4 trays of food
and here are a few of the selfless, tireless, and caring volunteers prepping plates for the vets who grab bites while betwixt and between performing surgeries.
We then treated ourselves to lunch at one of our favorite places - Flipper's (formerly Tommy's).
where in addition to the fabulous food, icey cold beers,
and excellent service, we also were serenaded by live music
AND the always affable don Juan treated us to dessert!
