on feeding a crowd & more

First things first: Our new flooring is in.  I'm still too exhausted to rehash the details of the process.  But we are very grateful to our family and friends who lent a helping hand on Saturday, and Sunday, and a little bit of Monday too.  I need a nap.

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On to today's topic:

I absolutely love having people in my home for a good meal... I love the planning that goes into it and then the execution.   But each time I scratch my head for a minute because the biggest decision is, of course, what to make for a big group dinner??  I have a few favorites that are sure crowd pleasers...for different types of occasions.  And I always remember to account for picky/healthy eaters, but not to an extreme.  My meals feature gluten y'all!

Laura's Menu Suggestions to Feed a Crowd:

1. Crockpot sliders and a vegetable.  I love pulled pork in the crockpot- pulled chicken is another excellent option...or meatballs!  It's easy to add hawaiian sweet rolls for DIY sammies and call it a meal with any of these options.  When feeding a group I will account for those who require a green element at every meal and add a vegetable side- enough to feed a crowd.  K's momma makes a mean squash dish...and Pioneer Woman's baked corn has never disappointed me!

2. Casserole + big salad + warm bread basket.   My friend Kristina makes this delicious Poppy Seed Chicken, and I love to make Sausage and Wild rice casserole.  The salad and bread are equally important here.  Speaking for myself, it's a disappointment when the host doesn't go the extra steps to round out a meal.

3. "Build Your Own Pizza" night.

This one is fun, but it requires a casual setting, obviously.  Not only is pizza a casual dinner (though we have gotten pretty fancy with some of our varieties), but it requires flexibility and no sense of a timeline, as you can really only cook one at a time.  This is a good option when you're all kind of grazing...

4. Fiesta night!  I think taco night gets a bad rap.  You know ground beef and tortillas, it can feel like college food (i.e. lazy & unhealthy). But, with a little effort, like home-made enchiladas or fajitas, it can really turn out great. 

5. Seafood!  Seafood just feels like a special occasion to me, I love it all and really, how can you go wrong with shrimp and grits? 

*As a note, I have to leave off any sort of large scale grilling as my condo HOA frowns upon grills on our patios/balconies.  We have been able to sneak by with our Weber Smokey Joe, but it takes too long to cook for anyone other than the two of us on that little guy. 

This post has been brought to you by the fact that I am hosting Bible Study tonight and feeding a group of 10 or so hungry gals. Which of the above do you think I'm choosing?  I'll give you a hint: Sunday is Cinco de Mayo.

(this is the study we are currently reading)

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Another hint, or something of the sort:  Last night we were at Smoky Oak where there is trivia on Tuesdays.  Let me preface with "trivia ain't my thang", but I actually got one of the hard (IMO)questions right (even though we weren't playing) and I didn't use my smart phone, because I don't have one. 

Here is the question, and it's morbid but once you realize the answer it kind of isn't.

Bear with me:

Who committed suicide on this day (april 30) in 1945?

My train of thought was: Oh, what an awful question.  Well, it must be an awful person who died in order for them to even think it's okay to ask this, and then boom. Correct Answer in my brain.

So, who do you think it is? 
Update: Apparently this isn't as hard a question as I thought.  I asked a group of friends and 3 of them instantly knew the answer. Whatever!

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Oh, Spring? Where are you? Other than on my (DIY) manicure...

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And lastly, and applicably, I am in the planning stages of my

 Mothers Day Brunch Menu:

I need some recipe suggestions: grits and quiche recipes not involving sausage. 

Well there you have it, a little bit of this and that for your Wednesday entertainment.

Goodbye for now.

Everybody's Working ON the Weekend

For the past few months I have been working weekends a lot here at Lexus of Charleston.  Now, the vibe at work is much more relaxed on Saturdays, but that doesn't mean we can dress down.  The hardest part about working on a Saturday for me is putting on my Career wear. I just want to relax in jean shorts and sundresses.  Here are a couple of Saturday outfits that I snapped photos of in the mirror.  These are a bit more unbuttoned and casual than I will typically wear M-F.

  I am off this weekend, but I am still going to be working y'all.  We are puttting in Hardwood flooring in our Living Room and Dining Room.  It's my goal to stay focused on the end result and remain patient through the process.  We are starting early tomorrow morning and I'm really hoping to have it wrapped up by dinner time so we can have a relaxing Sunday. 
Whatever it takes though, we'll do whatever it takes!!!!!

And now, a couple of dissapointing products:

 Y'all know I look forward to trying the seasonal New Belgium offerings, but this one really had no distinguishable qualities.  It tasted just like DIG to me...

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Now, I did not purchase this product but did try it out in the store and let me tell you what it is.  It reminds me of the glitter gel that I used in middle school. Cheap Cheap Cheap!  Clearly I did not expect anything more, but I was attracted to the gold tube and thought maybe?

Well the answer is No.

TGIF, see y'all Monday!

Parmesan Plum Tomatoes

It's time for a tomato treat! 
For this dish, I was inspired by our dinner at FIG last summer where K ordered the baked heirloom tomato as a side and it was awesome, and also by a Kraft ad I saw in a magazine a few weeks back.

So, here is how you make the tasty tomatoes from our Sunday dinner!

What you need:

8 plum tomatoes

1.5 cups Italian Style breadcrumbs

1.5 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

olive oil

What you do:

Line your pan with foil and drizzle with olive oil.

Cut the tomatoes in half, length wise.

Bake face up at 400 for 30 minutes.

Combine breadcrumbs and cheese.

Top the tomatoes with a healthy spoonful of the breadcrumb mix.

Bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown on top.

Done and Delish!

Enjoy :)