Family Building at my sanity's expense
Ok. A little background.
In a show that we're not hermits that prefer the comforts of the bed, pajamas, tivo and takeout, my hubby and I have begun to invite friends and family over for dinner. Nothing major. Usually 2-3 people at a time.
This week my husband has decided to invite his father, his stepsis, his stepmom, his aunt, his uncle and his cousin and wife. Last I counted, that does not total 2-3. But I'm up for the challenge.
Then it dawns on me just who I'm entertaining.
An 8 yr old who loves plain pasta, no salt fries and an occasional scrambled egg.
A woman who doesn't eat meat and possibly fish. She prefers organic and pesticide free foods.
A man who has had a quadruple bypass. I guess fried mozarella as an appetizer is out.
A man who likes comfort foods and little else.
A vegetarian who loves grains and tofu.
A woman who loves garlic on everything.
Did I mention that we just moved and have not purchased a dining room set?
Oh, and my hubby's close friend from grammar school is having his 3x birthday party later that evening.
Piece of cake. Martha wouldn't flinch at this. Then again, Martha doesn't live in a one bedroom in Manhattan and has an entourage of people at her disposal to plan her meal, cook it and serve it. (Mind you, I read yesterday that Martha's brother is hawking her stuff on ebay. I guess if she had an occasional Friday meal with her family, this would have never happened.)
Now I know this means alot to my hubby. His father rarely visits us. Something always comes up. Allergies to our dogs, unplanned trips, etc always pop up out of nowhere. For my hubby's father's wife to say yes to an invite is a big deal. It's a sign of promise. Promise that his baby sis (she's 8) may get the chance to meet the rest of the kooky cousin clan. (She has yet to attend a family gathering. To date, I believe she has only met my hubby and an aunt and uncle.) So by no means, am I planning to burst my husband's bubble. But I do tell him, I'm going to need his help on this shindig.
On our ride to CompUSA [CompUSA:Hubby::ContainerStore:Me], I begin asking him preferences for each invited guest. Now I see him trying. I see the squirrels running on that wheel but and in all honesty, I knew that lightbulb wasn't going to pop up. But I give him 'A' for effort. The discussion ends with hubby asking me why a hunk of steak for his uncle who had a quadruple bypass would not be a good idea. Our discussion wasn't fruitless. We've determined a crudite of organic veggies served with my world famous garlic dip would be a hit with all invited.
So far on the menu:
Appetizers
Crudite (organic) w/Garlic Dip [Aunt Maria loves garlic]
Sides
Fresh Rolls [Pops loves the crusty outside of bread. (In a move that always causes a scooby doo, Huh?, he scoops out the yummy warm soft centers and eats the crust only.)]
Pasta Penne [Baby Sis loves those bland carbs.]
Now all I need is the main dishes (one veggie, one meat), a decision on the pasta, a veggie side and dessert.
NOTE: Last night, while watching Iron Chef America, my brain decided a dessert of saboyan and maybe a strawberry roll would be nice. Is my mind working for me or against me?