It used to be, in the fabled Time Before Children, that Big E and I would have Dinner Parties. Six, ten, or even twenty friends would come and we would feed them Vast Amounts of Food. I know I have referred to this mythical era before (here for example). It was a time when the reality of spending the day cooking did not include a chorus of "Mom, mom, mom" in the background. If you gave me a real Time Machine, (one that went Backward, and not just Forward as my telephone does) I would not take it*. I love my girls. I love hearing the harmony and cacophony of my two monkeys in the house. But still, this week of being Alone, and this day of Cooking Alone has been fabulous.
Today I made Vietnamese noodle salad, cucumber pickled salad, jigglio (with raspberries I picked this morning in my yard!), and strawberry tart. I also prepped 10 lbs of chicken and the makings for salad rolls. Tomorrow, before my girls return, I will finish up the teriyaki chicken, Thai peanut chicken, gado gado salad, vats of rice, banana wontons, cinnamon filo sticks, and the salad rolls. Oh, and tonight I still need to make chocolate pudding and the dips and sauces for tomorrow. We are expecting 22 adults and 7 kiddos for Big E's bash tomorrow.
*Okay, I would take the Time Machine for one quick spin (just to see that it works..), and go back to being 18 and feeling like Hot Stuff in my black skinny jeans, but that would just be for a day.