Our house was invaded yesterday. Not by thieves you can swiftly kick out of your house. No, I wish it was that easy... Two families with seven kids between them, claiming some distance relationship to S., stopped by yesterday, with a 15-minute notice. S. could not say no mainly because the guys were playmates over thirty years ago and haven't seen each other for like twenty years.
The lack of warning should have been our warning... When one of the guys called, we assumed there were only two couples. I had dinner almost ready (slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork, amazing bread buns, crispy potatoes, tomato salad, and fresh watermelon -- yummy, recipes below). We had plenty for two more couples but not if they came with a package of seven kids! Worse, all four parents sat down and never moved an inch, as kids tore through the house. S. and I exchanged a look and decided NOT to experiment with BBQ sauce.
Instead, we offered an assortment of drinks and freshly sliced watermelon. It was a large watermelon but it was gone in minutes. Then I had an idea! I bought this retro popcorn maker a few weeks ago. So I took out oil, corn, an assortment of popcorn flavorings, and plastic bowls. That immediately got the attention of every kid, even the toddler. Their eyes grew wide as popcorn started flying out of the bowl. They all grabbed a bowl and stood (finally stood, instead of running around), waiting for popcorn. Wow! I ended up making quite a few batches -- ten, I think. I don't know where they were packing all that popcorn, especially after devouring an entire watermelon.
Popcorn was everywhere, as you can imagine. After they finally left, S. and I walked into the house and shook our heads at the mess. Fortunately, it only took vacuuming/sweeping and mopping the floor and wiping all surfaces with Lysol. Oh, Beauty the dog helped, too -- she happily munched on popcorn like a canine vacuum she is, lol. Bubbles the cat did not care about popcorn and just watched from her "throne," probably laughing at us. She actually hid in the bathroom when she saw those kids storm in. Bubbles, the fearless cat who usually climbs on a guest's lap to say hello!
Then we enjoyed our delayed dinner... I kept the slowcooker on warm so pulled pork did not need to be reheated. I used this recipe and added extra BBQ sauce.
The bread would have been better fresh out of the oven but it's an awesome recipe and so we just warmed it in a microwave for a few secs. The recipe is here. Try it -- you will never buy hamburger buns again, I promise. :) I made 12 smaller buns. The recipe calls for nine but they are HUGE.
Tomato salad was very simple: thinly sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, garlic salt, olive oil. It was a bit soggy.
Crispy potatoes were ruined, though... :( They are easy to make but must be eaten fresh out of the oven. It's a very simple recipe: peel and slice potatoes into wedges, soak in cold water for one hour, drain the water, and dry potatoes with paper towels. Toss with olive oil, garlic salt, and a bit of red pepper. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for 15-20 mins on each side. Broil for a few mins for extra crispness.
The lack of warning should have been our warning... When one of the guys called, we assumed there were only two couples. I had dinner almost ready (slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork, amazing bread buns, crispy potatoes, tomato salad, and fresh watermelon -- yummy, recipes below). We had plenty for two more couples but not if they came with a package of seven kids! Worse, all four parents sat down and never moved an inch, as kids tore through the house. S. and I exchanged a look and decided NOT to experiment with BBQ sauce.
Popcorn was everywhere, as you can imagine. After they finally left, S. and I walked into the house and shook our heads at the mess. Fortunately, it only took vacuuming/sweeping and mopping the floor and wiping all surfaces with Lysol. Oh, Beauty the dog helped, too -- she happily munched on popcorn like a canine vacuum she is, lol. Bubbles the cat did not care about popcorn and just watched from her "throne," probably laughing at us. She actually hid in the bathroom when she saw those kids storm in. Bubbles, the fearless cat who usually climbs on a guest's lap to say hello!
Then we enjoyed our delayed dinner... I kept the slowcooker on warm so pulled pork did not need to be reheated. I used this recipe and added extra BBQ sauce.
The bread would have been better fresh out of the oven but it's an awesome recipe and so we just warmed it in a microwave for a few secs. The recipe is here. Try it -- you will never buy hamburger buns again, I promise. :) I made 12 smaller buns. The recipe calls for nine but they are HUGE.
Tomato salad was very simple: thinly sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, garlic salt, olive oil. It was a bit soggy.
Crispy potatoes were ruined, though... :( They are easy to make but must be eaten fresh out of the oven. It's a very simple recipe: peel and slice potatoes into wedges, soak in cold water for one hour, drain the water, and dry potatoes with paper towels. Toss with olive oil, garlic salt, and a bit of red pepper. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for 15-20 mins on each side. Broil for a few mins for extra crispness.
2 comments:
I'm glad it worked out, but SEVEN kids? Good thing you had the popcorn machine. :)
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