Monday, August 4, 2008

The Saturday Afternoon Barbecue

Saturday, we had some friends over for a barbecue. It amazingly, is the first one we have had with friends this year. I started preparing the meat on Friday, which gave us time to go through the mad cleaning of the house. We really don't live like pigs but some things along the way, get missed when we go through the house every four days or once a week cleaning. With Steve faithfully, brushing the dog since he is in his shedding period, we still end up with dog hair from one end to the other.

We usually prepare all the food for these gathering at our home when we are hosting, but all insisted they bring something along to share, so it became a "pot-luck" meal. We started with appetizers, bar trail mix, smoked salmon with sprigs of dill in a sour cream sauce, a layered leavened bread with cream cheese, three different chopped peppers, chopped black olives, grated cheddar cheese. I don't know what it was called but it was delicious. Besides the typical beverages, the main dishes were "baby-back ribs", chicken thighs, both barbecued in a sauce, German potato salad, home made baked beans, Lima beans and chopped onions in sour cream for a bean salad, and for dessert, home made ginger cookies, chocolate chip cookies with home made mint ice-cream. I have one word to describe this: oink!

The weather turned out perfectly staying in the 70s with intermittent clouds and sun breaks and a pleasant breeze blowing. One can thank the Zephyr's for supplying that so we sat on our wee patio outside our solarium and ate at a picnic table on our shaded deck. The company, food, conversation and the craic were perfect and one couldn't ask for a more pleasant day. Even Seán, our dog got more than enough attention from everyone. Steve and one of our friends used to fence, so they got a chance to see if they could still compete with each other. I know, the next morning, Steve was lamenting about how sore he was. I think he stirred a few muscle groups up that he doesn't usually use during a normal day.

Unfortunately, in all the excitement and fun, no one thought to bring a camera to snap a few pictures and this entry sadly will not have any pictures to help with the story.

18 comments:

Joe Jubinville said...

You had me at 'smoked salmon with sprigs of dill in a sour cream sauce.' Hello!

Butch said...

Joe: I know what you mean. That's the nice thing about "Potlucks," one always is surprised at the variety of foods presented. Everyone who attended, knows their way around a kitchen.

Lacey said...

Sounds yummy but no pics? Oh Butch. Boo. Hiss.

The lima bean salad sounds interesting. I love limas but don't think I've ever had them in a salad.

It's very hot here. Very.

Butch said...

Lacey: Sorry, I'm usually better with the visuals but unfortunately, no one thought to snap a picture the whole time. I need to leave the camera out where I can remember to take some. I was concentrating on the meat on the grill and doing my usual "Mad Hatter" routine as host so I'm not surprised I forgot.

The Lima bean salad dish was tasty. The onions are sliced transversely and very, very thin. The cooked Lima beans are tossed with the onions and the sour cream is added until everything holds together with a wee bit of salt & cracked pepper added at the end. Enjoy!

Greg said...

Oh, Butch, you tease: no photos and now this talk of a "Mad Hatter" routine!?!

Actually, no photos just means you had a really wonderful time, so busy enjoying one another's company that the camera was never a thought.

The best gatherings often leave naught but the glitter of mental pictures, a few words that make one smile at the memory...and a full trash barrel or two.

Sounds like fun! : )

Butch said...

Greg: I just got back from seeing "The Dart Knight." I think it was probably Heath Ledger's best work. Where he dredged up that character from his soul, no one will ever know, as it was truly brilliant!

I remember the party you threw and you still were able to remember the pictures. I'll do better (hopefully) next time. We did have a great time, though. ;-)

Java said...

It sounds like a wonderful party. When a gathering is so enjoyable, do you ever wonder why you don't do it more often?

Butch said...

Java: Normally after a party, I'm exhausted from running around making sure everyone has what they need etc., but this time, everyone who came last Saturday, knew where everything was located and just went and got what they wanted. Even the cleanup afterwards was nothing. We all decided to use throw-a-way plates, bowls etc., and what was left to clean was very easy to do. We've held Thanksgiving dinners in the past that were intensive and the last one was a sit-down for approximately 18 people. This dinner is always a tough one to make sure everything is ready at the same time and cleanup is always monumental. It's been a few years since we've had such a large dinner and we're always looking for ways to improve on it and make it easier to cleanup afterwards.

I think this one was perfect in that it was informal and everyone could basically do what they wanted to do. The conversation and friendly banter made it interesting.

dantallion said...

Yeah, the salmon made me look at the plate of tuna salad I'm eating right now and get very, very envious...

Greg said...

Hey Butch--Heath really was something in that, huh? One of the best Joker portrayals ever.

(I did leave a comment, right? You answered it, that I can see. But here's the secret...the party we had where I remembered to take pictures...was not our best affair. Ah ha, see?)

And I must say, the Lima Bean salad sounds more interesting the more I hear about it.

Butch said...

Dantallion - Yeah, the salmon made me look at the plate of tuna salad I'm eating right now and get very, very envious...

Butch said...

Dantallion - Yeah, the salmon made me look at the ...
Dantallion - Yeah, the salmon made me look at the plate of tuna salad I'm eating right now and get very, very envious...
Hey Butch--Heath really was something in that, hu...
Hey Butch--Heath really was something in that, huh? One of the best Joker portrayals ever.

(I did leave a comment, right? You answered it, that I can see. But here's the secret...the party we had where I remembered to take pictures...was not our best affair. Ah ha, see?)

And I must say, the Lima Bean salad sounds more interesting the more I hear about it.
Yeah, the salmon made me look at the plate of tuna...
Yeah, the salmon made me look at the plate of tuna salad I'm eating right now and get very, very envious...
Java: Normally after a party, I'm exhausted from r...
Java: Normally after a party, I'm exhausted from running around making sure everyone has what they need etc., but this time, everyone who came last Saturday, knew where everything was located and just went and got what they wanted. Even the cleanup afterwards was nothing. We all decided to use throw-a-way plates, bowls etc., and what was left to clean was very easy to do. We've held Thanksgiving dinners in the past that were intensive and the last one was a sit-down for approximately 18 people. This dinner is always a tough one to make sure everything is ready at the same time and cleanup is always monumental. It's been a few years since we've had such a large dinner and we're always looking for ways to improve on it and make it easier to cleanup afterwards.

I think this one was perfect in that it was informal and everyone could basically do what they wanted to do. The conversation and friendly banter made it interesting.
It sounds like a wonderful party. When a gatherin...
It sounds like a wonderful party. When a gathering is so enjoyable, do you ever wonder why you don't do it more often?
Greg: I just got back from seeing "The Dart Knight...
Greg: I just got back from seeing "The Dart Knight." I think it was probably Heath Ledger's best work. Where he dredged up that character from his soul, no one will ever know, as it was truly brilliant!

I remember the party you threw and you still were able to remember the pictures. I'll do better (hopefully) next time. We did have a great time, though. ;-)
Lacey: Sorry, I'm usually better with the visuals ...
Lacey: Sorry, I'm usually better with the visuals but unfortunately, no one thought to snap a picture the whole time. I need to leave the camera out where I can remember to take some. I was concentrating on the meat on the grill and doing my usual "Mad Hatter" routine as host so I'm not surprised I forgot.

The Lima bean salad dish was tasty. The onions are sliced transversely and very, very thin. The cooked Lima beans are tossed with the onions and the sour cream is added until everything holds together with a wee bit of salt & cracked pepper added at the end. Enjoy!
Sounds yummy but no pics? Oh Butch. Boo. Hiss.The ...
Sounds yummy but no pics? Oh Butch. Boo. Hiss.

The lima bean salad sounds interesting. I love limas but don't think I've ever had them in a salad.

It's very hot here. Very.
Joe: I know what you mean. That's the nice thing a...
Joe: I know what you mean. That's the nice thing about "Potlucks," one always is surprised at the variety of foods presented. Everyone who attended, knows their way around a kitchen.
You had me at 'smoked salmon with sprigs of dill i...
You had me at 'smoked salmon with sprigs of dill in a sour cream sauce.' Hello!

Wonder Man said...

Sounds like fun, I wish I was there

Butch said...

Dantallion: That salmon was delicious especially with the sprigs of dill which could be broken into smaller pieces with the sauce. It could have been a meal in itself. ;-) I like tuna as well, especially the Albacore type, a little chopped onion, and sweet pickle, mayonnaise and voilá, get out the crackers!

Butch said...

Greg: I don't think another version of the Joker would be any better. I think Heath will win an Academy Award for this role, he was brilliant and will all the "nervous-tics" he gave the character, it was amazing.

You did leave a comment and I do not have a clue where it went.

The Lima bean dish was new to me as well but it worked, especially with the onions and sour-cream. Give it a go and see what you think.

Butch said...

Wonder Man: You would have enjoyed it if you were here. We had a ton of food, there certainly would have been enough. ;-)

( For some reason, the comments are not being printed as soon as I allow them so, your comment could come in at any time or be lost in cyber space, I'm not sure what is happening with the comments. )

Butch said...

I can see the experiment I tried finally published, It took all of the comments and put them into one huge file. Just ignore it, thanks.

Butch said...

Wonder Man:

We certainly had plenty of food for an extra guest. ;-)