Party Mania

Karen's Dream Party Dessert

The Life Of The Party At Pet's

Karen

Hey Pet, the last of my house guest are gone and now it’s party season. Somehow most of my friends have birthdays in August and I also have a couple of wedding anniversaries. And of course there’s the huge party I’m throwing because all my house guest are gone. : )

Pet

With the hot weather we’re sweating through I’m trying to put off both house guests and parties. Nosy neighbors are clamoring for an open house as our sunroom over the former deck is finished and they need to check it out. As you have a rep for being the hostess with the mostest, any ides for menu, theme, whatever?

Karen

Well you can’t go wrong with a Hawaiian theme. Sunrooms just scream out for people wearing palm tree covered shirts and brightly colored shorts and skirts. And I think for the menu you should have a tropical fruit salad and roasted pig with a huge pitcher of Mai Tais. Oh, and of course everyone should receive a flower lay as they walk through the door. Can you tell I just went to a party with Hawaii as a theme? Actually it was my husbands High School Reunion. Don’t get me started.

Pet

I knew I couldn’t get into blogging world long without giving out a recipe. This comes from relatives who lived in Hawaii for four years. They swear this is how to make the pork that’s served with those sumptuous luaus so popular on the islands. Main ingredient is a pork roast, works better with the cheaper cuts like shoulder or Boston butt. Sprinkle generously with garlic pepper and liquid smoke seasoning. Place in slow cooker and ignore for twenty-four hours though difficult with the delicious aromas filling the house. Drain fat and serve with luau goodies. Leftovers great for pulled pork barbecue. Yummm!

Karen

Wow I can smell it through cyber space! I’m currently planning a major party for a friend who is turning one of those scary numbers. One of my friends suggested we have a Botox party. First off I think our friend would be super offended. She thinks she looks fabulous for her age and she does. Of course the money she spends on beauty products and facials could feed a small nation.

Pet

Botox party sounds like fun but cosmetic enhancement wouldn’t interest the farm community. I’ve nixed Hawaii for the upcoming open house since cows lolling in the fields would spoil the mood even with non-stop ukulele music. Big problem is when to schedule the gala? Country folk eat “dinner” at noon after a.m. milking and breakfast in the dark. The girls in the field are back in the barn before the herd’s folk eat an early “supper” and hit the sack. During present three-digit temps every spare minute is spent aboard tractors harvesting feed for hungry bovines. Any ideas from the metroplex on how to party when living in a berg with five hundred humans and five thousand cows?

Karen

Wow Pet, that’s a tough one. Growing up in farm country I know the schedule well. My guess is to catch them while they’ve still got some pep left. How about a dinner of nothing but frozen treats. I bet that would bring them in from the hot fields. I went to a party were all that was served was vanilla low fat yogurt. You got jazz it up with over twenty different toppings. I actually had a great time trying out different combinations. But I have to say some of the girls have some really peculiar taste buds. I swear this one girl had gummy bears, choco puffs, strawberries and Reeses peanut butter chunks piled high on top of her yogurt. Yuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pet

Frozen treats sound wonderful and I’m sure the farmers would love them but dh likes to show off his gourmet goodies at our hoedowns. We also like to feature creative appetizers made from the garden produce neighbors gift us with. As long as we don’t have a disaster like the time the alcoholic punch for the grownups got mixed up with the cool aid for the kids! Some of those kids are a little older now but not old enough to see if we created any alcoholics that fateful day. I think of you as an impeccable planner, but did you ever have a party disaster?

Karen

Hasn’t everybody! My worst by far was a bridal shower. I had the house all decked out in flowers. (The bride to be’s favorite color yellow) I had made cute little place cards with tiny yellow rose buds in the corner by each person’s name. Had made a high tea with finger sandwiches and yummy desserts stacked high on several pedestal plates. As everyone filed in I thought I was really giving Martha Stewart some competition. Things were running flawlessly till we came to the gift opening. The bride was thrilled with her first few gifts until she came to the mother–in-law’s offering. (She was conspicuously absent). She opened the box and inside was a single ticket to Paris. At first she was excited because that was where she wanted to go for her honeymoon. She looked for the other ticket and found there wasn’t one. She opened the card and it said, “Do my son a favor leave town.” The bride flew into a rage. Grabbed the plate of finger cookies and threw them across the room. Her mother and best friend had to restrain her. Then she burst into tears. Needless to say the party ended.

Pet

Unforgettable! Someday you’ll have to tell us what happened with the bride to be. Wonder if she’s happily married now? She should have made herself act delighted over the ticket and simpered, “Now we can buy another one and go to Paris for our honeymoon.” And then eat the cookies instead of tossing them. Wouldn’t that have frosted the old bat! You keep cool while I go back to figuring out what we’ll do with our “show off the new room” open house.