Backwards

Apparently, I like to do things backwards.

We had a garage sale in December, and on Friday, a BBQ in the dead of March.

Todd's best friend Matt is in town from Wisconsin and we thought it would be fun to get some friends together to show him a good ol' Wyoming time.  The weather had been amazing all week and a BBQ seemed like a good idea.

It blizzarded.  The joke is, if we need moisture have me plan an event - and it'll snow.  My Fort Collins birthday party last year? Blizzard.  MS Walk with breakfast at my place first?  Blizzard.  BBQ at the end of a week of amazing weather?  You already know.

But we decided to go ahead with it.  Brandon was bringing his fire pit, so we'd have warmth, and with an attached workshop that opens to the backyard we would have shelter - two essential things for survival. 

It snowed all day but cleared up right nicely for most of the BBQ.  We were going to have all the food inside, but everyone was really hanging out outside, so we moved the food to the workshop.  The buffet on the workbench...

LOTS of chips on the cabinet ledge...

 The bar.  On top of Todd's tool chest...

Gathering 'round the fire...

The Wisconsin Cheeseheads: Todd and his best friend Matt, on the left...

More fire...

The snow started back up with a vengeance.  Matt was hardcore and stuck it out around the fire longer than the rest of us...

The last of the crew in the workshop before heading home...

A sea of dogs.  Rigby, Nadi, Duffer, and Leyla...

Rigby with a well-deserved drink.  It's hard playing host!

What other typically summertime events can I hold in the winter?  Brandon suggested fireworks next weekend.

On a (Dinner) Roll

I am on a roll with entertaining these past couple weeks.

I hosted my first dinner party a few weeks ago with Lori and Shaq, and tonight I had my second.

Linds and Jonna drove over from Laramie to hang out and eat some grub. Jonna hadn't seen my apartment since I moved in - and Linds hadn't seen it since the addition of my living room rug - so it was fun to show them how the place has changed.

We had a roast chicken, sweet potatoes "fries," and a new recipe: asparagus with balsamic brown butter sauce that was an absolute disaster.

The directions call for adding a balsamic mixture to a pan of browned butter, the process of which completely exploded all over my stove and walls - sort of in the manner of a fireworks show. There were little explosions and splatters at first that rose to a grand finale of sprays and bursts before I could move the pan from the stove.

On top of that the recipe sucked. I will not be making that again.

However, I made another new recipe for dessert: Glazed Lemon Buttermilk Cake that we topped with mixed berries.

And that totally made up for the asparagus...

Entertainment Tonight

Though it was really last night that I had my first real dinner party at the new apartment.

Lori and her fiance are in town this week and I invited them over for a nice home cooked meal.

I have certainly cooked in my spacious new kitchen, but it's only been for myself. Last night I put the kitchen to the test with actual guests and multiple courses. It passed.

We spent the majority of the night hanging out around the kitchen table talking and drinking wine while I prepared the food. It was just as a kitchen should be. Old apt. 304, as much as I loved it, could barely accommodate two people in the kitchen and during parties would sometimes look like a clown car emptying out. And as dear to my heart as the breakfast nook was, it was really only good for one person eating alone, or a nice selection of beverages during get togethers.

Lori, who spent quite a bit of time at my old place, and who also lives on the East Coast, appropriately appreciated the space.

Today, however, I woke to a kitchen absolutely filled with dirty dishes that I will have to wash by hand. Not having a dishwasher wasn't a deal breaker on taking the apartment or anything, but at times like this it sure would be nice to have that little upgrade!

The menu from my first dinner party:

Anti-pasta - olives, cippolini onions, roasted garlic, crackers, cheese, rosemary bread with olive oil for dipping

Main course - walnut and blue cheese salad, chicken thighs with tomatoes, olives and capers (one of the easiest and tastiest entertaining recipes out there)

Dessert - Linds H.'s mom's Swedish Cream. Always amazing! So good, in fact, that Lori took the recipe home to make for her parents tomorrow night.

Swedish Cream

Heat 2 cups of heavy whipping cream over low heat. Add 1 pkg. unflavored Knox gelatin, stirring constantly with a whisk until dissolved.

Chill 10 minutes.

Add 3/4 c. sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract. Heat again.

Chill 30 minutes. Add 2 cups light sour cream. Blend until smooth.

Serve chilled topped with a mix of berries. (I usually just defrost a bag of frozen mixed berries.)

Delish!

Revolving Door

My apartment has become a revolving door for visitors lately, and it doesn't look as if it will stop anytime soon.

I'm not complaining! I'm liking the constant activity and am enjoying seeing people I may not get to see again for a while.

It all started with Linds C. and her mom, who stayed at my place last weekend even though I was in D.C. Initially we thought we'd pull a switcheroo like in the movie The Holiday, but it only worked about half right. Regardless, she is my first official visitor, even if I wasn't there to greet her personally.

Then a friend from the Senator's office came by for drinks last Wednesday, followed a few days later by an old friend from college who I hadn't seen in years and who came to town to catch up. No sooner had he left than another friend from the Senator's pulled in and has been my guest until tonight.

CK has hinted he may stay when he's in the state for work, Linds H. needs a bed while in town for a conference, and my parents are planning a visit in early September!

Whew!

It's like running a bed and breakfast!

This constant flow of visitors is very exciting, but I'm afraid it is giving me a false sense of activity in my new town.

Oh well. I'll just sit back and let the door keep swinging.