Here is the party wrap up. It included a lot of switching gears at the last minute, but that is normally the case. Not a lot of pictures, it seems like there just isn’t time when things are in motion.
Appetizers: The pinwheels did not turn out as well as the first time I made them. They were in the freezer for about six weeks, but I don't think that should have made a difference. They never browned up. The oven I was using may not have been accurate. It’s a risk you take using someone else’s kitchen. They tasted great but didn’t look as good as I would have liked.
I did go with the salad. It was a mixture of spring greens and kale. It had candied pecans, blue cheese, red pepper, bacon, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. People loved it. I had thought about taking it off the menu, but I am glad I left it on.
The mushroom caps were stuffed with a cream cheese mixture. The artichoke dip was baked in puff pastry. That was in place of the pigs in a blanket. Both went over well.
Entrees: It seems like no matter how well you try to time and plan things out, it never works out the way you think it should. The party was held at an old elementary school, in what used to be the library. The building is now owned by a veteran’s support group that is doing a lot great things for vets. I was pleased that they let us use their facility. However, the set up took about twice as long as I planned for, so that cut into the cooking time. As a result, I did not brine the pork after all. I stuffed them the night before and used a nice rub, so I guess that could be considered a dry brine.
When I went to fire up the pellet grill bright and early Wednesday morning it promptly went out. I didn’t have time to mess with it, so the pork and the turkey were baked and not smoked. Both turned out very nice. I did a gravy with sauteed apples, cherries, and chunks of bacon to go with the turkey and pork loin. It turned out great. The only problem was I had to transport it and the Cambro it was in fell on its side enroute. The apple mixture stayed in the container and was fine. However, the gravy ended up leaking all over the trunk of the car. When I got to the place where we were holding the event, they had extra jars of turkey gravy left over from an earlier event that I was able to use. So, the gravy wasn’t as good as it should have been, but it worked out OK.
Sides: The potatoes were good. I followed the recipe discussed earlier in the thread. The broccoli was pretty simple. One of the best investments I have ever made was spending $5 at a garage sale for an indoor turkey frier. If you use water instead of oil it is a great steamer. I just steamed the frozen broccoli, added butter and it was good to go.
Dessert: My wife put together a chocolate fountain. There was spice cake, red velvet cake, Rice Krispie treats, brownies, strawberries, raspberries, and bacon. I know I am missing several other items. It was a good assortment. People had fun with it. There was one drawback, we ran out of time to make Figgy Pudding. However, there were people asking for it! I was sorry we didn’t get to it.
Program: A guy I recently met is a poet and storyteller. He did a series of readings and carols. It was a great way to cap off the evening.
All and all it went well, but there is a reason I only do this once a year! Thanks again for the help and advice, it is much appreciated!!
