I'm not sure what I was thinking when I volunteered my Main Man and myself for a catering gig, but we actually managed to pull it off, and I think we were at least partially successful! Our friends asked for my help planning a theme and decorating for their son's wedding rehearsal dinner. When they decided on a casual family-friendly fiesta, I thought I could manage to pull off the food as well. (There was only one snafu, but I"ll explain below.) We have prepared our famous fajita & "all the trimmings" dinner many, many times, but just never for 100 or so people!
Me at the grill!
My Woo-Hoo Gal pals did an exceptional job with decorating the venue (Doesn't that sounds more appealing that the Church's Family Life Center?), and the tablescapes were fabulous! Every person received a little maraca keychain, as a favor that double as a napkin ring, and I'm seriously in LOVE with the mason jars filled with dried beans and candles... way, way cute!
Cute tables, Woo-Hoo Gals!
I absolutely could not have done yesterday without my Main Man and our Three Princesses! Their help was invaluable! My youngest princess is nearly 11, and she put in a long 12 hour work day that would have exhausted any adult!
She would do her task, and ask, "what's next?"... I was a proud Mama!
Princess #3, chopping veggies
As for the one big snafu... every event has to have one...right? Well, when you think of a delicious steaming platter of fajitas, what comes to mind? For me it's the bounty of fresh, perfectly grilled veggies, just waiting to jump into that soft, warm tortilla, and get mushed up with some guacamole!
Veggies just like these...
Yum! Don't those look perfectly delicious? We bought those fresh and sliced them ourselves so they would be just perfect for the guest at the dinner.
We chopped...
Princess #2, chopping veggies
and then we chopped some more!
WOW, that was a lot of chopping, but so worth it to make a perfect, party-worthy fajita!
Things we're going well, we had a two-sided buffet line with doubles of every item, so the line moved fairly fast, and we replenished platters a time or two. After everyone had eaten, and some had even headed towards the dessert table, my Main Man and I went to check the warmers to see how our supplies were holding up.
Wait... what was in that huge pan, covered in aluminum foil, on a rack near the bottom of the tower warmer? Yep... the one (and only!) giant pan of perfectly grilled tri-colored peppers and onions. Enough for 100+ people to have grilled veggies on 2 or more fajitas! Dessert had begun, and we hadn't put out the veggies, yet. I felt my head swimming, and tears started welling, but I quickly shook it off. My fast-thinking Main Main, grabbed some tongs, threw a huge pile of veggies on a platter, and went table to table, trying to find some takers. He found a dozen or so, who were still working on their dinner, and he got a few "wish I had seen those 20 minutes ago" comments, but he did at least serve a few.
I couldn't believe we had put all that time (and money!) in to those veggies and then forgot to serve them! Who does that? Well... apparently we do!
Note to self... next time, review that list, and make sure you actually have out every item you have prepared!
Come on over to our house, (or to the parent's of the groom, or the parents of the bride, or the bride's cousin's...well, you get what I mean!)...
we have some delicious grilled veggies, we would like to share with you!
Keep shining! (even when you goof!)
The Woo-Hoo Gal
Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
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