Bunco & Bathing Suits

Well last night was bunco.  It was a success.  I started prepping at 10am.  First was the grocery store than I got home and chopped everything I had bought.  I then cleaned a bit and set everything up outside.  It was 1pm.  There were so many hours until party time I thought I had tons of time.  Let me tell you how fast time flew.  Next thing I knew it was 5:30.  Everyone arrived shorty after 6:30.  I started cooking.  One of the fondue pots wasn't getting hot enough so I started nuking things.  Then I realized I had made a mistake.  The recipe stated '2/3 cheddar/swiss mixture'.  I took it as 2/3 cup.  No..... it was 5 cups!  2 cheddar 3 swiss.  DAMN.  I quickly improvised with bags of cheese I had in the fridge.  It ended up being on the watery side (the base was beer) but it was good nonetheless.  When I was setting up I quickly realized that I had not thought this event out strategically.  When you eat at Melting Pot you are all sitting around a hotplate and can dip/cook things as you wished.  A my house, I had set everything up at one table.  I got nervous that it wouldn't work out.  I warned a few of the early people that we were just going to have to roll with it.

I painted some sticks in chalkboard pain to label the food 

All set up

The drink table!

BUNCO!

Enjoying and chatting!

Here was my menu:
Wisconsin Trio Cheese Fondue
Sam Adams Boston Lager Cheddar Cheese Fondue
Coq au Vin cooking style served with chicken, sirloin and shrimp
Benihana's ginger dipping sauce
Melting Pot's Green Goddess dipping sauce
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Rye & Sourdough breads

The cheese started to bubble and the Coq au Vin was simmering.  Everyone started eating.  At first it was a traffic jam but it settled down and seemed to be working.  I was running in 20 different directions but at least I managed to drink a beer, a glass of wine and I finally poured myself a strawberry vodka lemonade. OH MY.... it was fabulous.  It was chilly out.  I had forgotten to hook up the patio heater so that quickly became priority.  I handed out a few jackets to keep everyone comfortable.  We had 14 people show up.  I think our prior max was 11 so it seemed to be going very well.  I started the chocolate fountain while everyone was eating even though we 'do' dessert at half-time.  I just didn't want to be delayed as I was with dinner.

The 1st 2 rounds of bunco went fast... there were tons of buncos and there was a ton of movement with all the people present.  It was pretty awesome.  It was now half time.  I broke out the Chocolate Peanut Butter fountain.  OMG.... Sooooooo yummy if I do say so myself.  I served it with marshmallows, mini brownies, strawberries and I had made browned butter salted rice krispie treats.  YUM.  That was a total SCORE.  The chocolate quickly disappeared.  The end of the game came and a few people stayed and we chatted under the super moon until 1am.  Great friends, great times.  Love girls night.

Today was catch up.  I had quite a headache when I woke up and had to do some residual cleaning.  D1 had her first sleep over at Grammie's house so Hubby picked her up.  I was so busy with things all night but I did miss her so.  She's never stayed away before so it was weird waking up and her room empty.  I was happy to have her home.  We played downstairs and it quickly became nap time.  I worked outside and planted the petunias I had bought yesterday and started planting some of the plants I bought at Klyn's nursery.  We have a TON of flowers.  Last year I was big, fat and preggo and really didn't get time or energy to do much outside.  This year I am making up for it.  I want color everywhere!!!  I want tons of plants.  I will start posting photos once things start blooming.  I have my focus now on the outside.  We'll see how much I can get done.

I am one of those people who weigh themselves every day.  Diet wise, I have been doing really well lately.  I am back to wearing the bodymedia Fit band which I love.  I count all my calories and I think I am pretty darn accurate.  I have lost almost 26 pounds since the end of last year.  I felt that it was time to go bathing suit shopping. I had been looking at a few online and decided to head out to Macy's.  I took D1 with me to free up Hubby (and she likes to shop!).  So cute, I try on a suit I LOVED on the hangar... my fat ass was hanging out terribly and D1 says... "that's beautiful mommy".  LOVE HER.  I tried on 3 and just was disgusted with myself.  Looks like I will wear what I have until I venture out again.  Maybe at the 40# mark.  We stopped at Earthfare for dinner and stopped at Menchie's for frozen yogurt.... Probably didn't help me go back to trying suits on again but, hey.... it was good.