I Love Memes - Thursday Thunks

I love memes and have found a new one! This one actually makes you think! My answers are in red:

Welcome to the July 9th version of Thursday Thunks!

(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by

Berleen, the number 141 and the color of your underwear.

1. Do you tend to have a guilty conscious? I don't do anything to have a guilty conscious over - but I just feel guilt in general. Am I good enough mother, wife, friend, did I say something to hurt someone, the list goes on and on...

2. Do you still have your wisdom teeth? No. I had them cut out when I was 34! -- big mistake! If it could go wrong it did! I had a dry socket, they hit a nerve and the feeling wasn't completely back for over a month, the steroids they gave me swelled my face up like a balloon, and I got thrush, a yeast infection, in my mouth.

3. Peanut Butter - creamy or crunchy? Creamy

4. Get up off your butt. Take 5 steps. Which leg did you start out on? Right

5. What color is your favorite kitchen utensil? Black

6. Did you watch the Michael Jackson memorial/funeral? The last 15 - 20 minutes -- just because it was on when I turned on the TV

7. Do you know anyone who graduated from high school this year?
Were you invited to their graduation party? Did you go? Umm... my son and I gave the party!

8. White with black stripes or black with white stripes? Black with white

9. If we were to call your 6th grade teacher, what would they say about you? I don't remember 6th Grade - seriously! I remember 5th, 7th, 8th - but not 6th! I was always a good student though - I'm sure they loved me! lol!

10. Can you draw a perfect circle? No, but I painted one on the ceiling (I used a string and pencil to draw it out though.

11. What was your favorite scratch & sniff sticker scent? Watermelon

12. What does your sibling do for a living? One Watches kids, one is a mechanical engineer, one makes great blog headers!

13. How many light switches and electrical outlets are in the room that you are in right now? 17

14. Do you know sign language? I used to know the alphabet - might still be able to spell a few things.

15. Do you step on cracks in the sidewalk? I'm just happy when I don't trip over them and fall on my face!

16. And the sheets on your bed look like....? Easy - since I haven't made it for days... they are gold.

17. What is something that everyone else has, but you don't? Energy!

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How I Fed The Masses

We had probably close to 200 people attend my son's graduation party - and would you believe, I actually had food left over? I received many comments because there was plenty! I even went home with about 15 unopened 2-liters. So, how did I plan, and shop for food, for that many?

I have to give a lot of the credit to a site I found called Ellen's Kitchen. Here I found the amounts I needed for each item for my taco bar. Ellen's site was the only place I found on the net to help put together a meal for such a large crowd.

I started by writing down all the foods I wanted on the bar, taco meat, refried beans, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, lettuce, nacho cheese, drinks, cake, etc. Then I took the amount she gave for 100 and doubled it. There were a couple things not listed, such as the Mexican rice and sliced olives, but just about everything else was there. And, wouldn't you know, the items she didn't have amounts for were the ones I way over purchased for. (I still have two 55 ounce cans of sliced olives - if anyone is in need!)

The one item my hubby didn't agree with her on was drinks. He said on a hot summer day I would need many more 2-liters than she suggested. I guess we know, from the 15 I brought home, who was right on that one!

Another thing I did that helped immensely was to start a couple months in advance. Way back in March I found packages of 50 20-ounce sized cups for just $1.99 at a salvage store in our area. I also found Styrofoam trays that I thought would make a great plate. They were thick and study and large and only $3.00 for 150!

I also purchased drinks and ground beef anytime I found them on sale. I went ahead and cooked the ground beef and seasoned it and then froze it in large, gallon-sized freezer bags. So then all I had to do was thaw it out a couple days before the party and then the day of stick it in crockpots to heat.

Speaking of crockpots, I already had two, but I was able to find another at a yard sale for $3.00, and then I borrowed my mother-in-law's two and my neighbors two. I kept everything in them until a few minutes before we served. At serving time I had chaffing pans ready, fired them up, and dumped my crockpot items into them. This made it easy to have two lines, one on each side of the table.

I decorated the night before the party, even setting the tables and putting the drinks out. But in the end, there were two dear friends that I couldn't have done it without. One in particular got there early, and never stopped! She made the rice for me, (thanks to CVS for the easy packages you just add water to and bake.) made sure everything was refilled when it ran low, moved the empties out of the way, and basically ran herself silly for four or five hours.

In the end, everyone was well feed, DS got a ton of presents, and we all had a great time... until Sunday when I faced the mountain of dishes left in my kitchen sink!

I wish I had pictures to show you of the serving table, but I was too busy to think of taking them! My mom, thankfully, did grab my camera and at least get me some pictures of my son with his cake and opening his gifts and some of the guests... thank goodness for moms!

I had too many desserts too - can you tell?

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Then & Now - Do They Still Resemble Each Other?

Yesterday when I posted my favorite photo of my son and his cousin when they were little for the MckLinky Blog Hop, Kathryn with This 'n That From On The Mountain, asked me if they were still friends.

Actually, they are very close. So close, that when I was putting together the slide show for my son's graduation I realized that most people would have thought they were brothers because about half the photos I posted had them together!

I have many pictures I could post of them now, but this one makes me laugh every time I see it. My son is on the right, making the goofy face - which is quite normal. I have to threaten to get a picture of him with a smile. Usually this is what I get!

Do you still see the resemblance, or have they outgrown it?

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My Favorite Photo: The Osh Kosh Twins

This week, on TUESDAY, 7/7/09, the theme Blog Hop Theme is A FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPH.

This is one of my most precious photos. It is of my son and his cousin, who isn't his twin - he's actually 9 months younger than my son. They still look somewhat alike, but when they were young they looked so much alike that everyone mistook them for brothers.

I entered this photo in the Osh Kosh photo contest years ago, but it didn't win. I still, to this day, think it should have!

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