Teacher Luncheon

The PTA president asked if I would be in charge of the teacher luncheon this week for about 60 people.  It was intended for me to get help but there are just a few people who help and everyone is so burned out that I just decided to do it myself.  I love making food so I was excited and began researching recipes.  I had $250 to work with for the food and decorations.  I decided to do a bbq/picnic theme and made the following recipes:

French Bread Rolls

BBQ Chicken

Baked Beans

Potato Salad

Cole Slaw

Mango and Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Spinach and Teriyaki Bowtie Salad

Fruit Salad

White Chocolate Fruit Tarts--I piped the filling into individual phyla cups and topped with fresh berries

Mini Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Rocky Road Brownies--I used my smallest biscuit cutter and cut little circles

Lemon Crinkles--these are so good, light and refreshing

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Lemonade

I didn't want anyone to know that I had made all the food because one it was a lot, two that's just how I am, and three I like people to be able to be honest and tell what they like or don't so I can improve.  Well the food got nothing but rave reviews.  It was alot of work and took 3 days of cooking but I enjoyed every minute of it. Well except for the 4 hour cleanup of my kitchen.  I couldn't have done it without Neil.  He was my helper and dishwasher and totally supportive, even when we had grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.  I tell ya, he's the best man I know and I'm so lucky to have him.  

For the tables I got red/white checkered tablecloths.  I made bright flowers out of tissue papers and placed them in a mason jar tied with raffia.  I tied the napkin and silverware together with raffia and placed a daffodil on top.  There were water bottles at each setting with cute red/white paper as the label.  I wasn't sure how it was going to come together but it was very cute and fun.  Neil took Conner to a birthday party on Saturday and happened to start talking to a lady who is a teacher at Lincoln and Neil said she just went on and on how nice everything was how wonderful the food was.  As you can tell I'm pretty happy with myself.  I know I've said it before but my life is my family but my passion is cooking and sewing.  Neil has hopes of us having a small family catering business in the future to help the kids earn money for missions and college.  I told him first I have to have a decent kitchen or at least a double oven.