Dinner Menu

We have decided to have a very family traditional meal, one that is special to us. So, here's the manu:

ROULADIN: pounded beef, with spices, rolled around a pickle, onion, and piece of bacon. It's delicious, I swear. And the good thing is, if you hate pickles or onions or bacon, you can remove them easily (see cross-cut picture, below). Served with gravy.

SPATZLE: I'm not putting the umlaut in the name right now, but there is one over the A. It's hand-made egg noodles. I have a press that makes them. They don't taste like eggs, but they don't taste heavy like pasta noodles either. Fluffier, and they hold flavor of whatever you're serving well. You serve this with the same gravy as the rouladin.

MACARONI AND CHEESE: B's favorite. And he's responsible for making it. It's the only food that has to be cooked soon before serving (the other baked items can be frozen ahead of time), so he's in charge of making this while I work on flowers on Friday (day before wedding)

SPINACH SALAD: B's family recipe. This will have to be tossed together, but the assistants can do that.

REGULAR SALAD: We may have sort of a salad-bar situation with fixings available, as well as various dressings.

DINNER ROLLS: Finally, dinner rolls.

We will also have wine, water, and punch. After dinner, there will be tea, and regular and decaf coffee also. And of course, cake will follow a bit after dinner. All in all, I think it works.

Info on appetizers later....

Invitations, RSVPs, and Food

So far, so good. B did all of the first few steps down south over the past few weeks. Now I'm on to the finishing steps. It's a multi-step process (cut, let things dry, etc etc), but I really like the way they're turning out.

Last night I did 17 invites (goal was 10, so woo!). However, I did NOT feel up to the reorganization task, so that got postponed. Something like rearranging a room you have to feel up for, you know? So instead, I went overboard on the invites and cut out 3 different other things for the invitation (front side of RSVP card, inside of RSVP card, and website postcard insert).

I keep wanting to work on other projects (because they need to get done too-- eg: centerpieces!), but the invites have to come first. Because we're the ones doing all this, additional people don't pose much of a cost increase, but they are cause for additional planning. So the sooner we get these invites out, the sooner we'll know how many (precisely!) to plan for.

Right now I think we can handle up to 168 on tables (that won't/can't happen!) and 135 chair-wise. Additional chairs can be ordered, table coordination was more difficult, so that's what we overprepared for. Our guest count right now is tentatively at 103, but that's being optimistic in some places and pessimistic in others. And yes, we're hoping Joe Blo doesn't bring his newbie girlfriend of 1 week, but sometimes there's no stopping people and their +1s. B and I have the mentality that it's lovely to have our friends there, regardless, and that is what we should focus on: being blessed by their friendship. Though, I must admit, not having catering costs (well, per capita) is rather lovely.

Speaking of catering/food, that's another battle to be planned. I'd rather not cook too far in advance because a) I don't want the mini-freezer running longer than I can help, and b) I'd rather not have food frozen for TOO long. There is the possibility that B may be getting his own apartment down where the wedding is, so that would GREATLY lessen the food woes. B would take the mini freezer, and each week, food would be shuttled down (we'd have to get an ice chest for the car). Oh, to have food already down there... what a stress off our backs that would be.

So yes, there is a lot up in the air. One task at a time, right? Invitations now.... hopefully to be mailed out on 4/20.

Goal tonight: Work on invites. UNLESS: feeling up to the task of cleaning out the back office/wedding room.

Things are really getting busy...

There are a lot of projects on the table right now... Thought I'd list the immediate ones, partially for my organization, and partially, well, to post.
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Invitations: B's finishing step 1 of the actual invitations down south; they should be ready to come up by next weekend. We'll work on step 2 and 3 the weekend of 4/3. I'm working on envelopes at home right now, and I'll get the outer envelopes from B this weekend so I can start labeling next week.
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Placemats: 56 have fabric on them, which means another 44 need fabric. We're planning 100 for now, and additional ones can be made if we get more than 100 rsvps. Then, all 100 need ribbon and backing. Goal to get this done: 3 weeks from now.
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Giftboxes: We've done nothing! Well, we have all the supplies. I need to cut and glue paper on to all of them, as well as make the contents. I think the making will occur the weekend of 4/3 because baking can happen while other stuff is happening.
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Registries: Will be finished up the weekend of 4/3. BBB's will take a while though... there's a lot to go through.
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Website: Needs: photos for a few things, hotel information, and registry links and info. I think that's it though!
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Centerpieces: My big project this week and next week during the week. I sit at home and cut and make paper roses. No joke. I made probably about 40 last night and cut probably about 70. Not very productive, especially considering each centerpiece needs about 200 roses. UGH.
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Lanterns: Our friend, Tiana, it cutting circles and folding, B is doing the same. Our friend, Jenn, is stapling and making lanterns. So, while I NEED to staple the petals I have, I have to work on centerpieces the next couple of weeks. Those take greater importance right now.
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Food: I need to do a test-run of the rouladin to double make sure the freezing/thawing process doesn't ruin the integrity of the item. This is more to please my parents than me... I've done this before! Ugh. But I suppose it will make me happy too. Food preparation should begin the first week in May. I figure 1.5 months frozen is an ok time. I plan on freezing the rouladin in gravy so as to keep it moist in the freezer. Spaetzle will be made probably the first week in June.
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Tablecloths: Need to be made. I have the material... but I think I will use the material I have on chair covers first, and then possibly use the remainder or buy thicker material for the tablecloths.
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Chair Covers: Need to be made. ASAP. We will be measuring the hall this weekend, as well as taking detailed measurements of the chairs. Then it will be a matter of cut and sew for me. I need to get these finished soon. Hopefully by mid-April.
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Yellow Lanterns: Haven't even begun to be made. Eek. I figure we'll probably need about 200 of these.... They will be easier than the regular lanterns because these only need to be hung on a vertical strand... but still.
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Hiring Workers: One has been hired, the other 2-3 need to be. This will occur in late April/early May.
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Flowers: Need to be ordered. Probably this weekend. I need to also order other items for the flowers, and that will probably happen online or I will call local florists.... that will probably occur next week.
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Menu Cards: Will occur late-April, once I do a test-run of the rouladin.
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Name Cards: Will occur mid-June, after we've hunted down all the RSVP folks.
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Church Decorations: I think we're going to do all-white. There had been the hope of doing color, but B and I discussed it, and we like the idea of lanterns in the church done in all white. Thign is though, white will show staples more, so we may glue these lanterns. 28 rows, each side, so 56 pews to hang on, times 3 lanterns each = 168 lanterns. I have beautiful white satin ribbon to hang them on. B & I think it will be a nice way to tie the church decorations with the reception decorations
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Dress Rehearsal: I need to fill out the card reserving things. UGH. I keep forgetting. B and I need to decide who will provide the meat... probably a local BBQ place.
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Cake Decorations: I have to get started on these. Maybe a day in the next week or two can be devoted to these....I will probably start after 4/3 weekend because I want to do a few more practice ones and get B's input.
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Rose Droplets: It depends on whether we get the centerpieces done with enough time. I'd like to have 3 rose droplets on the back of each chair at the reception, but if we dont' have time, these will become lanterns instead.
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Table runners: Need to be sewn. This shouldn't be too complicated.
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Wine Glasses: Need to be cleaned (they have logos on them right now... extras from an event) and have charms put on.

There's more, but you get the idea....

Freezer, take II

This is it!!
And now, not only will our food be properly stored, but we won't have to worry! And, if we pick too many berries this summer, I won't have only a day or two to can them up before they spoil. :)

Small freezer!

After weeks of hounding craigslist, we have a small chest freezer! Ok, it's actually a side-opening freezer (not a top, chest-freezer), but it's about 3.5-4 cubic square feet, and it was only $20. It works well and everything.

Ok, that's not actually it. Ours is bigger, but you get the idea. I'd take a picture of the actual freezer, but... it's kinda stuck in my car. B's down south right now. The person I bought it from helped me load it, which was an adventure.

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We tried to lay it in the  backseat... 1.5" too big to fit. 

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We tried to put it in the trunk (which I wasn't too happy about because it's raining outside and a 40 minute drive home), but it was 2" too big to fit. 

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So finally, we laid the front seat down and passenger seat down. Then we put the freezer in over both chairs and then rotated it 90 degrees so it would lay flat on the passenger seat. Then we pushed it all the way back (because the way it was was putting my car car in permanent "park" position; I couldn't move the stick), and bungie corded it to the back headrest. B had put recycling plastic containers in the trunk, so I put those trashbags between the dashboard and the freezer, that way it was a bit more of a buffer in case the bungie didn't hold and I had to stop fast. 

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MADE IT HOME! Photos will occur when it is out of the car. Maybe when it's wedged in the car too, because it's kinda impressive. 

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My neighbor is going to help me unload it in the next day or two. I hope it's soon because right now I can't see out of my rearview mirror. Luckily, I take the bus to work!

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But this is so nice, because now we have enough space for everything. I want to make MORE than enough food for everyone, and just a freezer wasn't going to hack it. Granted, we have 2 salads and B's mac and cheese, but still. I want a LOT of food because I'd rather have too much than run out! B agrees. 

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So exciting.