After The Party

Welcome to the 278th Metamorphosis Monday!

It’s 4:00 on a Sunday afternoon. Three friends will be arriving for a cookout in one hour. Everything is ready. Somehow the party faeries have all conspired in my favor and I’m actually running ahead of schedule. There may even be time for a few minutes on the porch alone before the guests arrive.

I open the refrigerator to pour myself a cold drink and OMG, I can’t believe my eyes. The tall beverage server that was filled and chilling just minutes ago, is now virtually empty, having poured its entire contents out into the refrigerator. The party starts in 1 hour and there’s no refreshing beverage to serve my guests when they arrive. Instead, I have a refrigerator with sticky, sweet liquid dripping down the front, filling up all the drawers underneath. I open drawers and find packages of cheese, lettuce, bacon, lemons and other assorted things all floating in inches of sweet beverage.

Shock!

Disbelief!

A few curse words thrown to the air and it’s, GO TIME!

I don’t have pictures for you, picture-taking wasn’t exactly on my mind right then, but after some very fast refrigerator cleaning, a mad dash to Publix for more ingredients ensued. By some miracle I was back home with the beverage mixed up and back in the refrigerator (AGAIN!)  by the time guests arrived.

So much for it “marinating” for a few hours to get all the fruit flavors through the drink. HA! It made a great story to tell at the party. My friends have come to expect things like this. I’ll have to share the story of the “ant” cake one day. 🙂

Party Drink for Memorial Day

 

You know what the really scary part was? After the mess was cleaned up and the new beverage made and back in the refrigerator, I still hadn’t figured out what caused it. I thought maybe I had somehow accidentally bumped the handle on the front because it was in the open position when I found the mess. It’s a miracle it didn’t happen the second time I mixed it all up and stuck it back in the fridge!

Guess when I figured it out?  After the party! Around 11:30 that night, after everyone had left, I placed the left overs back in the fridge. As I was cleaning up a little before heading up to bed, I opened the refrigerator and found it all leaking out again!!!

Fortunately, I caught it early this time so there was not near as much to clean up. That’s when it dawned on me, depending on how far back in the refrigerator the server was sitting, when I closed the door, the shelves in the refrigerator door turned the handle and started the server flowing! I never felt the door bumping it so had no idea that was happening.

So, learn from this! Beverage servers can not be trusted to behave themselves when you close the refrigerator door and the lights go out. They get really rowdy and do unmentionable things in your refrigerator while you go about your business unaware! Check on them. Often!

Pssst: A printable recipe for this delicious Sangria can be found in this post: Refreshing Sangria, Perfect Beverage For A Summer Party

Ever have a disaster happen 1 hour before guests were due to arrive? How did it all turn out? I bet you guys have some good stories!

Beverage Server For Memorial Day

 

I’m having breakfast this morning as I type this…you can’t celebrate the first cookout of the season without deviled eggs!

Deviled Eggs for Breakfast

 

For the party I brought down all the cushions to decorate the porch in a similar way to how it was decorated a few years ago for a 4th of July, shown below.

Porch decorated for the 4th of July

 

At the last-minute, I changed my mind. I was in the mood for the soothing, calm greens that are normally on the porch, and I didn’t want to undo the beach/summer porch feel I had going on with the hutch from this post: The Summer Porch: Beach Cottage Decor.

So, I opted for just adding a few patriotic touches like the large star on the wall and a flag pillow for the swing. I tucked a large flag into the Kimberly Queen Fern in the corner and used my fave patriotic centerpiece for our table. Tutorial can be found here: Make a Patriotic Centerpiece for a Party. It’s also great for a 4th of July gathering.

Screened-In Porch Just Before Party

 

The kitchen this morning is actually in pretty good shape.

Kitchen After Memorial Day Party

 

I didn’t take time to wash up the dishes last night so as soon as this post goes up, I’ll head down to the kitchen to get that done. These dishes are dishwasher and microwave safe but I love the rich colors so much, I’d rather wash them by hand than risk fading them in the washer.  (See a table setting with this Warren Kimble dishware here: Dining on the Porch for the 4th of July)

As sick as this sounds, I actually enjoy this part after a party. Cleaning up and putting everything back where it belongs is relaxing and gives me time to relive the fun moments from the party. Do you like that part, too or are you thinking, there’s a medication for that! 😉

After the Party, Clean up Time

 

I did wash the flatware last night before turning in since it’s never good to leave flatware with a decorative handle soaking in water. It can sometimes loosen the handles or damage them.

Blue Handled Flatware_wm

 

I’ve been meaning to use these funny rooster glasses in a table setting for Tablescape Thursday but just haven’t gotten around to it. My guests really liked them last night…lots of compliments on these. They came from Tuesday Morning a few months back.

Rooster Glasses

 

So that’s a bit of a “Before” Party, “Middle” Party and “After” Party. 🙂

Update: Recipe for this delicious Sangria can be found in this post: Refreshing Sangria, Perfect Beverage For A Summer Party

Looking forward to all the Before and Afters linked for this Met Monday!

One on sidebar

 

If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, you will need to link up the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz.

In order to link up, you’ll need to include a link in your MM post back to the party so the other participants will have an opportunity to receive visits from your wonderful blog readers.

Please observe these few rules:

Only link up Before and After posts that are home, gardening, crafting, painting, sewing, cooking, DIY related.

Do not link up if you’re doing so to promote a website or product.

Do not link up a post that was just linked last week since a lot of readers will have already seen that post.


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Comments

  1. realcoake says

    Sounds really frustrating! Glad you figured out the problem so it won’t happen again. Love your patriotic place settings.
    KC

  2. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    Oh my word, sounds like a real mess to clean up. I think you handled that beautifully, I would have been totally stressed. Beautiful decor on the porch and I am sure your guests loved everything.

    • lol Thanks, Marty! That was super stressful. I went from happy all was done and ready for fun to CRAZY! 😉 Hope your weekend was wonderful!

      • Elena Wortman says

        I must say I’ve never had a beverage server disaster, but I did have my (expensive, and only 7 years old ) Jenn Air refrigerator die in the middle of an engagement party that I was hosting. Thankfully it wasn’t obvious that the refrigerator was dead and the food rotting until all the guests had gone. And regarding cleaning up after a party–I actually enjoy doing this also. I get to handle and marvel at the beautiful crystal, china and flatware I’ve collected all these years. I have to admit, though, as I’ve gotten older my feet and legs do get very tired after a big clean-up job. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend. :0)

  3. Susan, you could turn any disaster into a fabulous party and make it look like you did it effortlessly. I’m so sorry you had the disaster with the drink server, but I’m glad to know that those things can get wild when the lights go out in the fridge! laurie

  4. Everything looks so pretty – and I a absolutely LOVE your flat wear!
    Sorry about the mess in the fridge – not fun I know
    And thanks so much for another great party – Happy Memorial day to you ( from a Canuck )
    XOX

  5. I feel your pain Susan! I’ve had a beverage dispenser malfunction during a party. We had to use a ladle to get the beverage out 🙂 I have those same cute rooster glasses, mine came from Tuesday Morning. Happy Memorial Day to you!

    • Mary, now that you mention it, I’m pretty sure that’s where I found those. Thanks for mentioning that…just changed it in the post. Hope your Memorial Day is going great! I did some shopping in a nursery on Saturday that had a cute potting shed and I thought about you!

  6. Ha! Who knew beverage servers could be so naughty! Thanks for the tip- I’ll keep an eye on mine in the future! LOVE the rooster glasses!

  7. What a cute fun party! I love your decorations. I’ve been there on the fridge and have to say a few curse words fly out of me as well. It seems to always happen when you don’t have time to clean the fridge. Thanks for hosting.

    Shannon ~ bohemianjunktion.com

  8. Spills in the fridge are THE WORST! Sounds like your party was a success! Hugs…Debbie

  9. Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home

    Thanks so much for hosting, Susan!
    Have a great week,
    Suzanne

  10. What a story, Susan! I am glad that it all worked out in the end. Thanks so much for hosting. Happy Memorial Day! Have a great week!

  11. Serendipity had your back with the free time before guests came and the cleanup! I am really leery of those dispensers and figured it would be like owning a boat – always better when it’s someone else’s {that I could borrow}. I like how you reverted back to just the touches of Old Glory – sort of like Coco Chanel’s famous quote of taking at least one thing off before walking out the door. Your sunroom looked really nice, and yes, I do somehow like the cleanup after everyone’s gone, reliving the moments and caring for all the pieces used. Enjoy your day!

  12. Thanks for hosting! The same thing has happened to me as well. Happy Week to You! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

  13. thanks for the party Susan, and wow, what a mess! I will never look at a beverage server the same way again! I certainly would have been very nervous about filling it up the second time! Glad everything turned out, Happy Memorial Day~
    Jenna

  14. How horrible to have happen right before a party! I think those dispensers are sneaky! I had one that got stuck in the ON position and my poor niece was freaking out because her tea glass was overflowing, it took three of us to stop the mess! My husband suggested we use a pitcher next time! He doesn’t understand we have to have cute stuff for a party =)

    I feel for you having to clean out the whole refrigerator!

    Hope your Memorial Day is a peaceful one. Your porch looks lovely and I bet your guests had a wonderful time.

    • Yikes! Never had one get stuck in the “On” position…that would not be a good feeling! Mary, if you would, let me know if you get this reply…trying a new plugin again.

  15. Looks like everyone had a great time at your party!! We celebrated yesterday too as I have work tonight!!

    Thanks for the party!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

  16. Egads what a disaster!! I’m glad you figured out what was causing it. Nothing like a small disaster to get the blood flowing fast! We had our cookout and dinner last night too. The kids are already on their way home so now I have the day to do whatever. I like those new beverage glasses- cute! Love your porch- it’s so inviting. It’s raining a tad right now and I’d love to set outside while it’s raining under a covered area like yours.
    Hope your day is going great!

  17. Hey Susan, I am sure it was a success. I really love the flatwars and great tip on that too.

  18. Carol Neibling says

    Saturday morning I told my husband what we were having to eat with the kids that night and was told to change the menu. I pulled steaks out of the freezer and got the recipe for German potato salad out and picked spinach and radish from the garden. So good so far. The kids were delayed by hours and I waited to cook everything and the steak got too cooked because I was doing the potato salad, but everyone said it was good, but I was pretty upset. Dinner on Sunday turned out perfect and now everything is put away and I can relax a little. My husband makes a stainless steel drip catcher that slides under the pot and catches the drips. We use a good small bread pan for the drips. Has saved many a church carpet from a mess.

  19. Terry Beaudry says

    Oh my, what a mess that must have been! But as always, you pulled everything off flawlessly and everything looked amazing Susan!
    You asked about “disasters” that have happened right before a party and I did have one doozy of a little mishap one year. It was Christmas morning and I’d received a brand new KitchenAid coffee grinder, the kind that grinds through a spout then dispenses into a glass cup. Right before our guests’ arrived, I decided to try it out and get the coffee maker ready…well I “forgot” to put the glass cup in place and for some reason didn’t have the stopper thingy on the spout (what on earth was I thinking!)
    Anyway as I turned on the grinder, freshly ground coffee beans spewed everywhere! On the counter, on the floor, on me…everywhere! Needless to say, I was still vacuuming when our guests’ arrived but it made for a funny story and a lesson learned!

  20. Great recovery Susan. Your party sounds like it was so much fun in spite of the problems. I love the beverage container that sits on the ice. A great way to dispense drinks.

  21. Really like your patriotic dishes. Where did you find them? They look so cool stacked in your sink..lol…

  22. Oh, what a mess! Glad you were quick and back on track when your guests arrived. I’ve never put a drink dispenser in the fridge, but I’ll remember this story if I do. ‘-)
    My worst disaster before a party was when we hosted my mother’s 90th birthday. We had invited all of mother’s nieces and nephews and their families, many coming in from out of town. It was worrisome enough that the back yard major hardscape and landscape project was off schedule and not complete, but then the morning of the party we lost power in the early morning. It was restored about 30 minutes before the party which was scheduled for noon. Believe me, we scrambled right up until the door bell rang. But as with all important things in life, it was the spirit of family celebrating together that was the focus. No one seemed to mind the temporary railing on the terrace and the other little issues we encountered.
    Glad you had a fun party with your friends last night. The porch looks so inviting!

  23. Everything is so pretty and festive. Sorry about the mishap – sounds something that would happen here. Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend. Thanks for hosting again this week.

  24. Thank you for another fab party….. Happy Memorial Day!! 🙂
    hugs x, Crystelle
    Crystelle Boutique

  25. Oh My Goodness! How did you pull off that miracle of cleaning up, going back to get ingredients, making another batch and greeting your guests on time? Lol kuddos to you!
    Are you willing to share the recipe for what I think might be an adult beverage?
    Denise

  26. We also enjoyed a campout in the backyard with some friends. Have a great rest of the week.

  27. katelaineransom says

    Oh, My! Susan! I am glad you were able to get it cleaned up and more made! What a story to share! Beautiful decor – I know you had a great time – I hope you have a blessed Memorial Day – I appreciate you hosting,
    Kathy

  28. Faith Koch says

    What a disaster! Glad you found it BEFORE the guests arrived & you had time to fix it all before they did! Sounds like something that would happen to me – every time I have people over, some disaster happens! It’s actually become expected that something will happen – cake falls over, meat under or over cooked, or like my son’s birthday – he asked for a lattice top chicken bake which is relatively easy IF YOU READ THE DIRECTIONS, which obviously I did NOT – we had gooey biscuits on top of the casserole & I had to reheat it after everyone had taken a portion around the table. So most of my disasters are “operator error” type messes! Glad yours turned out so well! My family is used to my disasters & I think they look forward to seeing what Mom messed up every holiday! LOL
    Your decos are fabulous & love the rooster mugs!
    ~Faith

    • Faith, that is too funny! I’m the world’s worst about getting half way into a recipe then reading it closer and realizing I mixed stuff in that wasn’t supposed to go in yet or messed it up some way. lol We have to keep them all guessing, right? 🙂

  29. Susan,
    Oh, my goodness, dear friend!!!
    You have nerves of steel. . .I’d have probably been a total wreck all through the entertaining!!!
    I, too, would rather do the clean~up. . .and I reminise about all the laughter and chatter during the event.
    Have a wonderful week ahead!
    Thanks for hosting Metamorphosis Monday each week!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

  30. I had to laugh at the images you conjured up! (Sorry…) My story wasn’t quite so dramatic, as we did not have company coming. My husband thought the thing was so swell that he wanted to keep using it after the July 4 party we had. So it went into the fridge, and I put iced tea in it a few more times. Then we had the flood all over the place. Basically, it was a cheapo to start with, and we just wore out the serving spout. It wouldn’t shut off any more. This year I bought a new one for the porch, but I haven’t put anything in it yet. A little skeptical…

  31. OMG Susan! What a mess I’m sure that was! I just bought a new beverage dispenser but I may have to take it for a test run before using it for a party! Glad you had the extra time to take care of the disaster before your guests arrived. If it were me, I wouldn’t have a second to spare! LOL!

  32. Pam ~ crumepty cottage says

    Susan, you handled the situation with your usual aplomb, but may I make a suggestion for, ‘next time?’ Call your closet girlfriend whom you are expecting at the party and ask her to bring or pick up something. That gives you the chance to clean up your mess and still have a few moments to collect yourself before guests arrive. I know you may feel it’s an imposition, but if she’s a good friend, she won’t give it a second thought. Just an idea.

    It’s probably a good thing we don’t entertain much or I would likely have LOTS of these types of stories to share, lol. 😀

  33. hollybertone says

    Not for guests, but just before I was going to bed, I knocked over a full pitcher of red Kool Aid all over the fridge. And bottom freezer. And floor. Everything was a red, sticky mess and I had to clean it out entirely before being able to get my beauty sleep. Very frustrating for you, especially with your company en route!

  34. Looks like it was a great, festive, patriotic party! Wish I had been there!

  35. That’s a cute story, Susan, and what a beautiful porch! I have similar flag dishes but not enough to actually use. I can’t believe it’s time to get them out again! Thanks for hosting. 🙂

  36. That’s quite a story, Susan! Shame on that misbehaving beverage container. Thanks for the warning. Happy Memorial Day to you and thank you for hosting!

  37. Sounds like you stayed as cool as a cucumber in the situation, Susan! I would have been a wreck. I remember as a young woman(girl) I was going to follow a recipe that called for melted butter. So what did I do?! I put the butter in the oven and walked off. Of course it caught on fire!

    Thanks for hosting!

  38. hi Susan, you are a wiz at pulling things together. so here is my disaster…wanting to get 4 colours of jello molds out of molds fast , kept them in hot water too long…when placed on serving dishes they all started to melt….and melt …amd melt…the grandchildren loved this, and had many laughs…but you and I know …that sugary mess ! oh my! where did u prurchase that lovely dispencer? love that the bottom holds the ice and does not dilute drinks. have a nice rest of your holiday !

  39. Oh my goodness! I think I would have been in tears! Throwing parties can be stressful enough, but add in a flowing mess and you’ve got trouble! Sounds like you handled it with grace and poise 😉 Thanks so much for hosting this fun party!
    Blessings,
    Nici

  40. Pat Crowder says

    Sounds like a big mess for you Susan, but as for me I was thrilled to hear about it. As of today I am finally getting your sweet blog again. Pat C.

  41. I don’t cry easily (or at least in front of people), but in your case I would have broken down in total frustration. And then probably served icy cold beer and iced tea instead. You are awesome to run out to the grocery store and begin anew. Cannot understand “Happy Memorial Day.” Instead we salute the most magnificent military in the world — past, present and future. I am humbled of each and every one. God bless them.

  42. Hooray! You’re back! I can’t believe that I got your post in my email today. I am so thrilled. So sorry to hear about your leaky mess but at least you solved the mystery.

    • Yay! I’ve heard from several folks they are receiving emails again. Apparently, the change happened this weekend. I wonder if enough folks complained that the various email services stopped blocking Feedburner. So happy to hear that, Debbie! Thanks so much for letting me know! XO

  43. hi…I tried to link up but some sort of error kept happening. I have included a link to your blog party on my posts…so if it shows up you will understand…hopefully. sheila@MyKentuckyLiving.
    Good luck recovering from your party.

    • Thanks for letting me know. There were 21 links that were “waiting approval” at InLinkz. Apparently, it isn’t working correctly…shouldn’t be doing that. I’m going to email him and let him know. So glad you told me. I approved all the links so hopefully you’ll see your’s posted. If not, please stop by and link up again.

  44. Kathleen Connally says

    I am always amazed when I don’t have a party/ large family gathering disaster happen! I have had the oven stop working, toilet overflow, garbage disposal break, water come shooting out of ice dispenser and a slab leak that required nonstop fans blowing over Thanksgiving weekend! I really do plan things out, my menu, the decorations, house cleaning etc, but it always seems that Murphy’s law comes into play. Even so, I still love to be the hostess.

  45. Susan,
    I hate kitchen items with their “own life”! Plus, it seems they always decide to mess up when you least expect and need it! And after cleaning you went to buy new fruits?! You really are a good host! 🙂
    Susan, you know I love your ♥patriotic decorations/patriotic party supplies♥ and I also love those rooster glasses. Did they contain something like Nutella or honey when you bought them or are they just supposed to look like jars? 🙂

    ~Hugs to you~
    Cecilia

    PS: Susan, an “ant” cake?!?! Really?! Is this an American phrase that I don’t know or do you REALLY have an “ant” cake story to share? If so, I’m looking forward to hearing it!
    Now you’ve made me curious! 🙂

    • lol I think my kitchen is possessed sometimes! 😉 The glasses were empty, just glasses…nothing in them. They look like they would have had something in them with the screw top ridges. I think they were just trying to imitate canning jars.
      No, that’s not an American phrase. lol It’s a phrase my friends and I use after an “incident” that they will never let me live down. 🙂 I’ll have to share it one day, it’s kind of funny!
      Hope you had a wonderful weekend, Cecilia!

  46. Carolyn Price says

    You really are amazing … Cool, calm and collected under fire! I’m not sure I would have handled that beverage disaster with your grace and determination to get things back on track.
    Susan, as always … your porch is lovely! I have request about the beverage pictured. Would you care to share the recipe for it? Does it contain sugar?
    I am so envious of your nearby Publix. It was the only placed I shopped in Florida. Unfortunately, there are none near me in NC. But every time to go to Charleston, SC … !! : )
    I would like that recipe if you have time to share it!!

    • Awww, thanks, Carolyn…defnitely a stressful way to start a party! lol I was thinking about posting the recipe so I’ll go ahead and post the recipe tomorrow morning, then post the book it’s from tomorrow evening for a BNOTP Library post. I really liked it and will definitely be making it again for future parties. It was so easy to make and so refreshing!

  47. Oh, I think I would have cried. I did have a day when I was rushing to get to work – dressed in my business suit, hair done, make-up on and I grabbed the bottle of orange juice. Someone had not screwed the cap back on. I proceeded to toss oj all over my kitchen,my suit, and my hair. As I think back about this (and laugh) there really was no time to cry. Truly, I found sticky spots until we moved. I am glad you salvaged your party and hope you had fun.`

  48. Susan, you go with the flow (no pun intended) with the best of them! Love you table setting. I had to laugh when I read your disaster account because now that I know your voice, I can just hear you!!! LOVE IT!!!

  49. Oh my word. I hate sticky messes. I was tickled to read about a real life party. You handled it beautifully. I love the decor you chose! I personally can’t stand cleaning up the kitchen after a party.

  50. Hi Susan,
    Wow…I am happy to hear that you salvage it. And yes…I do have a story. As a matter of fact…this just happened yesterday. While preparing for a cookout, yesterday…my daughter decides she wants to play ball with the watermelon in the living room. She dropped the watermelon and burst it. I was besides myself. I didn’t curse…I spanked. She is 5 years old going on 30. I took the watermelon and sat it on the counter in the kitchen…and watermelon juice leaked all over my counters and freshly mopped kitchen floor. The watermelon ended up being salvageable because…it didn’t burst completely opened. It was a very good tasting watermelon…I might add. Oh, I saw your watermelon on the counter. And by the way great flag plate in the kitchen. I love your tablescapes. Thanks so much for an awesome party.

    • Sorry, that should read granddaughter not daughter. LOL!!!

    • Thanks, Trish! I thought you meant granddaughter. What a sweetheart…she just wanted to bounce the ball! lol I’ve found that looking back, those things that at the time were somewhat upsetting turn out to be the best memories, the stories we love to tell again and again. 🙂 I can’t wait to make some stories like that with my grandson.

  51. I know cleaning sticky liquid out of your refrigerator is the pits. It sounds like you got it cleaned up and remade in record speed though, and your porch looks positively festive. Glad your picnic wasn’t ruined. Thanks so much for hosting.
    K.

  52. Susan, I feel your pain. I was hosting our Round Table Book Club in my home in January getting ready for 12 people for dinner at 6:30 p.m. I had 12 mugs to my dishware on a tray; the tray broke and 9 of them broke on the floor. I had to scramble to find 9 mugs that sort of matched my dishes. Since we were having spaghetti that night, I was using heavy dishware so I found some white ones that were ok. On top of that, one of the bulbs went out in a lamp and I dropped the old bulb on the floor. What a mess. All of this happened within an hour of the guest arriving. Whew.

  53. Susan, I feel your pain. In January I was getting ready for my Round Table Book Club in my home that starts at 6:30 p.m. We have 12 members. I was using heavy dishware since we were having spaghetti that night. Everything was ready and I put the mugs on a tray to take to the table and the tray broke and 9 of the mugs broke on the floor. I had to clean up the broken mugs and try to find 9 mugs that sort of matched the dishes. On top of that, I went to put a new light bulb in a lamp and dropped the old one and there were smitherings of glass everywhere. Oh what a mess. All of this happened about 6:00 p.m. I had all of it cleaned up before the first guest got here, but I was in shambles !!! I enjoy your blogs so-o-o- much.

  54. Oh my goodness, Susan! That sounds exactly like something that would happen to me! Although what would be flying out of my mouth is probably far worse ha ha. Good thing you were able to make more in time, and it didn’t ruin your party! XO

  55. Jennifer says

    I LOVE cleaning up the dishes after a party. They are usually the fun dishes that are not used very often, and I totally think about all the stories and fun times that we just had that night. I don’t mind this at chore at all!
    Once I was making home made pizzas for some friends–one couple I knew well and one I hardly knew. As I was taking one pizza out of the oven, it slipped and fell face down–onto the open oven door. Now I had melted cheese burning onto the hot door, and dripping between the crack of the opening onto the floor. It was a disaster! My friend and I scrambled to clean it up without ever telling anyone else there what was going on!

  56. Selma Kessler says

    Oh my word! And you had the time/presence of mind to go to the store, too? You are Super Woman! I would have served my friends beer and told them about the sangria that almost was! My entertaining story didn’t happen at my house, but I was one of the hosts. Three of my cousins and I were hosting a Bridal Shower Tea for my cousin’s oldest daughter. Tea was at my cousin Deb’s place because she has as much great stuff as you, Susan! We were pulling out all the stops and had been up all night getting ready because we really wanted it to be a fun and fabulous memory for all the girls. Come Tea Time, guests arrived decked out in their party finery and everyone was enjoying a sparkling cocktail when I noticed a faint smoke smell. I walked in the kitchen and mentioned that someone should check the oven. My cousin, Deb, with a sheet of unbaked scones in one hand opened the oven door with the other to find something on fire at the back of the oven! She turned and said what do we do now!? I said “baking soda, where is your baking soda”? She looked at me quizzically and said, “no, I mean what do we do about the scones!” By now smoke was billowing through the house and another cousin who had her wits about her, knew where the baking soda was and threw a box-worth into the oven and I was trying to open windows only to learn that the crank to the window in the kitchen was somewhere else in the house. All the while Deb held on to that cookie sheet wondering how to get the scones baked! The epilogue to this story was that the scones baked up just fine in the baking soda covered oven, someone found the window crank and aired out the house and the girls thought the whole thing was hilarious because they’d been enjoying sparkling cocktails! Other than the kitchen fire, the event was quite lovely. And definitely memorable. 🙂

  57. Oh my gosh Susan, sorry but I had a chuckle at the visual of the door closing and the party going on inside your fridge. I’m sure it wasn’t funny at the time but you must’ve had a chuckle later when you realized what triggered it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this tip after that visual! LOL
    Once again I am in awe of your patriotic tablescape – it’s like you have an endless supply of dinner ware and cutlery. Thanks for hosting the party!

  58. Thanks for hosting! I’m sharing my extravagant Lemon Ice Cream Sandwich. I’ve also shared my corn-less tortillas— a great use up for nut pulp.

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