Always a Day Late, and a Dollar Short

     The biggest party of the Christmas season is happening at this very moment!, and where am I, you ask? I am sitting at home blogging about it. Bah Humbug!!! I was invited, I was going and it was going to be a blast. Only, I never compensated for Mother Nature. I sit here, with a huge head cold, my sinuses so packed, that even taking in air is rough.

     A little secret about this party, not only was I invited, I also did the food, minus the carrot cake and cookies, that was provided by Barb. What a massive undertaking it was. I knew about this party last year, at the exact same time. So, I had an entire year to obsess about it. June 2010, "no worries I got lots of time", October 2010, "wow, I am a little nervous", Late November 2010 "Holy crap, Bookie is inviting EVERYONE".

     One other little secret about me, I work for the doctor that is throwing this massive shinding. Only I work on Mondays, and only taking phone messages! I have to say my phone skills are wayyyyyy better than they used to be. Especially, when there is a human life involved. You learn to ask the important questions! Anyway, for the last month, every phone call in his massive database of friends, is the same conversation  " Having a party, over at the Eagles, drinks and food at 6pm, and DJ at 8pm, you are cordially invited".

     That is not even the funny part, I am trying to keep a running total in my head of the phone calls and the face to face meetings. While trying to file information into patients files, that are not always in the place that you expect them to be. The phone is ringing, and Bookie comes in and says, "stop what you are doing, that is not priority". "Here fax these to the pharmacy, they are priority", oh boy, I was absent for faxing?  God Bless, Linda and Gerry they are truly medical office angels, so patient with me, even though I could have killed someone. Surgeons have lots of paperwork, a single mishap in allergies and it could be all over.

    Well here I sit, wondering if the food will last past 7pm, because last I heard the expected total was 250 people with an open bar. My head hurts a little. In my humble opinion, the food was spectacular, I personally oversaw all that I was responsible for. This party, took months of planning, a week of execution, and minutes to eat? Wow, that somehow is anti-climatic. Oh well, I hope that everyone has a good time, as I stuff TP wads in my nose to save time. One part of the menu that I was super proud of was a mayonnaise that I made:

Caramelized Onion, Horseradish Mayonnaise

2 sweet onion, julienned
4 ozs butter
1/2 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1 tsp garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Cut onions and set aside. In a wide mouthed saute pan melt butter and saute onions on low heat, until the color of the onions is similar to straw. Add the sugar and beef stock and cook until liquid disappears. Cool onions to room temperature. In a food processor combine onions, horseradish and mayonnaise and season. Chill and serve with roast beef.

Cocktail party: A gathering held to enable fourty people to talk about themselves at the same time. The man who remains after the liquor is gone is the host.~Fred Allen