BBQing today

Labor day weekend. Tom has the long weekend. He went golfing with friends and came home to let me know that we were going to BBQ on Sunday. We love our big BBQ's. Inviting everyone we know and usually have a pretty decent turn out. I cook with the expectation of thirty people or so showing up. Same meal every time.

Pork ribs, chicken, and brots, with home made potato salad and Caesar salad are served every time. I also picked up a water melon and some fresh corn on the cob. The price of corn has yet to really rise at the stores around here due to the drought in the mid west. It is probably local corn and we had a lovely summer.

I went to the store early on Sunday so I wouldn't have to worry about refrigerating a lot of food. I ended up doing a big shop and spending close to $500. Not just on the BBQ, but we needed everything from toilet paper to shaving cream. Riley wanted a new raiser blade and since school is starting I stocked up on soap and shampoos. Want to make sure my boys smell clean. It all just added up.

It was a lot of groceries. I had to use two shopping carts. I did one round then bought all those groceries loaded them into the car and went back for the pop and booze: Bud light and cheap wine for the party. I have been doing so well with my grocery bills recently. But what I find is I go through the existing stored supplies until I have to restock big. I doubt that I have really been doing that well then on my grocery bills.

Everyone has been wanting lots of frozen foods which are both cheap and expensive. Cheap to buy yet we eat so much of it, it is expensive in bulk  to replace. The boys eat frozen pizzas for snacks. Frozen lasagna and pot pies are also snack food. With school starting next week I wanted to have some easy after school treats in the house. Also, things they can put in their backpacks for snacks at school. Anyway, the bill was $350 for the first heaping cart, and $90 for the second cart of food.

Later, after we had unpacked and put everything away and got set up for the party I realized I forgot charcoal briquettes so I will be heading back to the store shortly to get a big bag.

 I have to say again what a pleasure it is to work in my kitchen with a working island. As the boys brought in the groceries, there was somewhere to put the bags and unpack. As we prepared food there was room for everyone to work . Unpacking while peeling potatoes while washing dirty dishes in the sink, room for everyone to spread out and operate.