Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

THE DAY HAS ARRIVED!  What day, you ask?  The day of my garden/goodbye party!  (All too soon, my friend Hannah says, who clearly is not ready to get the party started.  Or she's not ready to see me leave.  You decide.)

Anyway.  The party.  I didn't post yesterday because I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get as much done in advance as possible.  That, plus the fact that everything I have left to do needs to be done at the zero hour, means that I have some downtime now.  It feels very strange to be just sitting here, not being productive!  Luckily, it is an absolutely gorgeous day - it's 87 and brilliantly sunny, and a light breeze is making the slight humidity bearable.

I'll post photos of the food and the party tomorrow, but for now let me tell you about the menu:

(I'm expecting about 25 people, but given my track record that could mean 15 and it could mean 35.  Keeps me on my toes!)

Grilled Pork Loin with Rosemary and Garlic
Grilled Shrimp
Orzo with Zucchini, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Pesto
Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Goat's Cheese, and Slivered Almonds
Avocado Salad
Lemon Cake
Chocolate Buttercream Cake
Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream
Pimm's
White Wine Sangria

What does this menu tell you?  First, that I am a bad Jew.  Pork and shellfish?  My ancestors are rolling over in their graves.  Second, that I like things that can be prepared ahead and served cold or room temperature.  Let me quote my idol, Ina Garten: "If I am racing around getting drinks for everyone and hen running back and forth to the kitchen to get hot hors d'oeuvres out of the oven, I have missed the point of having a party."  (The Barefoot Contessa Cookboook, p. 39.)  Amen, Ina.  I will prepare as much as I can in advance - including the mixed drinks - so that when my guests arrive I can enjoy their company, which is why I am throwing the party in the first place.  Third, that I love both Epicurious and The Kitchn.  I love my mother's impressive shelf of cookbooks, but I do also very dearly love the internet for exploring new recipes.  And fourth, cooking and baking for my friends makes me happy.  As I have said before, entertaining is my way of showing my friends I love them.  Is that weird?  I can't believe I'm the only one out there who is like that!

To close: if you're looking to make something yummy and fun and inebriating for the holiday weekend, check this out!