Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Family Gathering or Cousins Compete

July 8, 1945
Pete (1924-2010) and Orlene Foss (1924-)
The annual January family get-together means people coming from hither and yon. This week we gathered in Newport Beach, California at Grandma's House, the original Gen #1.  There will be (2) Gen #1; (8) Gen #2; (15) Gen #3; and (6) Gen #4 (Gen #4 is the great-grandchildren, so you can work your way back to GG or Great-Grandma Foss, Gen #1.) That's a lot of family to coordinate.  Pinterest to the rescue (see below).


The Gen #3 cousins are very competitive with one another, so each they devise some kind of elaborate competition.  This year is was home brewed beer.  We also collaborated to create a rustic table, and dinner.

Entries and ballots - Serious stuff
Entries titled "Winter Ale,"  "Santa Baby Ale," "Yorshire Blonde," "Raucous Red Ale," "Saison Tripel," and one other that I don't recall.  Each beer description matched the brewers personality exactly. 
GG covered her deck with a party tent, planning for a dreary Newport day, but still hoping for sunshine (never came.) We started with unironed linen cloths on the folding tables (rented chairs).  Added simple sage colored burlap runners.  One of the aunts and cousins filled mason jars with epson salt, little trees, white painted animals, and candles.  We called it our beer, burlap and mason Christmas.






 Inside the mason jar theme continued with lemonade and red/white striped straws.

Bree bites made by one of the cousins, recipe found on Pinterest!  Super fun way to plan a party when people are in different locations.  See Pinterest board
 BBQ steak, Pioneer Woman rolls, fruit and spinach salad, and GG's requested rice casserole (see Aunt Stancie's recipe below.)  What a joy to be a part of this competitive and creative family.
And now Christmas is really behind me for one more year.  Diet time - Lindora or other?  Sigh.

RICE AND GREEN CHILE CASSEROLE

1 c. sour cream
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained well
3 c. cooked rice
12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into strips
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
Mix sour cream and chilies. Layer 1 cup rice, half the sour cream mixture and half the cheese strips in greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Repeat layers. Cover with remaining rice. Bake uncovered in 325 degree oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Return to oven until cheese melts. 6 servings.
Linking up to these parties!

Tablescape Thursday
Inspiration Friday Graphic1


Feathered Nest Friday






12 comments:

  1. Now this looks like one fun gathering! My kind of family fun.

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  2. you had me at green chile! looks scrumptious. Those are really pretty tables. The idea of a party tent is perfect for when I want a large gathering.. and the tables with the sage runners are quite lovely.. xo marlis

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  3. What a beautiful setting for a grand function!..Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Can I get adopted? Your family looks like tons of fun -- and the food looks amazing, too! Thanks for sharing this event with us!

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  5. This is fab! So many people and sooooooo organized. Everything is simple, yet elegant. Pininterest does help a lot for events like this. Hey - Newport looks great all the time, even on an overcast day.

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  6. I couldn't help notice Pete in his Navy dress white uniform - so handsome with his bride following WWII. My husband also has that uniform in his closet. Love to see the patriotism.

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  7. Everything looks so pretty! What a great time you must have all had...Christine

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  8. What a terrific gathering in such a serene spot! The Mason jar theme is a good one! It must be so wonderful to live in California where the weather is so much more tolerable! (Even though it was overcast and rainy on the day of your celebration, it still beats the heck outta what's going on here in the Kansas City area...waking up to just-above-freezing temps!) I am going to try out the Rice & Green Chile Casserole. It looks so tasty in the photo, and I can almost taste it! Enjoy your weekend!

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  9. This is great! What a perfect spot. The. Food looks wonderful too, and I am sure everyone had a great time.
    Love your idea of building a barn for parties. I remember one of the first Martha Stewart shows I ever saw was when she had Tgiving in her barn!
    When I retired and built this house, I made. Sure my dining room was big, but the family has grown, and a barn would be wonderful. I would settle for a large 3 season room!

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  10. Thank you for sharing your lovely post at Potpourri Friday!

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  11. wonderful re-cap of a wonderful day! (could you send me the beer scoring sheet and the names/description sheet? i was telling jewel about it and he would love to see them :)) xo.

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  12. Your recipes look delicious! Thanks for linking up to Strut Your Stuff Saturday! We would love to have you back next Saturday to share more great ideas! -The Sisters

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