Trying out Recipes and a Party

s I get older, I've discovered, I am getting just a bit wiser. Not a whole lot mind you, I wouldn't want to get you thinking I'm on my way to brilliance or anything but every once in a while I'm reminded I'm not quite as impetuous or silly as I used to be.

That party I mentioned - that is happening TOMORROW - requires food (of course). I'm not doing anything fancy. Sandwich platters and chips. I'd bbq but Aaron has to work so that means I'm running this show by myself. Considering I know how it goes when you have to refill drinks, keep the food flowing, etc. I didn't want to trap myself behind a grill all day. On top of that it's supposed to be 90 degrees out. Grilling for a few minutes in that kind of heat is ok but for hours? NO thank you! So... cold stuff.

I figured, however, I'd add a bit of a personal touch and make the "sweet stuff" myself. I'm not going to name names in this post because I grabbed a couple of recipes off of two very respected blogs. All I can say? Thank goodness I didn't wait until tonight to make them!

The first one smelled amazing when it was pulled out of the oven. Didn't surprise me - it involved bananas and had sounded amazing when I read the post. There it sat, all beautiful and smelling so good it made ya' drool. When it cooled off, I cut it into squares and shared a piece with Aaron. First bite and something was wrong. Horribly wrong.

We really have no idea what was off with the recipe. I have no talent in that department and Aaron, for all of his sniffing and tasting and thinking couldn't quite figure it out, either. I believe it was a combination of something was left off the list of ingredients when it was posted and my bananas weren't as ripe as they needed to be. My plan is to wait a few days until my remaining bananas reach that "do something with them NOW or they'll be mush" stage and make the recipe again. If there is still something wrong, I might get in touch with the blogger who posted the recipe and ask if they left something out. If they didn't, then I'll write the recipe off as a loss and wonder at some folks' tastebuds. Or my own...

Aaron said they would be fine with ice cream... Awesome as long as someone doesn't decide to skip the ice cream! I told him...be prepared to eat a LOT of ice cream over the next few days, then because the idea of throwing out this entire pan of dessert just makes me ill.

The second dessert I made involves Oreo cookies. I hopped on that one like an adventurer on a westbound train. What's funny is, when I was pregnant with my son, I craved two things: Pepsi and Oreo cookies. Neither of which is good for a growing baby but my son wanted them and only them. (Make it funnier? He's the healthiest eater I know...and has been since birth... go figure) Once I gave birth, though, I couldn't even so much as look at Pepsi or Oreo's and for over 20 years I've wanted nothing to do with the cookies.

Suddenly they're back... It's scary because I know for absolute certainty I'm not pregnant.

But I digress.

Individual oreo cheesecakes. Sounds yummy, doesn't it? I thought so. The recipe looked soooo easy and sounded soooo yummy. The easy part - yes. The yummy? Not so much. At least not last night. They weren't bad but... what kind of an endorsement is that and really... do you want to serve your friends with something you think of as "not bad?"

I'm hoping after several hours in the refrigerator the taste improves. I'm hoping...

If it doesn't? Store bought desserts for tomorrow, too because I'm not stressing over making something tonight. Especially since come 4:30 today my windows & doors will be all taped off and my son will be painting my house.

Yup - less than 24 hours before a ton of people descend for a party we're painting our house.

Give you an idea of just how crazy we are?

Next post that isn't a Sunday Strength? Party details....

Have a great weekend!