Well sometime tomorrow afternoon “the fam” will descend onto my home and into my life. This includes guests from North Carolina, Virginia and Western Mass. 
We’re going to location A to do a party thing then back to my place to “party on”. The challenge to keep them all fed and happy while we compete at a variety of games (looks like Scrabble, Yahtzee and Table Hockey will be the big ones). Forget the Kennedy’s and touch football .. too tame.. you know there’s something very disturbing about the way every person in the bunch has this need to win and dominate over everyone else.
So right now when I should be relaxing I have to hit the food stores. Thinking of fresh cut Pineapple to start (using the toothpick/pineapple on a plate deal). Then fresh fish (fried) with a side of freshly made french fries (one problem person will get an expensive cut of beef). Afterwards, cheesecake. I’ve given up on the thought of making my own since there won’t be time so I’ll will buy the cake premade and it will probably be lousy. But maybe a homemade strawberry topping can save it, who knows.
Then as game play gets intense Nachos with an option to add pan seared chicken if desired. This year I’m taking over the Nachos. My earlier assumption that any nit-wit can do them has been proven wrong. Never again to let someone else take the lazy way out and just stick this mountain of chips into the oven and smother the top with cheese. Now this is OK for the first few primo chips on top but the rest are either cheeseless or cold with this cheese-leather half burnt stuff on it. No. À la Minute. Just enough to properly spread on the cookie sheet, cheese and otherwised dolled up and heat (no microwave allowed), serve and then start over with another fresh batch etc etc. Every one fully loaded, hot, greasy and evil. 
Breakfast the next morning will be locally made sausage, eggs, english muffins with tons of butter and french-roast coffee made in the Chem-Ex.
In short, this will be a big pain in the behind.. but they’re worth it and isn’t that what the holidays are all about? Wish me luck.
