menu followup

So it doesn't get buried and missed in the comments, here are Amanda's questions to the previous post with responses mixed in (from Trina - I didn't notice the blog was logged in as Adam until I'd typed this whole thing):

Are we going to bring a million plastic containers for the chopped fruits/veggies between meals?
That would be a good idea - hadn't thought of that. I'll make sure we pack a bunch. If you have room to bring some too, that would be great.

I like the idea of all these options! Do we think it will all get eaten?
Hope so! Anything left at the end will get divided between people with coolers to be eaten on the drives home (anyone not on a plane).

In the part with all the exclamation marks, when you say leftovers, do you mean wasted or tossed food? It looks like there will be endless leftovers. 
Good point. Leftovers, in this case, is - if you prep some food, finish it. No making things that you don't eat. There will be no plastic containers left for small servings, and there will be no room in the fridge to put things. If you make some pasta salad, finish it. If you make a green salad, down the hatch. If you make sandwiches, eat them.

Will there be any salty type snacks? Chips/crackers/pretzels, or popcorn to go with our endless movie showings? 
At the last reunion, non-meal snacks (like crackers) were the responsibility of each individual family because kids eat so differently, and they were kept out of the kitchen so they didn't get mixed in with the general food. I would advise doing that again if your kids like certain things that aren't included on this big list. I think a lot of the movies will be running during breakfast, but unpopped popcorn is cheap and easy, and a big bowl of popcorn would be a nice addition to the board game tournament that it looks like will be happening. Good idea. Adam can make it on the stovetop in a pot, so we don't need microwaved stuff or a popper.

And it looks like there is dessert for the bday girl, which is wonderful. Will there be dessert any of the other days? Or any popsicles or frozen stuff? I hear it will be hot.
Lots of people in the family (adults) have been talking recently about health issues including weight loss, so we deliberately left desserts off the menu. We might bring cookies for Summer's baptism, but that depends on if I get enough baked and frozen before we leave. Dessert = fruit and yogurt. We need to wait until we get there to see how much room is in the freezer before we can decide about popsicles.

It doesn't look like you included what Aaron Murphy wanted (according to Emily) to do. 
Murph's pasta salad is folded into the "pasta salad bar." After looking at his list of ingredients and thinking about various pasta salads Adam makes, I thought, "Well, ____ won't eat this, and _____ won't eat that," etc. My concern was that there would be these big bowls of premixed pasta salad that very few people would eat and we'd waste a lot of food. So the alternate plan is that everyone can make their own individual bowl of pasta salad with whatever they want in it. There will be no pre-made pasta salad at all.

Will you still have time to enjoy Nauvoo with all this cooking?
That's why we have kitchen teams - so everyone can enjoy their time and the same 3 people aren't doing all the work every day. Thanks for reminding me that I need to put those together.

Revised Palmer Family Reunion Menu

2014 Palmer Family Reunion Menu

Concept:  Salad, potato, pasta, sandwich bars at every lunch/dinner.  Fruit & Yogurt bar at every meal. Cooks prepare basic ingredients. Individuals (and parents of small children) choose assembly. MAKE ONLY WHAT YOU WILL EAT!!!!! NO LEFTOVERS!!!!  Some meals will be major productions.  

Potato Bar:  Potatoes, butter, bacon, sour cream, dill, cheese, chives, chili, salsa

Salad Bar:  Salad greens, red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, olives (green, black, kalamata), pepperoncinis, hard boiled eggs, sliced peppers, shredded cheese, dressing (italian, ranch, ????), carrots (sticks & shredded), celery (sticks & shredded)

Pasta Bar:  2-3 kinds of pasta, grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, broccoli, feta,

Fruit Bar: apples, bananas, oranges, melon, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries?, pears

Yogurt Bar:  Make vanilla yogurt (yogurt, honey, vanilla), granola

Cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats, Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks), uncooked oatmeal

Sandwich Bar:  PB&J, lunch meat, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo, mustard, sliced cheese, bread, buns, olives

Drinking Coolers of Gatorade, Lemonade

Thursday, July 3

Dinner:

- Spaghetti, Fettuccine & Shapes Pasta (regular & GF)

- Sauce - Red, Pesto, Alfredo

- Parmesan Cheese

- Italian Bread

Friday, July 4

Breakfast:

- German Pancakes (GF Flour)

- Pancakes (Krusteaz Mix)

- Scrambled Eggs & Sausage/Bacon

Dinner:

- Cha Sui - Pork, Soy Sauce, other ingredients

- Curried Chicken: Chicken, curry, other ingredients

- Rice

- Veggies - stir fry mix (fresh = snap peas, mushrooms, watercress, broccoli, red peppers,  

onions)

- Strawberry Shortcake:  FIND A GF Recipe!!!

Saturday, July 5

Breakfast:

- Hash Browns

- Scrambled Eggs & Sausage/Bacon

- Quiche

Dinner:

- Carne asada: pork, spices,

- enchiladas: corn tortillas, sauce (Adam's secret recipe), chicken, mozzarella cheese, olives

- quesadillas: flour tortillas, cheese, salsa, beans

- rice - plain

- chips: corn tortillas MAKE OR BUY

- guacamole - buy

- veg: tomatoes, onions, peppers, lettuce, jalapenos

- salsa

- 7 layer dip: hamburger, refried beans, cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, sour cream, olives,

taco seasoning

Sunday, July 6 (Summer's baptism)

Breakfast:

- pancakes

- scrambled eggs  & Sausage/Bacon

Dinner: leftovers, various bars

Monday, July 7

Breakfast:

- biscuits: self-rising flour (white lily), buttermilk, butter

- gravy: milk, hamburger, white onion, salt, pepper

- scrambled eggs & Sausage/Bacon

Dinner:

- Pulled pork sandwiches: Slow Roast Pork, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar

- hamburger buns

- Baked Beans: canned

- Cole slaw: cabbage mix, red bell pepper, lemon poppy seed dressing

- Watermelon?

- Potato Salad: potatoes, mayo, dill pickles, parsley, vinegar, salt, pepper

 

Tuesday, July 8

Breakfast:

- Breakfast casserole: eggs, potatoes, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions

- Scrambled eggs & Sausage/Bacon

Dinner: Clean the Fridge!

Wednesday, July 9

Breakfast: Eat what's left!