Want a good laugh? My Dinner Party...

I just had a dinner party tonight to celebrate selling the house. It could have, and should have, been a real disaster.

About 4 o’clock this afternoon, a big truck hit a power pole down on the 4 lane road two blocks away. I even heard the transformer pop. The power went out (and didn't come back on until about11:45 PM). I’m so glad we have a wood stove in the living room, because it is now 19 degrees and falling. At least we had heat!

About the time I heard the transformer pop, I had just finished my shower, and had gone downstairs to get some oranges from the pantry… only to discover water all over the basement floor where the bathtub/bathroom drain line had backed up.

I immediately called the roto-rooter guy (on my cell phone because the telephone was also out) who was just here 10 days ago for the same problem, and told them I had company coming to dinner, we couldn't flush the toilet, and he'd better get here fast!

Well, he got here in about an hour, after being delayed in traffic due to one wreck and then re-routed near our house due to the truck that hit the telephone poles down the street, which was still blocking all the traffic. He said from what he had just seen, they’d be several hours getting the truck un-entangled from all the poles and electric lines, and then installing some new telephone poles before they could even start to re-connect the lines.

By now, my company was due in one hour.

Needless to say, he couldn't use his power rooter(s) to unclog the drains because the power was still out... and by then it was dark and we had nothing but one small flashlight to even see in the basement. What a mess. (He plans to come tomorrow, and since the power is now back on, hopefully it will be fixed then.)

At the appointed time, my company didn’t come, and didn’t come, and I began to worry, as they are all so dependable. Finally one person showed, and said she got lost due to the detours from the wreck and only knowing one way to my house. Soon after, I got a call on my cell phone from the other parties who were also wandering around trying to find an alternate route to my house.

Eventually everyone got here to an almost dark house. Hey, I did put a candle in the window so the house wasn’t totally dark! I was afraid they’d drive up, see a dark house, and think I was playing a dirty trick with a dinner invitation, LOL.

Making dinner was hilarious! I've never before cooked by the light from just one candle. Even campfires have more light. My stove is gas, with an electronic ignition, but you can still start it with a match. Fortunately, all my appetizers had been made earlier, and refrigerated, so I only had the main course to cook. Plus, most of those ingredients had been shredded, sliced, or chopped, and were ready to combine and cook, but it was still a challenge. I’ve certainly never sautéed by candlelight before.

My guests were all great sports, and the food turned out marvelously even though we had to eat in the living room off the coffee table for both what precious light we had, and warmth from the wood stove. Thankfully, I had one small kerosene lamp and 3-4 candles that weren’t packed yet, so we could see to eat.

Have you ever tried to make after-dinner coffee with only an electric coffeemaker and no power? You can, if you boil the water on the gas stove and add it to the filter basket one cup at a time, closing the basket each time because of the little button that won’t let the coffee drip into the pot unless it’s over the pot to open.

The menu? Oh… well, for appetizers, we had Belgian endive stuffed with a fresh goat cheese I flavored with fresh chives, lemon and lemon zest and a touch of fresh thyme; smoked salmon canapés; haricots vert (skinny French green beans) lightly steamed and then marinated in olive oil and fresh grated ginger; and a crudité tray with cold, blanched snow peas, baby bella mushrooms, sliced red bell peppers and steamed asparagus with a side sauce made of Dijon, low-fat sour cream and plain yogurt.

The main course (vegetarian, for my friends) was fresh beets sautéed with onions and oranges, roasted rutabagas with a maple syrup glaze, and spinach-feta patties with a dollop of sour crème.

Dessert was simply coffee, nutmeg sugar cookies and biscotti.

It was an absolutely wonderful and hilarious evening and we were all disappointed when the lights came back on. We turned them off. (But left the heat on!)

I love the quote from M.F.K. Fisher who said, “With friends of such good attributes, and good food on the board and good wine in the pitcher, we may well ask, when shall we live, if not now?”