Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen!

It's again pretty cold outside, making me even more thankful I was able to put in solar.  Thank goodness the California sun keeps on shining on my panels so I can turn on the heater at night.  Frost is on the pumpkin this morning!

This is the calm before the storm.  Hard to tell, but those are his two front feet with his nose between, catching a few Zzzz's before I leave.  I was actually able to do the same thing for all of 20 minutes before the painters showed up.  

They power washed all the sections that need to be painted.  Huh ... my other painters never did that.  Maybe that's why all the paint is peeling off.  At any rate, I left them to their work and gathered up as much patience as I could before heading off to the big kitchen.

Already there was the Sheriff, cooking up a weird looking stew (I didn't ask), a huge pan of chili, frying up chicken wings,  stirring a cast iron dutch oven three feet across (the biggest I've ever seen) full of a mystery ingredient, along with two other big skillets of mystery meats in order to make stuffed bell peppers.  I think it was elk, venison and buffalo?

In the midst of all that, the regular Elks Lodge Chef was whipping out orders for the normal lunch crowd, as well as a Kiwanis luncheon meeting in the next big room.  He had three helpers, so you can imagine the kitchen was pretty full with 7 people.  We were dodging each other right and left, yelling HOT PAN or BEHIND YOU so no one got burned.

The Sheriff helped us get six huge turkey breasts into the ovens for our dinner before packing up all his stuff and exiting the building.  They probably should have started those turkeys a little earlier.

Next I helped with the trimming and panning of 140 chicken leg quarters that went in the ovens for the drive through dinner.  You haven't lived until you've handled that many chicken legs.  At least here we used gloves.  LOTS of gloves.

While those were cooking, people came and went stuffing things in the ovens to cook for the bunko crowd that was soon to gather in yet another room.  I was so busy I didn't even THINK about pictures.

At 2:00, just as the kitchen crew began to do their lunch cleanup, I started opening big cans of sweet potatoes, panning them up with brown sugar and maple syrup, ready to hit the ovens.  I have no idea how or why I can cook here, and not at home.  The sweet potatoes even have marshmallows on them!!  Having fabulous ovens helps a lot.

In no time, the chicken quarters were done and I had to clear the way for screaming hot pans.  The legs were moved into a huge ice chest where they would finish cooking and be ready for the drive through dinner.  More people showed up (I think there are now eleven people working in close quarters), to begin warming the rolls and whipping up a big batch of Cole slaw.

I'm telling you, it was a madhouse!!  With the chicken out of the way, I began measuring out water for our instant items.  Four huge pots went on the stove.  I have to give a standing ovation to our Chef Jessie.  He's the absolute BEST! 

He volunteered to whip up the gravy and mashed potatoes, an epic job requiring more muscles that I have in my entire body.  Flavored up with lots of butter and spices, those pans went in the ovens to keep warm.

That's when the mixology class showed up.  Yup ... even more crazy confusion.  We have a bartender who knows how to make absolutely everything, so he teaches a class once or twice a month.  They of course have to have appetizers ... from where else but the oven!!

Next up I set another pot to boil for instant dressing.  Let me just say that Uncle Ben makes a really tasty cornbread stuffing mix.  No kidding ... it's yummy!!!  I stirred up and panned three huge bags of that, adding extra spices and even MORE butter.  

At long last, the turkeys came OUT of the oven, thirty minutes late.  We sliced them up, panned those deliciously tasty big chickens, loaded everything into warming carriers and tied them into the back of my truck.  Everything else went in the back seat and we were OFF!!

Another madhouse ensued as we set up in their tiny tiny kitchen to serve 110 senior citizens.  It is a skill to serve that many meals and not run out of food.  We filled 50 clamshell containers to be delivered directly to their apartments, before dishing out the remaining food for those sitting at tables.  The Boy Scouts made all the deliveries ... how cool is that!  

Then it was madly serving up pumpkin pie with wads of whipped cream.  Sadly, I didn't get any of that.  I could have used some extra sugar, having been on my cowboy boot feet since 1:00.  By now it's 6:30.  

We stuffed everything back in the carriers and headed to the lodge where cleanup began.  Right in the midst of the drive-through dinner process.

Working as fast as possible, we dumped all the foil pans in the trash.  Those pans are SO nice to use ... otherwise we are the ones that have to wash the metal pans ... a job NO ONE is willing to do!

I did get home with a little turkey and some yummy dressing.  All I need is a little cranberry sauce.   Cooper was pretty excited when I walked in the door.  He could smell the turkey.

And so I literally fell into bed, trying to rest up for tonight.  Yup it's another Elks night ... initiation of 32 more members, meaning its tuxedo night.  I'm tired, but smiling because all those seniors were so thankful they got a free turkey dinner.