Dinner for 18: A Mamie-worthy Family Gathering

July 15th began as a sleepy Sunday morning. My husband, George, and son, Leland, had returned from a week at Boy Scout camp the night before, so we had decided not to go to church (sorry, Pastor Linda!). I was in bed with a cup of coffee, feeling decadent as I sorted through the week's accumulation of mail, when the phone rang.

"It says 'Creekmore'" George yelled from downstairs, referring to the caller ID. Uh oh, I thought as I scrambled for the phone.

It was all coming back to me. My Mills nieces and nephew from Oklahoma (my brother Greg's children) had planned a visit to the west coast, and my niece, Shelly (Creekmore), called in late June to confirm they'd be in Salinas on July 15th...today. With all the things going on in my life (chiefly among them is helping my sister, Vicki, through her cancer treatment at Stanford, but that's a story for another time), it had totally slipped my mind.

"Hi, Aunt Diane," Shelly greeted me, "We just got onto 101. We didn't have any cell service at the cabin, so we couldn't call sooner. We'll be there in about an hour and a half." I responded in all truthfulness, if in a bit of a panic, "That's terrific, Shelly. We can't wait to see you!" Well, I guess I'd better get in the shower, was my next thought.

I rushed through my ablutions (those of you who have given me grief over the years for using the word "repast" may need to look it up ☺) and began ticking items off my mental list. Mostly clean house: check. Call Greg: check. Call Vicki: check. Decide what to make for dinner...no check. I had really wanted this event to be a true Mamie-style food fest, using some of her cherished recipes. George praised that as a noble and well-intentioned desire but helped me come to terms with the fact that shopping for and preparing such a feast was just not possible in the time available. (Actually, it was more of a heated squabble between the two of us, but this sounded nicer and the result was the same.) The real point of the day, he reminded me, was spending time with family. Great husband, check!

After a whirlwind trip to the grocery store, we began to prepare the meal:

• Chicken leg quarters, bathed in a combination of McCormick Grill Mates "Zesty Herb" and "Garlic, Herb & Wine " marinades, sprinkled liberally with McCormick Grill Mates "Smokehouse Maple Blend" seasoning, and grilled to perfection by George.
• My own macaroni salad, with a nice balance between creamy mayonnaise and tangy Italian dressing, aromatic onion, crisp celery, hard boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, chopped black olives (for the "What in the heck are those black specks?" factor) and the requisite sprinkling of paprika on top.
• Semi-homemade baked beans, with sauteed onions, chunks of thick-sliced bacon, brown sugar and real maple syrup.
• A salad of freshly chopped romaine lettuce, juicy grape tomatoes, fresh green onions, crunchy croutons and a variety of dressings.
• Savory garlic bread--made by my daughter, Natalie--with melted butter, freshly pressed garlic and grated Parmesan cheese, topped with chopped parsley from our herb garden.
• Not bad for last minute, huh?

Shelly & Vicki

The doorbell started to ring, and then the real fun began. First my sister, Vicki, and her two grandchildren, Jaden and Autumn, arrived. Shortly thereafter, the contingent from Oklahoma was at the door: my niece, Shelly, her husband Pat and their children Kaitlyn and Zach (with an "h" not a "k"); my niece, Tammy; my nephew Loren, his wife Jennifer and their children Kyleigh and Kolyn. Before long, my brother, Greg, and his other son, Tony, were crossing the threshold. Counting me, George, Natalie and Leland, that made 18!

Kyleigh & Kolyn watching Despicable Me

Stationed in the kitchen, chopping, prepping, stirring and observing the wonderful chaos, my heart brimmed with contentment. Everyone was crowded in the kitchen and family room. The TV blared Despicable Me (ostensibly for the little ones, but everyone was enjoying it--after all, who doesn't like minions?). Conversations ebbed, flowed and overlapped. Kids wandered in and out. Pictures were snapped. I stepped back for a moment to soak it all in, and I raised a silent toast to Mamie, feeling a connection to her beyond time and space.

Back row: George, Tony, Jaden & Loren
Front row: Zach, Kaitlyn, Greg

Then it was time to add leaves to the dining-room table (seating 10), set up the card table (seating another 4, but only after George, Natalie and Kaitlyn went to the neighbors to get the chairs we'd left there at New Year's!) and clear the breakfast bar in the kitchen of hors d'oeuvres (to seat the final 4). We ate buffet style, so by the time the last were sitting down to eat, the first few were finishing up--but everyone lingered and talked.

After quickly clearing up (thank goodness for paper plates!), we made our way to the desserts. Greg had brought a carrot cake and a blueberry bundt cake (or as everyone started calling it, for some reason, a "butt" cake); plus, we sliced into a succulent watermelon. When you consider all that with cups of coffee and glasses of milk, I think its safe to say that everyone was sated by the time we wiped up the crumbs.

All too soon, it was time for good-byes. But not before we took some group photos to commemorate the day. Vicki and her grandchildren went home to Castroville. Shelly (and her family) and Tammy headed back to their mother's family cabin at Lake Nacimiento. Loren and his family followed Greg and Tony back to Hayward. And we closed the door with a satisfied sigh. What a great day! Mamie would have been proud.

The whole gang...except George, who snapped ths photo!

Next time, I'll serve Mamie's Burgundy Beef. I promise.

Coming up...digging into the recipe box.