I'm seeing green

Last night I hosted Bunco for a new group I joined last summer. I was attracted at once to this group for all the regular reasons like welcoming, funny people. But there was another thing that made this group such an easy one to fall into. I never had to bring anything. Every month, I'd just get in my car, drive wherever I needed to go and eat, drink and be merry. What bliss! There are some really great cooks in the group who can always be counted on for great food and a wonderful bottle of wine.

My mooching days came to an abrupt end this week and it was my turn. No more free rides for me and the pressure was on. I couldn't exactly feel good about slapping together some bologna and Velveeta sandwiches (Mmmmm) or chicken nuggets with mac-n-cheese. Fresh off my cleanse I had big dreams of wonderful things and pored through cookbooks and magazines searching for a theme that would fit in with my schedule. I came up with a pistachio / lime (green) theme and went for tropical spinach salad, chicken salad, lime custard tart, and mojitos. All went well 'til it came time to make the tart. The Tart. THE TART! Oh Lord. I cursed Martha Stewart so don't be surprised if she shows up with blight on her tomatoes and a second cockroach head growing out of her neck. Insider trading will be the least of her worries. This tart represents 3+ hours of my life that I'll never see again. I realize for some people that might not seem excessive or maybe it's worth it. It WAS delicious. But C'MON! 3 hours is A LOT to this mom. I was able to fit in some so-called quality time by letting Little A help with the chopping, the zesting, the squeezing and stirring, but still. Really, there should be a disclaimer at the top of any recipe that takes longer than 2 hours in prep time. Something that might read, "THIS RECIPE IS SUITABLE ONLY FOR LONELY, SOCIALLY-CHALLENGED PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING BETTER IN LIFE TO DO THAN SLAVE OVER THEIR COUNTER FOR NEARLY 4 HOURS FOR A STINKING (albeit delicious) TART".

A few months ago, when my original Bunco group was re-forming after a brief hiatus, I was able to rally a small contingent to support a switch from our traditional potluck style monthly gatherings to the easier, more convenient once-a-year-do-it-all-and-get-it-over-with method. I touted how convenient it was to be unburdened from the monthly duty of cooking up a side dish, salad or dessert. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Funny how opinions can change overnight.