Enough Food For A Week

Linda took another two square cake pans out of the oven and started to pour cake mix into them. She already had two white cakes baking in the oven. These two would be chocolate. Putting alternating white and chocolate layers would give her a checkerboard pattern when the cake was finished. She planned vanilla frosting but with red food coloring and a miniature flag on top.

Then she had a sheet cake that was double chocolate with chocolate chunks in the batter. They’ll love that one she mused. She loved to bake and had to stop herself before she made enough cake to overshadow all the other food she was preparing

A large group was coming to their indoor/outdoors party at two o’clock and she would be ready. When they arrived she would serve punch in glass cups for the adults. The kids would have a virgin punch in paper cups. Snacks would be all over the place. She had deviled eggs, cheese and crackers and slices of summer sausage on slices of cucumber.

There would be a large platter of veggies and dip for the health conscious crowd. As they filled the house they would begin to drift out to the patio and yard. The table and chairs were all wiped down and the sun umbrella was up. The little ones’ picnic table was out on the grass. Various lawn chairs were set on the patio and grass.

They would all have a lot of fun. Babies would cry, toddlers would fight over the picnic table and her sister’s new baby would arrive, cuddled in her little graco snugride infant car seat. She hadn’t seen the baby yet. She was only four weeks old. Her name was Ruba and she was said to sleep a lot of the time. She put out plastic toys for the kids.

The men would play a little basketball and drink a little beer. She secured the ladder to the above ground pool for the last time. Well maybe she’d do it once more before the day was over. Can’t be too careful about safety she thought.

Her husband Todd was getting the outdoor grill fired up and ready to go. There were dozens of hot dog and brats. Hamburgers too. It was the food everyone expected at an outdoor party. The pickles, olives and hot peppers were chilled and ready to carry out. The various salads were all prepared too.

Lori ran upstairs and showered. She was wearing a sun dress with new sandals for the occasion. Now it was only an hour till the house would fill with people and she was growing excited. Just taking five minutes to straighten her bed quilt and running in to make her daughter’s loft bed, she was ready for the day. She went downstairs and waited for guests to arrive.