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We did it.  Our Hawaiian Luau went off without a hitch.  And in grand fashion, I must say! 

Here's the menu:

Lava Flow Pina Coladas (they had strawberry puree at the bottom)

Coconut Shrimp with Chili-Lime Sauce

Aloha Pineapples (pineapple wrapped in bacon)

Purple Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Mango Salsa (I made this dish up myself!)

Kaui Fisherman's Soup (one of my favorites)

Maui Corn Salad (ok, this was a favorite too)

Guava-Mango Sorbet (served in coconut shells)

Grilled Pork Loin with Pineapple Relish and Snap Peas

Passion Fruit-Mango Herb Tea

Molten Chocolate Souffle (to die for!)

Island Macaroons (the take-home gift)

   

 

Everything was outside and beautifully decorated (thanks to Donna – she is the prima table setter – I stick to the paper goods (menus, place cards, recipe books).  We had tiki torches, hurricanes, and votive candles. We had ordered fresh orchids to scatter on the table and put in our guests' hair.  Everyone received a shell lei on arrival.  And we had Hawaiian music (Iz, Don Ho, etc.) playing in the background. 

   

   

   

   

   

   

 

One of the best treats of the night was having both of our moms there.  I think they really enjoyed themselves and were impressed with the amount of work that went in to it.  But it was just fun to treat them to such a nice meal.  I honestly think my mom thought that I would NEVER cook when I was a teenager…I resisted all things domestic! 🙂

(Nancy, Christi and Myrna)

Another treat was working alongside our very supportive husbands…Derek had been out of town and flew in to help.  Donna's husband Scott worked all afternoon helping us set up.  And then the two guys were in the kitchen all night helping us plate food and wash dishes.  You can't imagine the kind of mess that something like this creates – it's immense and overwhelming!  But these guys did a lot of the clean-up and we were so grateful.  Good guys…

Thanks for my friends Christi and Emily for helping with my kids that day – what a relief.  I didn't even see little Samuel all day – but I think he had more fun that way! 

On Saturday I could barely move, I was so sore from standing and running and bending over a counter.  And then on Sunday I fought with a stomach bug – I think my body was exhausted.  The amount of work that goes in to these evenings is amazing.

To end, I want to say a little about my GC partner Donna.  She's my neighbor, but mostly my friend.  I have been so blessed by this across-the-street friendship.  During the intense final weeks of Gourmet Club we have our "moments" definitely – we don't always see eye-to-eye on things (although I think we do it respectfully and sometimes even without saying anything!), but I am so blessed to have her in my life.  I love to shoot the breeze with her about landscape, recipes, raising kids, etc.  We call each other anytime we need ingredients (case in point – Derek made french toast on Sunday only to realize that we were out of syrup – so we called Donna).  She loves my children, and they adore her.  Samuel has even fallen asleep in her lap at church before.  My kids fight over who gets to run to Donna's for something.  And she's always looking out for them for me.  She's the one we call in emergencies.  She was always our go-to girl when I was pregnant with Samuel.  She always took the big kids to church, and she took the kids the day I went in to labor.  She knows where things are in my house, and vice versa.  She's smart and classy and sophisticated.  She is detail oriented, which makes for an amazing presentation at our Gourmet Club dinners.  And she's a wonderful cook (much better than I).  She also has a charitable heart and we have been so blessed to be planted in eye-shot of her good family.  In a world where many people don't know their neighbors that well…I feel so lucky to have this one-of-a-kind relationship.

 

After everyone left, I couldn't move, so I decided to lay down right where I was…who cares if I'm twice a big as the step!