Rained In

Well, it finally happened. After several years of fantastic Labor Day weather, we were rained inside on Saturday. We still managed to complete the crab boil, thanks to a handy propane burner that could be set up under the covered porch. Unfortunately, there was no such solution for playing rolle bolle.

Despite this disappointment, we still had a nice time chatting with family, learning a cheer from cheerleader Kylie (we saw her in action Saturday morning before the game was rained out.), and eating lots of good food.

Crossing our finger for better weather next year.

Labor Day 2010

Labor Day festivities were once again held at Grandma Norma's and Grandpa Joe's. This has become quite the tradition in the family and is always enjoyed by about 30 people. This year a few changes were in order, including smoked meat exchanged for a crab boil. The crab boil included about 25 pounds of food in a 60 quart pot. Joshua, Ryan, Dad, and Grandpa took charge of the fire and boiling, and I held the beer. In less than an hour and a half we were dumping the mountain of food onto the table. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, and the process was a new experience. Other activities for the day included the annual rolle bolle tournament, shooting clay pigeons, watching the many babies, and taking many pictures, both professional and for fun. Here are a few...

More weekend updates as time allows.

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Notes for next year, not exciting to read now, but so helpful later.

- Crab boil ingredient included 6 pounds of shrimp, 6 pounds of crab, 4 pounds of mild Polish sausage, 10 pounds of red potatoes (get smaller next year), 8 corn ears (do more next year), 4 boxes of Zatarain's seasoning, 2 onions, 3 lemons, 1/2 cup of salt, 7 gallons of water with 2 extras. Perfect amount to serve 26 people with minimal leftovers. Only bring one loaf of bread next year, thinly sliced. Butter, cocktail sause, hot sauce, and sour cream on the side.

- Consider rolle bolle teams of 4 to allow for a shorter double elimination tournament. Single elimination was too short, but the double elimination with teams of three was too long.

- 2 pounds of chicken for the non-seafood lovers. Cooking them in the oven in a foil pan worked great.

- Note to Shaun: don't defrost the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight.

- We love Ove Glove!

Fun Long Weekend

Saturday was the annual family Labor Day party at the farm. Besides lots of good food, the main event of the day is always the rolle bolle tournament. Rolle bolle is a traditional Belgian lawn game involving competing teams rolling beveled wheels toward a stake 20 feet away. Think horseshoes/bowling. It's always a good time. This year my team did fairly well, and Joshua's team won the grand champion title. It was a great time.After the competition ended, we hurried home to meet our guests. Jenna and Randy drove from Alton to see our new house. We had a nice time relaxing, celebrating Jenna's birthday, playing Wii, and touring Peoria. They stayed until this morning.

After they left, I got to work filling in some sod in the front yard around the new landscaping. I need to get a picture of it... This afternoon Mom, Dad, Shaun, and Joshua's family from Springfield came for a nice afternoon of chatting and homemade pizza.

What a full and fun weekend. Back to work in the morning.