Dutch Oven @ the Park

We decided to try something new with our Dutch Oven Cooking Parties. We moved them to the Park. We figure it'll cut down the craziness (and need for the before-cleaning process) at one person's home. I was a little nervous at the idea at first. Especially cuz most of the free parks in town do not have bathrooms or running water. A little bit nerve racking for the Mommas but it turned out perfect. It was a smaller group than usual this time but that just meant more food for me!!!
I think the reason for the smaller group was... Most people are taking off for the month of July so they think they need the whole week to get ready or something! ;o) All the more reason people should come to everything before they abandon us for the Summer but... that's just my opinion! And it seems it doesn't count for a lot round here these days! LOL
The food was amazing as usual! We had Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken with Veggies, Jambalaya, Pink salad, butterscotch cookies, Apple crisp and a Blueberry/other fruit cobbler. Delicious!

We brought Sabrina with us this time. We also had the new Gill family to play with as well. All the kids enjoyed playing on the playground and swings. Funny thing...The entire playground surface felt like it was floating (because of the rains this week). Whenever you jumped off the equipment , it felt  like you were gonna sink into some kind of quick sand. Luckily most of the kids came away without too much mud on them!

 After dinner, the Z boys, Jared Gill and Brett got together a game of Kickball for the kids. They loved it!!!

We'll have to see if we stay with the Park Dutch Oven Plan but for now.. we'll count it as a success!

Dutch Oven Cooks

Let the Dutch Oven Season begin!!!! Jerry & Brooke were nice enough to invite everyone (like the entire ward) over to their place tonight for the 1st Dutch Oven Party of the year. Yummmy! There were so many people- maybe like 65 people. Crazy but fun!  The Cooks backyard is so much fun. Kids & adults (seriously anything kids can do the adults can do as well) enjoyed the Zipline, the swings, the trampoline, the sandbox, the food, home-made rootbeer, friends, bubbles and an all guy game of Lightning on the basketball court. What a great night! Let's do it again soon.

We LOVE Dutch Oven Season!

Dutch Oven Partay

You know how we LOVE to throw a Partay! And Dutch Oven Partays are the best! We had a few friends over today for a Dutch Oven lunch. It was a lot of fun! It felt like a crisp, cool, Fall day. Jacket weather, for sure but it beats the sweat-like-a-pig weather from the last one. Perfect for cooking over a hot oven. Well, I guess I wouldn't know- since the Dutch oven cookin' is left up to the men folk! Thanks guys! We had the priviledge of having over the Brothersons, the Mausolfs, the McKees, the Wrights and the Babcocks. What fabulous friends we have!

The food was delicious as usual! We had BBQ pork ribs, Brats, the Wright's awesome Chilli & Cornbread, salad, chips, watermelon, lemonade, Cream Soda and a fresh veggie tray. Then, there was just as much dessert as there was food! We had Eclair cake, Cherry cobbler, Apple crisp, popscicles and home-made Crepes. YUMMY! We stuffed ourselves way too much!

There's always more than food at a Seamons Partay! The kids all got to enjoy the zipline EVEN the big kids. Go Ellen! There was some Wii competition and an extravangant camping adventure under the trampoline. I love the kids imaginations! The weather cooperated just for the Party! Thanks Mother Nature!  She sent the chilly weather but stayed the wetness until we were pretty much done. We really appreciated it! It started to downpour as we were just cleaning up (and then for hours after). We had to use umbrellas to get our guests to their cars! Too funny! Drenched would be a good word for those without the umbrella escort.

Thanks for everyone that came! We love spending time with ya'll!
We should do one more before it snows! ;)
Larry- You better have one by then- I expect BIG things from you!

Dutch Oven: Take Two

We Love to Dutch Oven!!! The food is so yummy, you get to hang out & cook with friends and the MEN do most of the cooking! I LOVE it! We plan on doing several this Summer so we hosted the Dutch Oven: Take Two 2010. As always, yummy!!! This time Mother Nature saved her traditional dutch oven rain for after the partay (I mean like RIGHT after the Partay!;) but she sure turned up the heat for us. Hottest day of the year! Thanks a lot! FOUR fans outside and 7 pitchers of Lemonade coming right at ya and you still felt like you might die. Gotta love that Mother Nature is always our party crasher!

We had a really good turnout. We are always looking for new recruits to Dutch Oven with us! Anyone up for the challange is always welcome. Once you do the dutch oven cookin' with us (I mean- buy one and actually cook in it. LOL)- you're in! This time, Matt thought he'd bring a salad-- WHAT???? We, of course, had to tease him. HELLO!! That's like eating a hamburger at a Fish Fry. Was' up with that?  He ended up doing fried chicken and at least served it in his dutch oven. LOL! It was a huge hit and delicious! This time, we gave up our fall-back recipe and tried Pot Roast and veggies. The Potters did Dutch Oven Potatoes. The Zs did Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Funeral Potatoes. The Eriksons made a Peach Pineapple Cobbler. (They are first timers- AWESOME! So glad you came) We also made a Sh'more {That's better than s'mores} cake. All of it was delish!!! Thanks everybody for coming!

Luckily, we planned somewhat for the heat. There was lots of water fun for the kids. Sprinkler under the tramp, hoolahoops and water guns! Hurray!!!

Then, never forget the Zipline! Everyone LOVES the Zipline! Maybe when we grow up we'll have one for the adults as well. :) Dang! that my camera wasn't fast enough cuz I just LOVE the ones of Dawson and Sam. Too funny! The dare-devil games they come up with crack me up! Gotta LOVE boys! I also think Maggie went on it at least 100 times. Your toy is definitely a hit, Brett. Danger Ranger but a hit nonetheless.

We also brought out the Tepee AND the Indian & Cowboy box. It was used way more than I thought it would be. My favorites were Liberty is the chaps over her swimsuit especially the view from the back LOL! and squeezing (literally) Sam into the Indian costume that was like 2 sizes too small. So fun! I'm so glad it got some use since my kids grew up way too fast. It took forever to make all that stuff and it hasn't got it's fair share of use. All the kids were creative and played with it all night.

Some also took adavntage of Brett's Hamaca. (Hammock in Spanish) Brett loves it when I'm wrong about his toys. [Well, at least my "whatever" (insert eye-roll here) attitude when he buys them until everyone loves them. Well... I was wrong again, Honey! Everyone LOVES your hamaca. You're the MAN!!!

Because the 4th falls on Sunday this year, the ENTIRE weekend is turning into one continous Americana Celebration! And what's the 4th without Fireworks? We have quite a few Pyros & Pyros-in-Training on our hands. LOL! Ryan (one of the Pyros), McKenzie and Sophie joined us for fireworks after their date. [Their family is joining our Babysitting Group and so their girls joined us at the beginning and they came at the end] Most everyone loved the FIRE and noise! We did  scared of the Zs and Dawson off but everyone else seemed to enjoy them.

We also had the priviledge of a special Musical Performance slash Dance Extravaganza. It was AMAZING!!! Nothing like turning up the car speakers and jammin' in the driveway. What great memories!

Hurray for the Dutch Oven Partay and great friends! Let's do it again soon!

1st of the Year Dutch Oven

Dutch Oven Partays are a MUST for Summertime fun! Bishop Z offered to have the 1st one for this year. It was delicious and fun and rainy as it always is! LOL! On our way over, Mother Nature decided it would be fun to remind us of last year's Dutch Oven and poured down a few zillion buckets of heavy rain. Her sense of humor just kills me sometimes. It turned out that the weather cleared up as the Eater-guests arrived so it was fabulous. I LOVE Dutch Oven Partays!!! Thanks to the Zees. The next ones at the Cooks on the Pioneer Day. Hurray!