Now I know why I am NOT a caterer!

 

I love to cook, when I have the time to really put into it and the most requested dish I make is my Cheeseburger Soup.  Here is a picture of one of the several batches I made for one of my girl's wedding a few weeks ago.  This was one of those stories that will forever be etched in my memory bank because if something wonky is going to happen, it will be with me.  I had agreed to make soup for a reception and planned to make small batches with enough to serve 112.  Now mind you, I have NEVER made that much soup in one setting.  Here's the other problem... I loosely use a recipe so buying the right amount of ingredients can be dicey with this approach.  After buying a cart full of groceries and roping my best friend into helping me, we proceeded to my workplace and spend about 6 hours making soup.  We were careful to cool it down, put it in plastic bags, and finish cooling flat in the freezer.  Trying to be the organized woman that I strive to be, I did this a week ahead and decided to store it at work and take to the reception site that Friday night.  What I didn't plan for was the fact that the bags of soup weren't completely cold when I sat them upright and stacked them in the freezer and the luke warm soup, coupled with the freezer being opened and closed umpteen times, melted the layer of ice on the shelf.  When I proudly went to retrieve my creation on Friday afternoon, I found 20 bags of soup stuck together...in one big lump and firmly adhered to the shelf.  I was thisclose to having a complete meltdown right on the spot.  I took every kitchen utensil to the freezer shelf, poured water over it (creating a flood in the kitchen!) and employed the assistance of two co-workers and a hammer to finally detach them from the shelf. In one big blob!!!  I carried the mass to the huge set of sinks, ran cold water over them to pry them apart, and finally was able to place them in the big freezer bags for transport.  At that moment, I swore never again.

 

But looking back now and able to laugh, I am glad I was able to be a part of Shannon's special day by doing something I love to do....and making a dish that I know she loves.