OK, it is finally time to move into the sequence of wedding events. (And in case you have not been paying attention, I am referring to Erin Gunn’s wedding and not my own!). I took Thursday and Friday off work so that I could head up to MA and fulfill my bridesmaid duties properly. My parents picked me up at the bus in Providence and chauffeured me right over to the Gunn household, where I began by watching the master at work:



Mmmmmhmmm, that is Erin’s sister Siobhan hard at work on a project involving my favorite ingredient … canned pumpkin!



And she was working on creating my favorite baking result: wedding cake!



Of course, Siobhan had to level the tops of the cakes for stackability … and that meant pumpkin cake scraps:



More 😀 I love hanging out with the Gunns.



Lily got in on the cake scraps action:



And once again made her ancestors proud. Pacifier in mommy’s wine glass:



Like mother, like daughter. Pacifier in mouth:



While the others were getting sloshed, I actually started work on an actual job (with tons of help from the ever-reliable groom). Place card creation:



And then it was time for dinner: french bread and dog food.



Just kidding! Erin’s family put on a brilliant spread, beginning with olives:



Continuing with lasagna:



And Swedish meatballs!



Kevin being the epitome of class, as usual 😛



I loaded my plate like so (and followed it up with a second plate!):



For dessert, I accidentally got into the basket of Halloween candy intended for the under-12 crowd at the wedding:



Believe me, it did not stop at half a peanut butter cup! Up next: day two of last minute wedding preparations.

In your opinion, when is the best time to eat Halloween candy: before, during, or after the holiday?

Last weekend was FINALLY the moment that you’ve all been waiting for: Erin Gunn’s wedding … a.k.a. the OMGiactuallyhavetowearthistoosmalldressivebeenpanickedaboutformonths event. So, did it fit?? Did it not fit??? Hint:



More to come soon!

First, I need to give a little update on the goings on at work.



Could it be??? Another table full of food?!

Friday was Jennifer’s last day at work and, in her honor, we did what we do best (aside from saving babies, of course) and ate 😀

Jennifer’s eyes went wide with delight when she walked into the second floor nursery room where we had been diligently stocking the snack time table:



Jennifer’s view:



It’s a wonder she did not just topple right over!

Next, her eyes slid to the left …



Mmmmmhmmm, you KNOW we didn’t forget about the desserts:



(Nydia’s cheese, Andra’s cheesecake, Lorraine’s chocolate cake, Heather’s fruit salad)

So, clockwise from top left: Belkis’ spaghetti with sauce (and the bowl in front is Jessica’s ground beef to accompany it), Inginia’s chicken mole and white rice, Nitza’s artichoke lasagna, Allan’s KFC (hidden from view), my sweet potato, red onion, and fontina tart, chips and salsa, Barbara’s peanutty cabbage slaw, Deborah’s tamales de pollo (from the street), and Pansy’s curried chicken:



Ahhhh, crazy feast!!! I don’t know why I even bother eating on my off work hours at this point.

Anyway, let’s just back up a second to my sweet potato, red onion, and fontina tart. I got this recipe from Eating Well magazine (thanks again, Brandi!) and knew I had to make it ASAP, especially when I ended up with four giant sweet potatoes from my CSA. The only changes I made were in the crust. I used hazelnuts and brazil nuts in place of walnuts (it’s a rough life, I know), and I mixed the whole wheat pastry flour with regular whole wheat flour instead of with all-purpose. The dough needed a little extra water, but everything ended up turning out perfectly:



The tart got demolished at Jennifer’s lunch, and I helped:



I’d split a tamal earlier in the day with Deborah, so I skipped those and loaded my plate with nearly everything else: chicken mole, artichoke lasagna, my tart, curried chicken, peanutty cabbage slaw …

Nitza’s lasagna was INSANE. The big chunks of artichoke wrapped up in the creamy ricotta and tomato sauce with fresh basil, ahhhhhh. I so had seconds of that.



And I could not forget a little pile of Jessica’s ground beef on top of Belkis’ spaghetti. This might have been the best ground beef I have ever tasted. how was it so crispy???



Everyone ate and ate and ate and ate:





And then it was time for dessert!



Well really, it was time for me to go to class, and I couldn’t leave without dessert, obviously. So I had to get the ball rolling. I filled a bowl with slivers of the chocolate cake and cheesecake, a dollop of Pansy’s ambrosia, and a mountain of fruit salad. Mmmmmmmm. Thank goodness I had to leave and was therefore unable to have seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, and sixths.

Jennifer, good luck on your next adventure. We will miss you!

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