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| The Bench Bunch at Christmas |
Prixie's the one I wrote about in an earlier post, the friend I found on Facebook when a friend tagged a picture of her that another friend had posted. Berns was the tagger. The poster, Monica, is back in the Philippines plotting another reunion in five years, with all members of the Bench Bunch hopefully present. Who knows, it just might happen. In the meantime, the three of us will make the most of this mini-reunion.
We called ourselves the Bench Bunch because we used to hang out at a particular bench in the college quad, handily located just outside the cafeteria. Two benches, actually, that faced each other, where we preferred to sit in all but the wettest weather, braving even the higad (itchy caterpillars) that occasionally dropped down from the tree branches overhead.
That was literally half a lifetime ago. My memories of that time are filled with sunshine and laughter and guitar music, and they kept me warm through many winters that followed after. They still do.
Tomorrow will be the first time we three are going to sit down together as grown-ups. (I think the last time we three were at dinner together was on this occasion - my eighteenth birthday!) Both Berns and Prixie are bringing their husbands...new faces in a circle that's growing ever-wider.
So what to cook for this singularly special dinner? It's a surprise, but let me say that I think I'm getting good at these make-ahead dinners. Homemade dips and appies: chilling nicely in the fridge. Ingredients for main dish: defrosting. Last-minute run to the green grocer for fresh veggies: check. Liquor store for drinks: check. Dessert: in freezer. Tonight I'll be setting the table and getting all the serving dishes ready. My main goal is not to be dashing around the kitchen like a madwoman when the guests arrive....this truly defeats the purpose of entertaining!
Stayed tuned for more Bench Bunch stories, and tips on how to make your make-ahead dinner a success!
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