Sally's 70th Birthday❀❀❀ 5/May/13

Early this month, Marcus( my boyfriend)'s one of ladies from his Tai Chi classes had big 70th birthday. Sally hired a beautiful village hall just outside Bury St Edmunds.  She asked me to do catering for her, so I did. Since she asked me, I planned and planned and organized  foods and waiting staffs. I never catered AND organized staffs before, I normally make foods, and drop them off. So, I was excited and the same time I was a little nervous especially as the day came closer and closer..... Thanks to Sally and Marcus, they believed to be success, so it did.

I catered for 35 people, young people(kids) to old people. I was pleased they enjoyed my food. Quite often, here in Suffolk, people don't really want to eat different-strange food. so I was a bit worried and tried my best to keep them very simple  but with a little twist. 

My friends came to help me out to do the service. 

It required hard work especially cooking all this foods in my little kitchen, but it was worth it. Marcus asked me if I would do another one like this, I said "yes". But next time, I might just do vegetarian/vegan buffet only. See how it goes.....

I really enjoyed the whole thing, and guess what I spend on with the money from the job...
"Excalibur dehydrator 4 trays-", at last, it'd been 4 years or more, I was gagging to get it. Every time I had money, I spent it on something else. This time, I earned money for a dehydrator AND holiday! ☺☺☺ I'm happy! 

At moment, I've been covering a quite a bit cooking shift at work (old people's home). I don't mid at all, now the kitchen been refurbished to a bigger, better and cleaner kitchen with a wonderful oven! I love it! Bake, steam, braise and roast perfect!!! I wish the oven and the dish washer were in mine ( far, far too big to fit them in to my flat, I want that kitchen!) anyway, next month, I'm buying a high powered blender. I can't wait. It's not a Vitamix. I've got an eye on this blender on eBay. Can't wait!

I was going to take photos of my food, but I forgot and I was busy, I didn't do it.......☹☹☹
All I took was mini chocolate brownies....

I always make them when i do buffet. They go really well with coffee and people love them. they are not just ordinary chocolate Brownies, they contains Rolos inside. So, when you have a few bite, you can taste sticky caramel inside mouth, mmmmm, very nice. and very very  naughty. 
This party was catered for veggies and meat eaters, they were all O.K with sugar and wheat too.

This was the menu on the day:

Savoury things.......

Selection of sushi with lemon soy dressing

Smoked salmon & spinach roulade with cream cheese & dill

Asparagus & goats cheese tart

Cherry tomato, basil & panchetta tart

Salad of avocado, spring beans & feta

Green mixed herb salad with Suffolk honey & mustard dressing

Nutty quinoa & bulgar wheat salad

Parmesan, sun dried tomato and prosciutto sticks

Black olive & emmental sticks

Chicken strips with peanut sauce

Afters.......

Strawberry tart with cream chantilly

OR

Cheese plate with crackers and chutneys

Tea/Coffee....

with mini chocolate brownies

By the way, I made very nice vegan peanut sauce. Grab a good organic smooth peanut butter, 1 zest of orange and juice, chili, ginger, cumin, coriander and very good coconut milk (not tin), splash of tamari (of course! Being Japanese, I need to have it on everything!) and freshly ground black peppers. I had some left over, one evening, I found a bag of spinach in my fridge. So I wilted it mixed through with warmed peanut sauce. Cor blimey, it was delicious. Then I remembered my friend Clair told me about her mum's cooking "spinach with peanut butter". My imagination expanded & imagined it was just like one I made and made my mouth really watery.