Stone Soup Supper

Well, we were up early and off to chruch, our crew has dwindled down to 4 due to people working, being out of town or unavailable, so we had to hustle a little more than usual. Dan and I started cooking about 8AM, we made a nice strong pot of "Navy Coffee", started cooking hamburger, onions, peppers, sausage, garlic, and Dans wife Ginny came out to check on us to see if we were working, AND we were working in between coffee breaks and "Sea Stories"!!!

After the meat and ingredients were cooked we put on 15 gallons of salted water to boil so we could get the Macaroni cooked, we boiled and boiled macaroni, got it cooked and drained, AND then these 2 old Navy Vets started making "Hungarian Goulosh!!

We mixed a little meat, some sause, some macaroni, taste tested it and made some more, tasted it again and had the girls come in and taste it and when the 4 of us all agreed it was delicious we finally got enough made for 125 people, thank goodness for those old ARMY COOKING KETTLES !!!!!

Anna Mae and Ginny helped cut up the Onions, peppers, and we cut up, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, for enuff Tossed Salad for 125 people.

Anna Mae and Ginny set up the tables and chairs, and set the room up, we can seat 85 people at one time in the dining room, Bread Butter, grated Cheese, were put on the tables and we always use our best church china for these meals.

The ladies of our church out done them selves again cooking deserts, Being short of help I had to cut home made pies, cakes, check out the cookies, cupcakes, and other deserts that came in to make sure they were fit for Human consumption. They were OK but several I had to have Dan come help me taste again to make sure they were OK!!!!!

We had everything ready, fresh coffee, punch, hot tea, 4 five gallon kettles of Hungarian Goulosh, Home Made Bread, real butter and fresh tossed salad and at 4:30 PM we opened the doors, anna mae served drinks, Ginny waited tables, Dan served salads and I served goulosh, it was pretty much a steady stream of people thru the doors, we filled the tables, hustled about and after people finished eating we hustled and reset the tables and kept serving. I guessed about 125 people and was off by 5, we served 119 people and 1 take out meal.

Several of our regulars were in the hospital, a couple had been placed in Nursing Homes and those regulars who showed up got a nice meal, AND we got lots of compliments on how delicious the food and deserts were!!!!

We had an extra gift for those who came to dinner tonight as we had 3 to 400 ears of "Fresh Sweet Corn" donated and we sent people home with bags of corn who wanted it and it all went out the door!!!!

Well everyone got their fill of food and desert, it quited down so the 4 of us got a chance to sit down, relax a few minutes and enjoy some of the fruits of our labors and I must admit, the Goulosh was good.

Then it was clean up, we were lucky as several ladies stayed and started whalloping pots and pans, we filled the dish washer, sereral ladies washed dishes, pots and pans, hauled out the garbage and cleaned and swept up.

Right after our break it was back to work finishing up and getting things put away the ladies so kindly washed!!!