Wow, what a story. I can tell you right now that there is no way I would have gone through what you went through. I woulda simplified the menu completely once I discovered the bad chicken. Realizing that eveyrone would be expecting one thing and getting something else, I'd probalby just issue a rain check for the ditched menu. I think that friends would understand! But then again, I'm not known for being the nicest person around LOL. You are WAY nicer than me, that's obvious!! I congratulate you on going through with as much as you humanly could. Next time, rather than depend on your masculine ability (or inability?) to hear what the wife said the first time have her write it down and tack it on the fridge with a magnet. It's not that I don't have faith in your good intentions, it's just that I know how men are, I'm married to one. And it's not that they don't try, sometimes they do! But sometimes they just can't help it. That was not male bashing, by the way. Just that it's best to be realistic and figure out workarounds instead of hoping for miracles. And I mean that in the nicest possible way, as I know my own shortcomings and have learned to NOT plan for me to overcome them, but instead plan for how to work around them! LOL

Pappardelle Pasta with Beef (Real Simple Magazine) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces kosher salt and black pepper 1 large onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 4 garlic cloves, smashed 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes 1 pound assorted mushrooms (such as button, cremini, and shiitake), sliced 12 ounces pappardelle or fettuccine 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more for serving Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, about 1 minute more. Return the beef to the saucepan and add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender, 60 to 75 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the saucepan and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes more. If the sauce is too thin, simmer, uncovered, until thickened to the desired consistency. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot. Add the beef ragu and Parmesan and toss. Serve with additional Parmesan.

A cold buffet item which is a long time favorite of mine is Vegetables a la Grecque. I've always followed James Beard's method: VEGETABLES A LA GRECQUE "As the vegetables are eaten cold, rather than hot, they can be made in quantity and kept in the refrigerator in containers, to be brought out when you want a simple first course or cold vegetables for a summer buffet. Serve the different vegetables in the small serving dishes called raviers, or in flat pottery or glass dishes. A sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley or, if you like the flavor, chopped fresh coriander, makes a pleasant garnish." * Court bouillon: 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup white wine vinegar 1/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 bay leaf 1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled Dash of hot pepper sauce 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, tarragon, oregano, basil; or 1 teaspoon each dried * Select from the following vegetables: young, tender green beans, wax beans, whole green onions or tiny white onions, small and firm mushroom caps, whole or halved leeks, halved or quartered fennel bulbs, fingers or cubes of eggplant, small and firm zucchini halved or thickly sliced, halved celery hearts, buds of broccoli or cauliflower, tiny young carrots, tiny pattypan squash, artichoke bottoms, or trimmed and quartered artichokes with choke removed (see note). * Put the oil, vinegar, wine, salt, pepper, bay leaf, garlic, hot pepper sauce, thyme, tarragon, oregano and basil in a large, shallow pan or deep skillet, then add a cleaned, trimmed vegetable and just enough water barely to cover. The court bouillon is sufficient for 1 pound of green beans or carrots, or 1 large eggplant, cubed, or 8 artichoke bottoms or a dozen mushroom caps. * Bring the liquid to a boil very slowly over medium heat, then reduce the heat and poach until the vegetable is just crisply tender when pierced with a fork or the point of a small sharp knife. Do not overcook. * Remove from the heat, taste the liquid for seasoning and add salt, if needed; then let the vegetable cool in the liquid. When cool, transfer to a refrigerator container or serving dish. Strain the poaching liquid and use again for other vegetables. If necessary, add more water. * Note: Do not simmer vegetables together, as they will have different cooking times. Cook your selections separately. As mentioned, there are many, many vegetables to select from. Just choose a few which offer a contrast of colors, flavors and textures and which are in season. Jim

Pollo Ezechiele (Ezekiel's Chicken) from "Cucina Ebraica - Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen" by Joyce Goldstein Serves 4 1 small fryer chicken, 2 1/2 to 3 lbs., cut into serving pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 TBLSP olive oil 1/3 cup pitted Mediterranean-style black olives, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic 1 TBLSP chopped fresh sage 1 TBLSP chopped fresh rosemary 1 TBLSP chopped fresh basil (extra fresh herbs to garnish, optional) 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped 1/2 cup dry red wine Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Warm the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and saute until golden on all sides. Add the olives, garlic, herbs, and tomatoes. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, until the chicken is tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover the pan and add the red wine. Raise the heat to high and cook rapidly to reduce the pan juices. Adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a warmed platter and sprinkle with more fresh herbs, if desired. Serve at once. Can add a sliced onion to the initial saute and sub tomato paste instead of tomatoes. OK, that's Joyce's recipe. Here's how I adapt it for my budget and slow cooker. Do the saute part to brown the chicken, onion and garlic. Then transfer to the crockpot and add a can of whole tomatoes, chopped, and the olives and herbs. I use dried herbs, subbing 1 tsp. dried for 1 TBLSP fresh. Cook in the crockpot on low for 4 hours. When the chicken is done, take it out and transfer it to a serving dish. Dump the juices into a saute pan, add the wine and reduce/thicken the sauce. Can add a cornstarch slurry and some tomato paste to make the sauce even richer, and freshen with additional herbs if necessary. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh or frozen chopped parsley. The key is to brown the chicken before putting it in the crockpot, to use smaller pieces, (some folks only do thighs, which supposedly turn out best in the crockpot, but I think all the parts are OK if you don't overcook and don't use boneless and don't use huge pieces.) For dessert I may just serve my warmed up applesauce with yogurt and toasted almonds in the cut glass cups, I have done that before. Or I may use my homeade strawberry or strawberry rhubarb sauce over angelfood cake, store bought. I have served the applesauce dessert before to good effect. That is one big plus to canning, you can pull out homeade stuff at the last minute. I'd like to do something with those apricots, but this is why the dang things have been sitting in the fridge in brandy for almost a year! I just never get around to messing with them! We'll see how it goes. As Jessy said, I may get tired and want to take the easiest possible route. Back in the day when I had more free time, I always enjoyed making something kind of fancy when I had folks over for dinner, stuff single-me would never bother fussing with by myself. Especially desserts--I'd make pies, cakes or cobblers, or one of my favorites--blackberry shortbread! Oh well, like you all said, the most important thing is the guests/company, fussing over the food should not be the main focus of a get together! But I would still like it to be homey. The best dinner parties I've been to have been the ones where the food was not fussy, but still delicious, not too many dishes and overdone. The hosts could serve it in a relaxed manner. I think I have not yet quite mastered that art. Alexa sure managed that art at our little get-together! My aunt, who is in her mid 80's has always managed to do that, pull incredibly delicious stuff out of her kitchen with mysteriously little fanfare. But I know she has a lifetime of little tricks up her sleeve! Just her little special touches and recipes. A lot of it is her knowledge of quality ingredients, and how she always has a little something going in the kitchen, so that when the final dish comes out we don't notice that the process took two days of manging the various parts bit by bit. I get so tired of restaurant or pre-made stuff from the store. Not that it isn't nice, but there's just something about it. It isn't the same as homeade, even a homeade tuna fish sandwich carries that special something. I'm trying to focus these days on simple, simple yet homeade foods. It makes a huge difference to me not to be eating out. I can't totally describe the effect, it's just something a bit spiritual I think.