07/10/2026
How I fed 150 twice in less than 24 hours completely by myself.
I received an inquiry for multiple days for the WV250 celebration. I knew I couldnāt logistically or physically do all four days, but I wondered if I could do two days in a row.
Once I figured logistics- time, space, etc, I offered a few different meal options.
A BBQ meal was chosen for Thursday, due at 4:30pm. An assorted sandwich meal was chosen for Friday, due at 12noon.
The supply list, grocery list, duty list was multiple pages. My husband says my lists always look crazy and he doesnāt understand how I decipher it all. š¤£š¤£
With every catering job, I determine what must be completed everyday to accomplish the event.
Monday was a 14 hour day. Seven hours of grocery shopping. Two trips to Samās. Mind you, I have a larger vehicle with a third row and still couldnāt fit it all. There was an Aldi haul and a Kroger haul as well.
Once I got everything organized and things put away, I started on pie crust.
I needed to cut out, shape and bake 150+ (account for breakage) mini pie shells. I did not make the pie dough. I used the Aldi pie crust (great by the way), a cookie cutter, regular size cupcake pans. Once the shells were baked I cut out mini stars, brushed them with egg wash, sprinkled them with raw sugar and baked. Made and baked streusel topping. Cooled, packaged, labeled.
Made and baked 75 brownies, labeled and froze for Friday.
Tuesday I cooked eleven hours. It was meat and more dessert day. It began with getting chicken thighs and pork shoulder prepped, seasoned, slow cooked. While the meats cooked, I started on pie filling and cookie dough. I did the cookie dough first so it could chill before baking. Chocolate chip and oatmeal butterscotch.
Fruit for pies: Lots of apples chopped and baked with sugar, cornstarch, vanilla bean paste and spices. Frozen cherries prepped with sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, vanilla bean paste and baked. Fresh and frozen blueberries cooked on the stove with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste until the correct consistency.
All the fillings cooled, put in containers, labeled and refrigerated.
Tip: Always use vanilla bean paste, not imitation vanilla. It has so much more depth and real vanilla flavor. I always add more than the recipe says - probably double, and I add some again at the very end of the dish when possible.
Always use fresh citrus. The freshness and brightness is noticeable!
And add salt to all things sweet. It brings out flavor!
Add honey or molasses to your cookie dough. It helps the cookies retain moisture.
I also put a dash of almond flavoring in almost every dessert. Just a tiny bit. Almond flavoring is delicious and most people wonder what is that extra?
Ok enough of that. Back at it:
Once the meats were done, they had to be cooled enough to handle, then carefully shredded, seasoned more, put into containers, labeled and refrigerated.
All cookies were then baked, packaged, labeled and frozen for Friday. This method has proven successful. My desserts are always a favorite everywhere.
Wednesday I cooked twelve hours.
It was salad and fruit day.
I cooked all of the macaroni, chopped celery, onion, cooked and peeled boiled eggs. Cooked fresh green beans and frozen corn. Made the mayonnaise based dressing for the macaroni salad and for the coleslaw later, made the vinaigrette for the salads. Put together two different macaroni salads and the green bean, potato, cucumber salad. Cleaned and dried lots of strawberries, blueberries, grapes. Washed and peeled pineapple, cantaloupe (had to throw 3 of these away they were too ripe), honeydew. Put three large fruit boxes together and garnished them with fresh herbs and flowers from my flower beds.
I also backed out of my driveway at 7:30am to go to Krogers for last minute fresh ingredients, didnāt realize the hatch was still up on my car and completely demolished my back glass. Glass shattered everywhere - and I mean everywhere. I cried. A lot. Thankfully my husband was still home. I got the coolers and ice packs out of my car, shook out the glass, jumped in his truck and headed to Kroger while he cleaned up the mess. He had everything cleaned up and a rental car ready for me in less than three hours. Thank you, Joshā¤ļø! And thank you Chris, for taking him to get the rental.
I cried a tiny bit at Kroger. I couldnāt help it. The produce lady was so nice to me. Anyway! Back at it!
I wrapped 150+ plastic cutlery at some point with patriotic napkins because I wanted it to be special.
I also gathered all of the paper products, food labels, warmer frames, fuel, water pans, lighter, gloves, bar mops, serving utensils, etc.
Thursday was due day. A twenty hour day for me. I assembled 150+ mini pies. That means putting the bakery boxes together, lining them with parchment, placing 150 cupcake liners in the boxes, then I began actually assembling the pies.
Wash and shred so many heads of cabbage I donāt even remember. Wash and chop fresh parsley for garnish. Put the coleslaw together. Make BBQ sauce. Make baked beans. Heat the meats. Get all the mini buns out of their bags and into cute baskets that I lined with patriotic cloth napkins.
Load the car - everything almost didnāt fit š± But I figured it out and got it all in. Sweaty and ready to get the food set up, I arrived to a pretty cool Capitol complex full of patriotic decoration. I could feel the anticipation, excitement and energy.
One of my bestie neighbors had offered to help but I wasnāt sure what or when I would need it. I knew if I got behind I could call her in to help.
But thankfully everything continued smoothly. Ha!
After delivery and set up, I headed straight back to get more groceries for Friday.
Then cleaned up one heck of a mess I left behind before delivering.
Got everything organized. Remembered to thaw the cookies and brownies.
I again washed, chopped and assembled lots and lots of fruit. Cooked rotini for pasta salad. Cleaned and sliced cucumber, celery, etc. Made the pasta salad. Made the chicken salad.
Sliced 150 croissants. Started making sandwiches. Ham, cheddar, fresh greens. Turkey, provolone, fresh greens. Each one individually wrapped. By this time it was 2:15am. That was it. I had to stop. I laid down. Got up at 5:00am and started again. I made the chicken salad croissants.
Put bakery boxes together, lined with parchment, placed the cookies. Cut and placed the brownies. Labeled them. Made two large pans of garden salad.
Gathered all paper products, serving utensils, food labels, etc.
Loaded car. Arrived to a welcoming group of volunteers who helped me set everything up.
Finally, it was complete. I did it! 300 in less than 24 hours. WOW! I drove home, got out of the rental car, changed clothes, walked my doggies who had missed me so, and eventually went to bed.
Saturday was clean up day. Unload the car. Wash dishes. Organize.
We spent the rest of the day with our sweet neighbors in their pool. A fun time.ā¤ļø
Three burns, one knife cut, a demolished back glassā¦ Would I do it again? Probably.
I enjoyed it immensely and was so grateful to get the bookings.
