BrEAK iT !

A couple of months ago I was called to be in charge of break the fast. Yes! I thought this is going to be so easy every month set out cookies and punch hang around for 20 minutes and call it good. FALSE! break the fast in our ward is no small thang, the boys in my ward informed me it has to be a full course meal and it has to be good.crap.So with those instructions in mind I made homemade cafe rio...wow! what was I thinking with a budget of $75 for 150 and cafe rio style! Yikes! It was stressful. The planning ,the budgeting, the all night cooking in my tiny kitchen. I thought that was the worst but come to find out I had to host it too. Usually we meet outside and eat on the picnic tables but not for fall it's too cold so it had to be at my apartment, we rearranged our apartment and hosted all 150 people. I had never made cafe Rio before but I was determined to do it. I had been sick all that week so I cooked with gloves (not easy) unfortunately I did not know that jalapenos are extremely hot ...when I was done I took off my gloves and blew my nose I must have had jalapeño somewhere on my hands because I got it all over my already sore nose and mouth half of my face was swollen from the jalapeño. My face was on fire! I have never felt a burn like that before! The right half of my lips were swollen and turning purple along with the right side of my nose, oh it was a sight to see! I learned my lesson and will never try to handle those babies again. Cafe Rio was a success and everyone was happy I then attempted to make homemade soups for our November get together. Why I choose to make things I have never made before??? I don't know! The soups were way harder than I thought alot of chopping and stirring but it was worth it! And this month I decided to make baked potatoes much easier and filling. 200 potatoes scrubbed wrapped poked, baked and eaten and I am done for the year! Since we are a student ward we get assigned a new calling every semester! It was alot of work and prep. And my poor roommates always got roped into helping me cook and serve and rearrange our apartment but it was so much fun at the same time! I love to cook and I now know how to for large groups and I have loved being a hostess and getting to know everyone in my ward. A few pictures of a little piece of the prep :)