what they ate (m)

The alumni recruiters from my college came to my home last Thursday evening for a meeting to discuss the upcoming interviewing season.    We discussed logistics, specs for what the college is looking for (I would never have gotten in if I were applying now), how to conduct a great interview and how to write a meaningful report.  We review past cases and debate whether or not the kids should have been admitted, wait-listed or rejected and then get the "answer" as to what really happened. 

It takes two hours to cover all of that and we don't want to end late in the evening, so we set a start time of 7 p.m.  Some people will come directly from a long day at the office, so I had food that would be substantial enough.  I also wanted it to be healthy.

I got a platter of grilled chicken breasts from Whole Foods with dipping sauces (honey mustard, barbecue and Thai peanut), a large bowl of seasonal cut-up fruit,  a tray of European cheeses and crackers, a plate of carrots and hummus, bowls of cashews and almonds and I made a crock pot full of bourbon meatballs (140 meatballs, cocktail sized).  For dessert, I made 24 large chocolate chip cookies and had Haagen Daz lemon sorbet to go with the fruit or eat alone.  Lots of bottled water, seltzer water, white and red wine and some Diet Coke.

The meeting was very productive, people were animated and engaged.  At 9 o'clock, everyone left.

I turned to the kitchen to clean up and took inventory of what was left.  Maybe it's easier if I tell you what was consumed:  the meatballs, the chocolate chip cookies, and the wine.

Now, I can cope with leftover grilled chicken, veggies, and fruit, but the cheese platter was too much.  There must have been 1000 grams of fat on that tray.  A large, soft white cheese oozing in the middle of the platter topped with fresh fig jam looked particularly inviting.  Ugh, I thought-- I can't eat it, I can't waste it.  Just when I was stressing out about this, the doorbell rings.

It's one of the guests who left a little early to pick up her kids from their fencing lessons.  She came back because she wanted to see the DVD of Harrison skating in New York in September.  She is one of the nicest people I've ever met.  I really enjoyed her company and we talked for about 2 hours.  At 11 o'clock, she got up to leave.  As she passed through the kitchen, I saw the cheese tray and offered it to her.

You'd think I gave her a new BMW.  She was ecstatic.

 So was I.