la double quincenera de dianna

the douglas' arrived with 3 suitcases full of decorations for the party
not little carry on suitcases
big huge suitcases full of stuff
like:

a suitcase full of plastic coconuts, palm trees and pineapples for drinks

becky and lindsay in action.

lindsay was in heaven with all these decorations.

jolanta and lindsay making a plethora of cupcakes

becky, john and michael cleaning the backyard.

i won't let anyone sleep at my house without working, apparently.

once the backyard was cleaned, the lights went up. notice that the lights are pineapples and plam trees. there are also chili peppers and sunshines.

people even risked their lives to get these lights up.

michael in a tree
becky working like a banshee

daddy and daughter taking a break.

check out how interested joda is in michael's pontifications.

between mike and tom, there was never an awkward pause in a single conversation all weekend.

the house is coming together
please note all the drinks behind michael

lindsay made the most delicious chocolate cupcakes with beets
it was so so good, i was going to put the recipe, but i don't have it
so if you want it, let me know

we then ran out to get pinatas
(you know it is a good day when you are running out for pinatas)
please note how much nicer that tree's planter box is
thanks john!

the pinata getters
olivia, dianna, and me

the douglas clan that came to the party
4 brothers and in-laws and nephews are missing.

who knows why we are smiling! perhaps because we know we'll get a 3 hour break while the guests are actually at the party. then, it's back to work.

the quinceanera, or birthday girl.

then the party began. we decided to really feed our guests
with:
root beer
yummy juice
herb tea
shredded beef*
shredded pork**
salmon***
refried beans
tortillas de arizona (thanks mom)
and lots of fixin's

this guy kicked off the party

holly and ben, most likely discussing how super-clean our backyard is.

cupcake mania

please note isaac's awesomeness about cupcakes

sarah's mom came all the way from seattle for this party

tomicah and ando always slip into hungarian every time they're reunited.

i'm glad we brought them together again

todd, jenn, olivia and kari in the psychedelic green doorway.

bethany, simone and camille.

the pinata gets attacked by a rusted metal rod covered in duct tape.
no one would let us spin dianna around because there was too much potential for injury

even with the blindfold off she can't get the thing to break

at least she has good form and looks like a model doing it

tom douglas, bearing ice cream cake

how cute is this cake?

then the clean-up.... this is only 1/5 of the mess in the kitchen, not to mention the rest of the house and yard.

dave and kimber stayed to help clean

they deserve a badge of honor,
free meals,
and respect for the rest of their lives for staying
dave's hands were total prunes from washing dishes.

the festivities died down today after the douglas' left for home. it was an awesome weekend. i am really glad we could celebrate dianna. she celebrates so many people all the time, i am really happy we could take a moment and let her know how much we love and appreciate her sunshine-y take on things. we need more diannas in this world for sure.


* the beef recipe
6 lbs of organic grassfed sirloin tip roast
8 cloves of garlic
3 cans of green chilis (diced)
adobo seasoning
salt
1 C water

peel garlic cloves and shove into the meat. heavily dust the meat with adobo seasoning. place in crockpot. add green chilis and water (with about 2 tablespoons of salt). cook on low in the crockpot for about 10 hours

separate beef and juice. reduce juice to about half volume. shred beef. pour reduced juice over beef. serve.


**the pork recipe

1 organic grassfed pork loin roast

½ can apple juice concentrate (in frozen section)

1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 jar chipotle sauce (preferably La Victorian brand)

*put these 4 ingredients in crock pot on low all day (10-12 hours)

when pork is done cooking, transfer to a bowl then shred with a fork. cook the juice down so that some of the water evaporates, to about half of the volume. pour over meat

*** the salmon recipe

big hunk of wild salmon filet
2 cup fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
whisk together lime juice, salt, and pepper and add oil in a slow stream, whisking. then whisk in cilantro. if you can, let sit overnight.

wrap fish in aluminum foil but don't seal it off, leave the top open. pour on the vinaigrette...be generous. bake on 350 for about 35 minutes. until fish flakes. serve