Old Fashioned Cookouts

OFC Part I

There's nothing quite like doing things the old fashioned way. In this spirit, my friends, Teva & Kathleen, and I have brought back the days of yor. In June it was 1950's Old Fashioned Thanksgiving (my first turkey-ful Thanksgiving meal in 17 years, good riddance to tofurkey!) and this past Sunday was an Old Fashioned Cookout, circa 1960's. 

Kathleen and Teva preparing the grill

We made our way to the Spa State Park to throw some ribs, chicken and corn on the barbecue and enjoy a pitcher of homemade mojitos. 

So, there we were, a group of women exercising our right to grill and drink in a public park without the company of men. 

Or so we thought...

After a few short moments, we were literally surrounded by groups (yes, more than one) of intoxicated, lecherous men. For some reason (ah-hem, white male privilege), they thought it was perfectly appropriate to join us and not take no for an answer. Because, these three lovely women must have been there, all by their lonesome, for the sole purpose of meeting men, right? I mean, I'm not a militant, man-hating, lesbian feminist (well, maybe sometimes), but seriously? 

For our safety (and sanity), we were literally forced to pack up our partially cooked food and moved the festivities to another location. It was a sad reminder of the state of oppression. For those of you who don't think sexism and patriarchy still exist, let this be a lesson. It teaches us women to think that we can do anything alone without men ruining it.

Our uncooked food (Ribs with Teva's special rub and chicken)

OFC Part II

After moving to the (male-free) comfort of Teva and Kathleen's apartment, the festivities commenced. We finished food preparation and enjoyed a few glasses of extra-strength mojitos. 

For dessert, I brought some cupcakes from the new Spa City Cupcakes. Forgive me for not having photographic documentation. By the time we opened the pastry box, we were all several shots of rum into the evening, so it slipped my mind...next time. 

The cupcakes were ok. I will say, the frosting to cake ratio was perfect - about half and half. But the cake was a bit dry and didn't have too much flavor. I think one should be able to eat just the frosting, just the cake, or both together and be equally satisfied with any combination. I'd be willing to give it another try. Because in all fairness, this may not have been the best evening for valid assessment.

If you like celebrating yesteryear style, stay tuned for our Old Fashioned Springs Tour...