Iggy the Halloween Birthday Celebratory Snow Pig

Everyone I run into asks me how the pig roast went on Saturday. And when I mean everyone, I'm talking even the awesome custodians at the school where I work. Do you think I have been talking about it enough? It's only been about 6 weeks since we started seriously planning it! I am strongly considering giving up my position as social coordinator, because huge natural disasters seem to occur anytime I get near major holidays.

Return of the Bad Omen Vulture: Part I
On Friday (the very sunny, warm day before the roast) we barged into Restaurant Depot, where we had ordered the pig from our new butcher friend Brian three weeks earlier. The meat guy who was there that day, Ryan, announced when I asked for our order that they had no fresh pigs in stock. In fact, he suggested I try roasting a whole lamb. I assured him that Brian had called me on Monday to confirm the order, and very gently suggested that he double check. When he returned again, he said that the order had never arrived and the only pigs they had in stock were frozen...if only we had turned and walked out the door right then! Bright eyed and bushy tailed I planted myself in the manager's office. It took him about 30 seconds after telling me that he didn't have Brian's phone number to not only get him on the phone, but to get Ryan run into the cooler (with me chasing him) to fetch the poor pig that had been sitting there all along. Don was none to pleased to find that the box had been stamped with "Green Village Packaging," meaning we had just paid the middle man to give us a hassle. Long story short, my customer service experience at Restaurant Depot left something to be desired.

Return of the Bad Omen Vulture: Part II
Oh but Saturday was one for the record books. We had EMT class for a majority of the day, which driving home from involved turning the car around at least 100 times as there were trees and telephone poles blocking even the emergency snow route back from VoTech. We then arrived home to this:

...plus no electricity at the squad building. Don rigged up a very clever "pig-loo" to keep the barbecue box warm when adding the coals.

Apparently the barbecue box, which worked very well for us over the summer, doesn't come with directions for use during Nor'Easters and I think that this deserves some attention from the manufacturer. Regardless of how much fun we had, I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to plan a pig roast in any season ever again.

As always, I had a very elaborate menu planned which I wasn't able to completely execute because of the lack of electricity. We rigged up the stove at the squad building to Greg's truck inverter, but while I was out on a call (because of course, it wouldn't be any fun unless the pager was going off every 20 minutes) the stove lost it's flame and wouldn't stay heated properly. We managed to heat the food (with special thanks to my mom for rotating all of the food in and out for two hours straight), but all cute details went out the window by about 3:30pm. This was probably okay, because all 30 of us ate crammed in the dark huddled around candles and I doubt anyone would have noticed.

I did manage to pull off a birthday cake that was supposed to resemble a pumpkin for Mark's birthday:

...which looking at it now looks like a Christmas present that got sat on by the same lady who sat on my coffee and stained the carpet orange during the first aid badge fiesta with my new Brownie troop chicken nuggets from Bernards Township. A little bird flew by my window and said that the cake seemed to be enjoyed by all during the overnight shift.

The successful Halloween recipe that will surely be making a return next year was the Witches Brew punch.

Recipe of the Day: Witches Brew
1 bottle sparkling wine (I used Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco)
1 bottle ginger ale
1 container rainbow sherbet

Right before you are ready to serve, Invert the container of the sherbet into a large shallow punch bowl. Pour over the sparkling wine, and the ginger ale. This will cause foam to form on top of the punch, resembling boiling "brew." Serve in cups with a ladle.