Eat, drink, and be merry

I don't know what got into me. Wednesday night I had several friends over and I cooked. That's right- I cooked. It was really a joint effort, so I can't take all the credit. More to come on that.
I grilled Hawaiian Chicken (that's what I'm calling it at least. It's a variation on my mother's 'Holly Chicken' but without many of the things she includes. Thus, I just call it Hawaiian Chicken). Teriyaki marinated chicken breasts were wrapped in bacon, topped with a slice of pineapple, placed in the grill basket, and put on the grill. Meanwhile, Chandler helped me by monitoring the rice and green beans. The hardest part about cooking is timing everything so that it is done all at the same time. My mother is quite the master at this technique. I, however, am not. So, I employed Chandler to help me. Daniel and MC brought salad and a key-lime pie. Lee and Dana brought a watermelon, a bunch of drinks, and cookies. It ended up being a wonderful (and much needed) night of food, friends, and fun. We sat around the table that held up many meals for my family growing up. It's still pocked with fork marks from my brother and I. We told stories, took pictures, laughed. We ate, drank, and were generally merry.
The downside? I spent the better part of my morning this morning doing a million dishes by hand because I don't have a dish washer. It was worth it though. We know that food and good times often go together. I think this correlation is made even stronger when the food is prepared by you and your friends.