Schasse and I had three Break Side dinners on the docket the past weekend. Professional Ultimate player Neal Hanke, my aunt and uncle, and my dad and his fiancée.

On Friday night, we had planned on a late dinner at Neal’s, as Schasse wouldn’t be able to get to the cities until around 7 in the evening. I agreed to do all the prep work so we could eat as soon as we got to Neal’s place. However, at the last-minute, we were offered free Timberwolves tickets. So Neal dug out his old Tom Gugliotta jersey and we watched the Pups lay down a 19 point butt-whoopin of the Thunder.

Afterwards, we made it back to Neal’s and had dinner around 10:30. His roommate Al had promised to make a roast and we were in charge of chicken wild rice soup, salad, and beer. Al got preoccupied with other things and forgot the roast, so thankfully we made a lot of extra soup and no one went hungry.

On Saturday, Schasse and I prepared our largest Break Side dinner yet. My aunt and uncle Jane and Kevin were willing to host a larger crowd, combining their dinner with my dad, Jeff, and his fiancée, Meaghan. We invited a few other Break Side supporters; my grandma and grandpa, Kay and Jim, as well as family friends Brad and Diana.

We got to work early in the afternoon preparing roast chicken, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and a salad in a bowl large enough that Schasse almost got lost in it. Although we were cooking a detailed dinner for a large group, we managed to escape with only a minor hiccup. It turns out that a pumpkin pie has a longer prep time than an ice cream cake, so we had to skip the pie. Fortunately, Jane had some cookies and we brought ice cream, so the dessert was salvaged. AND, since the Wagner Thanksgiving is being hosted and Jane and Kevin’s, I’ve already delivered my contribution to that meal. Win-win.