Garland Family Vacation. What To Cook?

It's that time of year again. The Garland family vacation begins next Monday. It will be a different kind of vacation this year. Although there will be a core group staying the whole week, the rest will be coming and going like there is a revolving door to the house. I will be there the entire week because I am taking MY car for a change. I finally put my foot down about being at the mercy of Phyllis & girls. Just about the time, I want to go somewhere, they need the car to head out exploring or going to the beach down at the lake. Then, I must choose whether I want to do those things or stay at the house and knit or whatever. This year, I can go or not go. But it won't be because I don't have wheels. Shannon is riding with me and will stay the week also.

I don't know if Jim & Lisa will be going or not. She has her 3rd chemo treatment this Wednesday and isn't sure how she will be feeling. If they do go, they'll go on Wednesday and come home on Saturday. I hope Lisa is able to make it. We need to coddle her for a bit.

Kim & her little family will go on Monday and leave on Wednesday. Her mom, Dawn (my former DIL) is leaving her DH and moving back to Lancaster. She's going to stay with Kim & Derrick until she finds a place of her own. I don't know where she's going to sleep. It's a tiny apartment. Melissa's not going at all this year due to her job.

Phyllis & Olvia will be there Monday-Friday. Olivia is starting a new job for the summer. Working at Schopf Brothers roadside stand. While it is roadside, it's next to their big old PA Dutch house and there is a big barn there. The barn is used at Christmas when they have wreaths and other greenery decorations inside. Right now, corn is coming into season this week. When corn is on the table, it's like ants at a picnic. People go berserk to get it. Especially this first corn and the fact that it's a holiday weekend. Big O will be a busy girl. I'll be getting my corn from the young Amish couple up the street. That's their farm at the top of this page. Corn, tomatoes, cukes, onions. Yummy. I live on tomato & cucumber sandwiches in the summer.

So, it looks like the core week long group will be Phil/Amy & boys, me, Shannon, Jenn/Gregg & their kids and Mike/Jess & Elijah.

One of the things we've always done is a different family cooks a meal each night. That way, we all get a hot, decent sit down meal every evening, but only have to cook one of them during the time period. With the revolving door thing, I'm not sure how that's going to work out.

I used to make Baked Ziti, but switched to Taco Salad last year. I made a homemade salsa w/cilantro and Phyllis made the Taco Salad. Kim is making the Ziti this year. I'm tired of the salad and have been searching for something else to make. I am still going to make the salsa. So, I'm leaning toward Tamale Pie. I haven't made that in a donkey's age. I found some good recipes complete with video when I Googled 'tamale pie'. Who needs cookbooks cluttering up the house? LOL Anyway, this one sounds the best and the addition of the corn is intriguing.