Family Dinner

For our last night in Salina, we decided to go out on a limb just a bit. After being fed two nights in a row by Paul's sister, we wanted to return the favor. So, we hosted a family dinner for six.

We wouldn't have given such a meal a second thought in our stick house. But, planning dinner for a half dozen in the moose takes a little more work. With inside table seating for only four, the first item on our agenda was to come up with a Plan B, in case of rain. That was easy: If the sky opened up, we were heading out to dinner. For Plan A, we kept the menu very simple: two do-ahead sides and chicken for the grill, all served al fresco on our KOA picnic table that seats six quite nicely.

Just before our guests arrived, the temperature dropped just a bit, bringing a slight chill to the air. We ditched our plan for happy hour outside and decided to let everyone get comfortable and stay warm in the moose before dinner. Two of our guests had already paid us a visit here at the KOA. One had seen Bullwinkle in his storage spot in California, and the other had yet to lay eyes on our rolling home. It was a treat to show off our moose and give our family an inside look at our life on the road. As the six of us sat quite comfortably enjoying beverages and conversation, they seemed to like it, at least a little. And, if they thought we were a little nuts before, they might think we're a little less so now that they've seen that we are traveling with all of the comforts of home.

Paul mastered the grill, preparing the chicken perfectly, and we served everything up family style. We dodged a mosquito or two, but the conversation and laughter flowed as we enjoyed our food and wine outside. We moved back inside for a finger food dessert and more conversation before these working folks had to call it a night.

Now we have the perfect recipe for dinner for six: A lovely night, a picnic table, a simple menu and our trusty grill. Oh yes, and plenty of wine!