Sunday's cookout, Part 1

A couple of quick photos to get started on recapping this fabulous day.


Here's Laughing Wolf during Saturday prep. We started early that morning at the farmers' market and moved on to the commissary before taking over the kitchen at the USO's Warrior Center. I have never washed so many mushrooms, grapes, berries, and lettuce in my life. (Thank goodness Team Potato arrived early on Sunday to take on that massive task.) Meanwhile, LW was making spaghetti & sauce (the Saturday night teaser meal), mac & cheese and babying his NY strip steaks with olive oil and herbs for the overnight marinade...



Sunday: Men at Work. LW with his new buddy and kindred spirit Mike.

From Laughing Wolf's post at Blackfive written after I dropped him off near Frankfurt airport late last night:

All I can say is that there is nothing you can't accomplish with a Team of Angels, some great USO volunteers, and a frustrated Army cook at your back. Working together, we did:

125+ steaks

app. 150 baked regular and sweet potatoes, with homemade cinnamon butter for the sweet potatoes (a huge hit)

2 pans of sauteed mushrooms, one local (delicious) and one a mixture of fresh crimini, porchini, oyster, and shitake

2 large pans of truffled macaroni and cheese

1 huge pan of salad of fresh local greens

mixed fresh local berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and more), a variety of local grapes, ice cream, and balsamic syrup made the day before

Desserts made by the USO volunteers

Not only did we get to serve the wounded transient barracks, but we also took meals up to the ICU staff and to some special people in and out of the hospital. Not to mention doing an impromptu spaghetti dinner that went from a small offering to a massive undertaking Saturday night.

More soon, I promise, once I get back. I can't say enough about the volunteers (Carolina and Team Potato both did yeoman work and rock!), and Mike the Army cook who finally got to do some of the cooking he loves, who helped with making it all come together and serving it to our guests. They fed the initial 60 people in a matter of just a few minutes.

To all who donated, thank you! To all the Angels and USO volunteers, thank you! To Mike, thanks brother!

In the weeks and months before, Laughing Wolf raised donations through the Internet, radio, and word of mouth to fund the entire event. Soldiers’ Angels and USO volunteers at Landstuhl pitched in to help with the food preparation, serving, and cleanup.

THANK YOU Laughing Wolf from all of us at Soldiers' Angels!

More to follow from both of us as the dust settles...

Update: Part 2 is here.