My first lunch for Metro Division....

I have delivered dinner twice to the officers in the Metro Division (3rd shift), but this was my first lunch for 1st/2nd shift -- February 5, 2021. 

Was I nervous? YES! After all, I was making lunch for officers I had never met before, not to mention delivering lunch on a weekday presents a nice possibility that the Captain, Lieutenant, and Sergeants might fix a plate (and they did), so I wanted to get it right. 

Ever since the Covid outbreak, the officers in my own division haven't been able to gather at my table, so I have been delivering meals and have extended my cooking and deliveries to divisions outside my own. 

Delivering lunch and a promise to be there by a certain time doesn't leave much room for kitchen snafus and setbacks. I'm not a professional caterer and don't know all the tricks of the catering trade, but one thing I have learned in the past 11 years is, the more you can do the day before, the better. 

I decided to make the lasagna the night before so all I would have to do is pop it in the oven the morning of the lunch. Seems simple, right? WRONG!! Bringing cold lasagna to room temperature before baking takes way longer than you would think. I even put it in a warm oven 200-250 degrees for 20 minutes before cooking for another hour or so at 350, and it still took forever. I even scoured the internet for helpful tips on making lasagna the night before and the only thing I could find was that you cook it longer and, in my opinion, cooking longer can make it dry. It was a dilemma, for sure.  

I was a nervous wreck. 

They say 'a watched pot never boils'....well, watched lasagna is slow to cook. But planning to be there 30 minutes before the start to set-up helped make up a little time -- I just didn't have the time to make the layout all pretty once I got there. 

I love all the helping hands I had when I arrived. Once I notify someone that I'm there, officers pile out the back door for the 'unloading of the car'. And they're so strong, they can carry a lot at one time. 

Everyone at Metro was so welcoming and appreciative. In my brief 2-hour visit, they made me feel like part of the family. About halfway through lunch, the words 'our house, is your house' came across loud and clear. My appreciation for them was so quickly reciprocated.

At exactly 2:00 pm, my car (and the old girl in it) was heading home with all of my nice thoughts of the afternoon. 

Stay safe my new friends.  💙

Nothing says 'dig in, boys' like four pans of Lasagna.

One big salad.

My banana pudding that everyone seems to like so much.

Two boxes of cream puffs.