First (Annual?) Shenyang Pre-Thanksgiving Block Party and Pie Contest

Arriving last year around the holidays, I enjoyed the many parties and gatherings at Post that allowed me to interact with my colleagues (soon-to-be friends) on a personal/social level. That season has official begun again.

This weekend, the citizens of the 17th floor hosted the First (Annual?) Pre-Thanksgiving Block Party and Pie Contest. Over 50 people were in attendance, crowding the halls of the shabbily decorated Crowne Plaza apartments. Despite the ugly carpets and grandmothery decor, the mood was lively and wholesome, with tons of food to boot.

I made three dishes, two from recipes of Mom-Mom Brosious (courtesy of the family cookbook): the traditional green bean casserole with French's french fried onions and Cambell's cream of mushroom soup; the Brosious-style sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and (hidden) pineapple flavor; and a from-scratch recipe of pigs in blankets from handmade dough. Since they were based on tried and true classics, I knew they would turn out okay. I mean -- how can you go wrong with brown sugar, sweet potatoes, and butter topped with marshmallows?

Ready for topping and baking

Among the other dishes present were delicious traditional must-haves like stuffing, mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin, and of course turkey! We had three people brine turkeys for the event and each one of them was divine in its own way. My favorite was the beer brine. Yum!

You can never have enough potatoes

In addition to the dinner feast, the BFF organized an official pie contest. This contest was serious, folks. Not only was their an engraved glass trophy for the winning Pie Master, but on competition day, my boss (one of the 5 judges) unveiled his scoring scheme, complete with pre-printed score cards that rated the pies on density, composition, appearance, and "mouthfeel." These guys meant business.

The contestants:
1. Pecan Pie A
2. Blueberry Pie
3. Pecan Pie B
4. Apple Pie
5. Pumpkin Pie
6. Coconut Creme Pie

The full pie spread, including those not up for competition

 Needless to say, it was a night of epic eating proportions. Shenyang, you did not disappoint!
After eating, some of the musically-inclined participated in what others have referred to as a hootenanny. Someone might have even fashioned together a washtub-bass. I might have lent my vocals to a song or to, but others had much better pitch than I.

"I think I'm turning Japanese" was actually one of the songs we sang

After all was said and done in the hallways, we retired to the BFF's apartment to finished off some of the mulled cider wine and relax in peace. As I said on FB, thanks to all for great memories and a feast-well-done!