family gatherings

on saturday my cousin had a birthday party for her daughter and a housewarming for their new home.  i love when my family gets together.  lots of catching up, laughter, reminiscing and looking at photos of grand babies.

i should say that i have a lot of cousins, second cousins, aunts, uncles and everything in between.  each of my parents had 13 brothers and sisters, so it's quite the party when we all gather for a celebration.

i have to admit that one of the things i love the most about getting together is the food.  good, family recipes that taste so much better when you are with people you love.

my aunt is a genius in the kitchen.  she made her famous potato salad, rice and two outrageous salsas.

for the party, a friend of theirs cooked ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and chicken. these baked beans were so delicious.  i had to control myself from getting seconds.  they were baked with slices of bacon on top.  i'm telling you, finger lickin' good.

i had to skip the cake that my other aunt made for fear of going into a food coma.

the best part is that we are planning a camping trip in the summer with all of the cousins.  can you imagine the food we will eat?  not that i'm going just because of the food.  it's always about family.

i'll share the green salsa recipe soon.  it was so tasty.