It’s finally over! Just like retailers, we make a ton of money during the month of December. Mostly Corporate Christmas Parties, we usually book December a year in advance. It is exhausting, exhilirating work. I thought I’d post a few pictures of things we did over the last month. But first, some statistics;

December 1st through the 22nd.
22 Days total
21 days worked. (the only day I didn’t work, I was attending a funeral in Denver)
236.5 hours “on the clock”.
56 different events
Approximately 4,000 people fed.

Here’s some photos…

One of our most important clients pretty much just lets us do whatever we want at their parties. They only have one condition; we have to “wow” them every time! This year, we turned Chef Mike Bate and our own Bob Ballantyne loose and they came up with “live sushi”. It was a smash hit. Gonna be hard to top that one next year…

Note that I did NOT lend out my Ginsus to either one of these hacks…;-)

I even had a wedding cake in the middle of all this. This is me on four hours sleep, and about 6 hours in to what would eventually be a 17 hour day..

But the best part about the month is the children. The wonder and awe in their eyes, the anticipation, and the pure joy of the season. That’s what made this a special month for me. Just the privilege of seeing the children enjoy this time of year. Look at Christmas through the eyes of a child again. You’ll be glad you did.

Merry Christmas!
Al Menard
Executive Chef, The Cowboy and The Rose Catering
Grand Junction, CO USA