Last Friday, I loaded up our minivan with all the supplies my family and I would need for our ‘vacation’ to Rhode Island. (My four-year-old thinks any night away from home is a vacation.) We were headed to our friend’s house for their annual Lambaste. The trip did not get off to a good start. I woke up that morning with a stiff neck that got worse over the course of the day. Driving for 3 plus hours didn’t sound like fun to begin with and add in the traffic getting out of New York City on a Friday evening and our trip seemed doomed. In the first hour we drove less than 20 miles, took three wrong turns because our navigation wasn’t working, stopped to use the bathroom and my son threw up his dinner. At that point I asked my husband if we should just go home. He convinced me otherwise and I’m glad he did as the trip got easier once we were out of the traffic and on the ‘open road’.
Our friends hold their Lambaste annually and it is something we look forward to attending. Not entirely for the lamb, but for the amazing afternoon that surrounds the lamb. The lamb is slowly roasted over an open fire with someone holding the responsibility of constantly turning a crank to rotate the lamb to roasted perfection. The party has changed over the years as we have gotten older. What used to be a bunch of twenty-somethings drinking all afternoon and eating lamb has now turned into a family affair. There are lawn games, non-alcoholic beverages, an amazing array of pot-luck sides and even a band. This year the lamb was perfectly roasted, tender with just a hint of garlic. In years past there have been large quantities of lamb remaining to be turned into breakfast the next morning. This year, there wasn’t a piece that didn’t get gobbled up.
With our bellies full of lamb, and maybe a few brownies and cookies for dessert, we packed into the minivan for our trip back to New York City. With the excitement of the day behind us, the drive home seemed like a nice way to wind down. Everyone in the car was asleep within the first 30 minutes (except me, the driver!). Almost a week later, the kids are still talking about our vacation to Rhode Island and looking forward to when we’ll return. I hope you have a chance to getaway and enjoy all that fall has to offer.
Happy Friday,
Julie