The night before...

 The day began with grocery shopping.  The fridge was FULL: 

And the pantry stocked: 

There was a little decorating to be done...

(Sorry, can't reveal any more of that until tomorrow...)

Then the cooking began:

These were the beans ready to go in the oven.  You are looking at a massive foil pan, and these have been a Godsend this week.  I came across them at Sam's Club last week, and there were 15 for $8.  They have been such a blessing for bulk cooking, and have saved on some really yucky dishwashing.  They were more than worth the 50-or-so cents apiece just in the work they saved.

This is my automatic fruit and veggie washer:



Every kitchen should have one.  :-)  I was also pleasantly surprised by a visit from an automatic grape plucker and carrot peeler.  I forgot to get a picture of it in action, but he's handsome and works for red pepper scraps.  ;-)  Fruit and veggies washed/chopped...  Dip, BBQ sauce and salads made...  Pork thawing.  Beans in the crockpot. 

Oh, and Gretchen even had a bath and is all pretty for the shower:

 

I'm so thankful for a productive day! 

It was long and I'm exhausted, but I love advanced preparation because it means more time for me to enjoy the day tomorrow!