It was fun reading all of this, especially since it goes back to '06. That first post of Lars with the cherry cream soda...yummmy. I only consume coffee if it's ice cream, Kahlua or some other dessert. I like tea, black, green, but not any spiced teas. Really dislike mint too. Mostly I drink flavored unsweetened seltzer, iced tea or lemonade. Occasionally I'll have a fruit soda, but I find them too sweet these days so I mix them with my seltzer. Alcohol? Not really. Don't like wine as a rule. I can deal with a little champagne or Asti. Will drink vodka, that Kahlua making it a Black Russian. Smiles. I can go several years or more without having any alcohol. Last year I turned my current [at the time] vodka into vanilla. This fall an old friend from high school came to visit and brought a bottle of vodka. I had 2 light Cape Cods and when he left I turned the Svedka into vanilla. LOL. In winter in the evening we either have hot tea or hot cocoa often. I do love hot chocolate made with cocoa or even a nice chocolate bar.

Snookums, quinoa is a grain. Granted a grain with high protein which makes it more valuable in some lifestyles compared to others. I think it's neither bad nor good. As far as carbs go, it's on the healthier side, but it can make blood sugars rise too fast in those who have issues with moderate glycemic foods. Maybe that is why you woke up starving? As for the quinoa tasting bland... I never toast it, but then I never toasted rice or couscous either. I'm just not that patient :) however I always toast my spices and then cook my dishes. I think it really pays off in my quinoa dishes which are just studded with all the spices. I also tend to layer my spices, for example we might do a black bean mango quinoa salad... So I flavor the black beans with cumin chili powder, I toss the chopped veggies with lime juice, and I season the quino with toasted Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, coriander and cumin, and a smidgen of tomato paste. Then I top with avocado and and a bit of fresh mango pico. If you are not supersensitive to moderate glycemic foods then give the quinoa another try. Green goos take a while to master. You'll find your perfect recipe in time. It took me forever to get a good ration of chia seeds in ours.

Great spread---lucky guests!!! Other juices, like cranberry or grapefruit, would be good. Other additional suggestions are maybe a whiskey, tequila, champagne, wine or beer? If you wanted variety you could add a bit of flavored schnapps, like peach, for something like fuzzy navels or amaretto. And for your cocktail mixers you could add--bloody mary mix, sour mix. It can get as complicated or simple (and as expensive) as you choose. A bar setup when I worked was this... basics, at the sink-- liquors: vodka, gin, rum, whiskey/bourbon, tequila (cheap stuff). mixers: sour mix, orange juice, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, tonic, soda water, sodas, milk, bloody mary mix. Flavored syrups or liquors: grenadine (cherry non alcoholic syrup for drinks & non alcoholic shirley temples), amaretto, coffee liquor, etc. Garnish: cut limes /lemons, Ice, straws/stirrers, napkins. behind me on the bar-- call liquors (name brands of each liquor versus the cheap bar brand, but not the most premium) flavered liquors (amaretto, melon, coffee, irish creme, etc) top shelf--(most $$$ brands of each liquor). I agree that vodka is the most popular liquor--unless uncle mickey & aunt lulu are big martini (gin) drinkers (might try to ask around your family/friends to see their favs). After vodka, I say gin/rum next. Then, scotch/brandy. I served scotch only occasionally & brandy very rarely--depends on your crowd. Your bartenders would be an excellent source of info on preferences, suggestions & quantities. Or a local bar owner, someone who runs a bartending school, or a caterer. Be sure to let them know if this is a older crowd, or a younger set. They will be able to give great advice on a basic setup for a wedding.

We have eaten quite a few already. I love to go cherry picking, but the season where we usually go will be over by the time we can get there. The season here is just getting into full swing. Bought some sweet cherries and sour cherries this week-end at the market. The sweet ones got eaten as-is, but the tart ones I made jam, froze some, and made pie filling/sauce with the rest. That became cherry hand pies (cookie size, really too small and fiddly but look adorable), and cherry bars (same recipe, using the re-rolls of dough). There was way too much juice before thickening, so I drained some off....mmmmmmm - cherry syrup! Want a taste of heaven? A splash of this syrup over ice, then pour over some soda. Yummy. As soon as I saw the sour cherries I had to get some to make the filling, although I hate cherry pie. I thought "maybe I just always hated canned pie filling". So I tasted the cherry bars. Very good.....I still don't like cherry pie ROFL! But the taste hit the spot. And they won't go to waste. Dh and DD won't touch them, but the guys at work will be eating them out of the container before I even sit down tomorrow! Best way to pit tart cherries? Hold a cherry over a strainer in a bowl. Pull off the stem and discard. Push the straw through where the stem was until the pit pops out the other end. Drop the pit into the strainer. This way you catch all the juices that run off your fingers, and drip from the pits.