jane's joint: It's the sauce, and the week, and the son

It's been quite a week at the Holts.
Noah graduated from ETHS on Sunday and turned 18 two days later. High School graduate!! 18!
Corey is finishing up her lit class at Northwestern and will have a transfer decision made by next week.
Dylan's last day of class as a freshman is today, tomorrow he starts finals.
The weather has been insanely gorgeous, my mom came to town, the work on our house is done and the above referenced occasions got us in gear to get the patio ready for prime time.
People? It's starting to feel a lot like summer.

We had a little 'do after graduation on Sunday and I ordered my favorite barbecue from Hecky's.

Hecky's! It's the Sauce!

If you live in Evanston, you know Hecky's and, I hope, its owner, Hecky Powell. Hecky's is an institution for its delicious barbecue and its famous sauce, but mostly because Hecky Powell is a community treasure. He has dedicated the better part of 30 years to not only feeding this town, but also to hiring and training at-risk youth, sponsoring sports teams, serving on the 65 board and creating a foundation to honor his father. He is a truly inspiring guy. Plus, the food is rockin good.

So, graduation.

I decided to make my own sides because I love my sides.

I made a pasta salad and red cabbage cole slaw the night before.

Both are better if they sit.

Greek Pasta Salad

(I cut the dressing in half and used Kalamata vs black olives. really good.)

Melissa D'Arabian's spicy red cabbage cole slaw

Then, graduation morning prep:

Got the table ready, cut the buns, organized and decorated the table, stirred the salads, etc.

Prep for Doug on graduation morning looked like this:

(hey, when you get a chance to ski on lake michigan you do it, right? even if it's your son's graduation day and you have people coming over and you are IN the ceremony, right? right?)

Thankfully I had these lovely women to help me. And Doug set up the bar before he left lol.