Happy Gulping Holidays!!!

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The Chairman determined the Challenge:  Form a team of 4-5 people, create a recipe for 30-35 people or so to TASTE, pair it with a wine or other beverage (enough for each person to taste). Prizes will be given to the best pairings. We will all be voting.  The battle location was set for Gulp Stadium, (Coreen's House).  Eight teams met on the field of Gulping Excellence and the contest began:

Team 1-Wine and Cheese Platter (Mame, Dorothy, Andy, Charles)
Team 2-Steak and Wine/Mozzarella Making Station (Kelly, Jim, Wally, KP, Adriel)
Team 3-Italian Meatballs and Homemade Tomato Sauce paired with with Wine
(Joy, Thalia, Nadine, Amanda, Coreen)
Team 4-Rum Cake and Irish Triffle with Sparkling Wine (Barry, Pam, Ash.W, mom)
Team 5-Chicken Dish paired with wine (Deb, Ryan, Getty, Rach, LeBeau)
Team 6-Fajitas paired with Porter (Sally, Danny, Corey)
Team 7-Minestrone paired with Chianti (Tracy, Steve, Bryan, Mariana)

All of the competitors tasted and judged the teams.  The Chairman declared teams couldn't vote for themselves.  For 2 hours we tasted, sipped, tasted, sipped and tasted, sipped some more.  WoW!  It was so good.  Then the votes were cast and placed in the Price Waterhouse Elf Hat and tabulated in a secret secure location, (Coreen's Bedroom).  All the competitors waited with baited breath for the results and kept busy singing Christmas Carols, telling stories of the past year and more tasting and sipping.  Then, from on high, the Chairman descended, (Coreen came down the staircase), to announce the winner.  Drum roll please..................and the winner is:  Team 5!! LeBeau, Deb, Michelle (aka Getty), Ryan and Rachel. They received not only the bragging rights, but also personalized wine glasses for the GULP! events, 5 gift certificates to Dolce Vita wine bar, Bx Beer Depot, Sweet Ginger and Juno Fish House.  Congrats guys!!!  Your food was delicious!   The Chairman also had kudos for the rest of the teams.  The battle was played well and the real winners of the evening were all of us getting together and celebrating a year of Gulp!  It has been an whirlwind 12 months and we couldn't have done it without each all of you faithful Gulpers!

So raise your glasses in toast:  To Coreen and LeBeau for bringing us together.  To Us who have become Friends.  To the year past and the days to come, never forget.....We are the Gulpers!  The Mighty, Mighty Gulpers!!!! 

Happy Holidays Everybody!!!!