The 70-Degree Party

I live on a cul de sac in a neighborhood of good folks...we all have fire pits in our backyards, porches or decks, and everyone seems to own more outdoor chairs than their families can occupy alone. All the men in the neighborhood have riding lawn mowers and a competitive spirit when it comes to lawn care. All this neighborly-ness results in frequent neighborhood cookouts...and the first one of the season is often the 70-Degree Party.

As you may have guessed, the 70-Degree Party occurs on a 70-Degree day...ideally the first 70-Degree day in Spring. It's not always convenient. Sometimes it's on a weeknight. Sometimes the forecast is sketchy, so it's hard to plan. This year, the 70-Degree party was no different. The forecast for Sunday, April 10th, was 74 with possible severe weather. Invitations went out on Thursday afternoon. The 70-Degree Party has evolved over the last 3-4 years from shouting out the front door at the neighbors to come over for a beer and a burger, to a full-on potluck with invitations.

Our menu was brats, dogs, and burgers. The Wolff family brought their specialty, Company Potatoes. The Hansen family brought pasta salad. The Barretts brought taco dip. The Kirsts brought Asian/Crunchy/Bok Choy Salad. I threw together a pan of brownies and a pan of Seven Layer Magic Bars, last minute. I haven't made Seven Layer Magic Bars for a while, and golly, what a treat!

It was a feast. We ran out of burgers. Some of the teenagers even showed up (it was good to see you guys!). Our kids played outside all day. The severe weather went north of us, so we didn't even see a drop of rain. The beer tasted really, really good. And the Seven Layer Magic Bars...well...yummy.

Seven Layer Magic Bars

1 stick butter

1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs

1-14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)

1 c butterscotch chips

1 c chocolate chips

1 1/3 c coconut

1 c chopped nuts

Melt the butter in a 9x13 pan

Sprinkle the crumbs over the butter

Pour the milk evenly over the crumbs

Layer the remaining ingredients in order

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. If the coconut isn't toated yet, I recommend turning the broiler on and watching carefully, so the coconut is deliciously toasted.

Let it cool, cut it up.

We really love our neighborhood...and our neighbors. Life is good!