Wednesday, January 14, 2009

I Feel Like Rachael Ray...

when I say, "Yummo!"


Okay, so here's how it went down: Jeremy arrived while I was putting Mad down for a nap. When I came out, he was instructing Corey and Richard in pan selection and proper heat. Then he had them prepare the meat and some veggies and liquid for braising. Knife skills were demonstrated and practiced. When Richard lopped off his fingertip, safety rules were re-demonstrated and practiced some more (not before he was bandaged and dry, folks). Once everything was in the oven, they headed off to the farmer's market in Claremont (oh sure, I jotted his license plate and verified insurance first). Mixed greens and assorted other delish goodies were purchased from "the hippies." I don't know if they went to the groc, too, but Corey didn't spend nearly what I'd expected.


It smelled so wonderful here all day. While they were gone, it was very difficult not to just go open the oven and peak. I figured doing that would ruin it somehow and I wouldn't be party to that.


They came home and chopped and mixed and joked and learned. It was a truly wonderful time for them all... and for me as I sat here, 10 feet from all the haps. The boys washed up all the tools and equipment, including Jeremy's knives and such. I think they would have washed his car and done his laundry if he would have stayed on for a dinner lesson.


Tom arrived just as everything was being served, but Mad was having a hard time getting her second nap, so it was just me and them. I very clumsily tried to figure out if Jeremy was eating with us.


"Nope. I'm not eating, but I am going to hover."


"What?!? Like the cooking shows?" As if I hadn't already pictured him on Top Chef a dozen times.


"Yes. They (the boys) should be hovering, too, and they will in the beginning, so go ahead and have a seat."


Ordered around in my own home, ha!


I sat and Corey "presented" each of the meal's dishes. Then the boys sat and we ate everything up. Well, not really. We each ate about half of our portions. Jeremy said it was because, although the food is great winter food, it was about 85 degrees out.


That's alright. Winter'll be back in a week or two and we can try it again, right? My mouth is watering just thinking about it all.


Then Richard presented the dessert, chocolate pudding cake. It looked divine! It smelled amazing! The boys and Tom convinced me to just let nursing go for one afternoon and try the darned thing. (I feel a little guilty... I probably should have been harder to convince.)


Corey and Richard had a great time. Honestly, so did I, and I really wasn't part of the whole thing until the end.


Oh, and to top off that day? My mom and I had plans to watch the Rose Parade together. It's an annual tradition with us. We've had to tweak it ever since the biennial trips to the Midwest for Christmas. She had Tivo'd it and waited to watch until I could join her. We were supposed to have dinner together, but after that lunch, there was just no way I could eat anything else (and I've got an appetite, let me tell you!). So we drank tea (she'd had a late lunch, too, as it turned out), watched the parade and Extreme Makeover Home Edition and talked about life. It was very peaceful and lovely (well, until I came home and had to deal with my Jekyll and Hyde child... grr!).

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