I Intended To Cook Dinner

I’d been planning to make a somewhat elaborate dish for dinner this evening. Fish, mushrooms and rice layered in a pastry dough rich with sour cream and butter (I believe it is called a kulebiaka in Russian, but my spelling may be off). I did a fair amount of the preparation ahead of time, but apparently, not enough as I’m back in bed sick again and dinner consisted of popsicles and oyster crackers. Generic oyster crackers from Hy-Vee, that have what some advertising jerk must have thought farmers look like on the label. “Midwest County Fair” my ass. My neighbour farms, and I have to tell you, I’ve never seen him wearing a straw hat or walking about with a stalk of wheat sticking out of his mouth. I’m sure he didn’t eat popsicles and oyster crackers for dinner this evening either-but if he did, I have to think he’d be insulted by the depiction of the happy-idiot-farmer on the package, particularly as we know the wheat they were baked with was probably grown in China and spiked with melamine.

I did however, make sure that Danny had plenty of staples prepared for the weekend so that Pop wouldn’t need to figure out meals if I ended-up unable to do much. I made a batch of cauliflower, and mushy peas with olive oil, garlic and basil. I know what you’re thinking-but he loves it. I mean, he already eats beans of some sort every day-what’s some gassy vegetables? I did teach him that bit about “Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot!” I’d be neglecting my parental duties if I let that one “pass” (sorry) unmentioned.

I’m not sure why, but Danny has developed an aversion to winter squash which is unfortunate, as I purchase it frozen in boxes and can prepare it easily in a covered casserole dish in the microwave. Figures he’d take exception to the one convenience food I give him. Guess it’s carrots and sweet potatoes for the orange vegetable for a while. I’ve tried tinned pumpkin which is also a no-go. Still, most of the time I can convince him to finish lunch with a bit of entertaining distraction.

I’ve started a routine of reading to my son as he eats lunch. This is a great improvement over his desire to have me belt out show tunes as he dines. I have most of South Pacific, and just about all of Oklahoma committed to memory but I’m still working on The King and I, and State Fair. Anyway, poetry is always fun so I launched into Paul Revere’s Ride, which my third grade teacher has us memorise a good portion of. I’m pleased to say I was fifteen stanzas in before I had to get up and seek out my Longfellow volume for the remainder of the poem(which is under The Landlord’s Tale, should you ever need to look for it). Granted, I put on a pretty heavy Boston accent to do the “one if by land, two if by sea and I on the opposite shore (“shoooowah”) will be”, which really had Danny laughing, but the best laughs came from the improvised asides such as “Hey, didn’t you hear me? I said the BRITISH ARE COMING, and they’re going to have you eating chutney and marmite if we don’t get out there with flint lock muskets like-now! Um…like what part of “Country folk to be up and at arm” don’t you understand? Grab yer tri-cornered hat and get over to Charlestown NOW!”

So yes, lunchtime has been fun-just wait until I begin the Ancient Mariner.

Cooking posts to resume soon-I hope.