Happy Wednesday! Let’s talk food — a tale of a success and failure 
So I’m not a good cook. I’m an okay cook and perfectly capable of keeping people alive via cooking :-). I’m a better baker in case anyone thinks I’m just being modest or something. But I have more time and resources these days to try things. So I tried two things:
My success: Balsamic Grilled Flank Steak Caprese (title is hyperlinked if you’d like to see the recipe). I made this last Friday and it was a hit! We loved it. Now I think I’m going to make it to take it to the new parents this weekend. That’s a bit of a test because my daughter in law is an excellent cook. She has both the skills and the instincts that really good cooks have to turn a solid recipe into amazing meals. So I’ll be interested in her thoughts.
My failure: Was not a total failure but I was not happy. That was a stew recipe I’m not going to link it here. I normally make a shortcut stew that is fine for me and Wizard. But I wanted to make something better and healthier and take half of it to my daughter in law and son when I went to visit them yesterday. And I chose it because it wasn’t too spicy, too complicated and only had some wine it in to deglaze the pan that I could cooked off (nursing mom!). It should have been great, but it was bland and sad. But you know what? To my surprise, my daughter in law ate it anyway. This excellent cook who I know is particular about what she eats, ate it anyway. She said bland was better for her now, so she didn’t lie about the stew, she just accepted it as my effort and ate it. I was to touched. So my failure…wasn’t too bad, and it certainly made me appreciate my daughter in law all the more. And Wizard and I are going to eat it tonight (which is last night — the time-paradox of writing a blog and setting it to post the next day). But I’m still mad about the stew. It’s probably fine, I just wanted it to be really good.
Also, Baby Girl is amazing! I canNOT believe how strong this tiny girl is. She’s doing things she shouldn’t be able to do like turn herself from one side when she’s sleeping to the other side. In case you all think I’m biased (which I am!), others are noticing this too. She’s so active, alert, curious and sweet. She’s also giving her parents sleepless nights and the usual baby drama. But of course, when I come over to help, she turns into a little angel just to prove her parents wrong. Man, I remember my kids doing that! I’m sure I’ll get to witness one of her “witching hour specials” soon enough
And being a Grandma, I can’t talk about one grandkid without mentioning the other: Here’s a picture of Turbo getting a hit in baseball:
How’s your Wednesday going? Any cooking successes or failures you’d like to share?
October 2nd, 2024 at 6:22 am · Link
Yay for your steak caprese recipe! Boo for the stew. Sometimes things are better when they’re reheated anyway. Yay for grandbaby! I bet she’s every bit of awesome. And yay for Turbo. He’s getting so big. They grow up so fast.
I’m not a great cook either, but Hubs and I like my cooking and that’s all that matters. Okay, so I’m always critiquing my food even as we’re eating it. “needs more salt’ or ‘I should’ve cooked this a wee bit less’. Hubs shrugs and continues eating. I’ve been cooking a lot lately. I made some pretty awesome cinnamon rolls yesterday/ Okay, so the middle one was a little underdone. I ate it. The rest seem to be perfect. The other day I made a chocolate oil cake. While it was still hot out of the oven, I slathered it with raspberry jam and later frosted it with vanilla buttercream. That’s pretty darn yummy. Also, I pounded the hell out of a chicken breast, did the breading thing, fried it and then finished it in the oven. It was a tad bland and the breading wasn’t as crispy as I would’ve liked. They can’t all be homeruns. :shrug:
October 2nd, 2024 at 11:05 am · Link
My mother was a baker. She was NOT a cook. My dad? He loved cooking and even got cordon bleu certifications. I remember him dirtying every pan in the kitchen making a recipe from Playboy Magazine one time. It was hystrical. And yeah, that recipe did NOT turn out well. That said, he was amazing at almost everything else in his repetoire. 🥰
Yay for successes and so-so edibles. They both happen. And not tossing it is a win! Also, you have the best kids in the world. It’s a tribute to you and Wiz for raising your boys to find such awesome women as their life mates!
Ah, the witching hour. I remember those. LOL And yes, Baby Girl is perfect and ahead of the curve and an angel but she will act “normal” eventually. They all do.
And yay for Turbo Time™! That’s some pretty good batting form he’s got there.
My Wednesday is a Wednesday. Just when I think I’m going to get to work, stuff happens. The good news is, I’ll be starting Chapter 31 once RL settles down. Thatll be interrupted when LG gets back because we’re doing a Wallyworld run to stock up on stuff before the supply chain crashes again due to the dock strike. Once home and stuff put up, I’ll get back to work. I’m still shooting for the end of the week but I’m starting the “new” section of the book that has only been lightly edited so I’ll likely be slogging along. It happens. It’s progress and that makes me happy! As for cooking, I found a lemon shrimp scampi recipe that I’m going to try since the weather is getting warmer again. We’ll see how it goes. Fingers crossed. 🤞🏼
Enjoy the rest of the week and Happy Hump Day!
October 2nd, 2024 at 2:42 pm · Link
The steak looks great. Glad it’s a hit. DIL is wonderful. She’s right too. When you’re nursing, bland food is better for the baby.
Baby sure sounds sweet. She is a strong one. When they beat milestones like that it makes us so proud of them.
Go Turbo Go! He is a very good player. Kids his age are so cute to watch. I remember my boys looking up at airplanes in the sky instead of paying attention to the game :).
Today was another adventure. I took my car in for it’s yearly service and booked an appointment for hubs car next week when C and I can handle it together.
While waiting the service tech comes to me and I think my car is done. Oh no. A confirmation text had gone to hubs for next weeks appointment so he drove out to the dealer and started demanding they do the work. I had to go handle it and send him home.
I did get with the VA medical service people and have booked hubs hearing test for the 21st.
I hope your day is going well.
October 2nd, 2024 at 3:04 pm · Link
B.E., the stew was definitely better reheated. And it did help out, so I’m grateful for that. Turbo is growing up so fast now. Time flies, but kids are supposed to grow up so it’s all good
But it does make me cherish the baby moments all the more with Baby Girl.
That’s so true! Wizard likes my cooking too and gets mad when I say I’m not a great cook. I grinned at your critiquing during meals, I do the same and drive Wizard nuts sometimes. I think it’s what certain creative and driven personalities do. We always think we can do one step better!
Making cinnamon rolls is definitely a skill! The cake with layered flavors like raspberry jam sounds delicious. Bland chicken is always fixable with a sauce
You really have been cooking a lot. It’s a lot more fun when you’re not stressed for time and energy by a day job.
Hope your day is going well!
October 2nd, 2024 at 3:17 pm · Link
Silver, LOL on your dad’s playboy recipe story! But I think trying, often sprinkled with a little failure, is how we get to success. I knew your dad cooked a lot, but I didn’t know your mom baked. Now my mom was so-so at both
But she kept a husband, four kids and a dog fed and alive, so she gets points for that.
The two reasons I didn’t toss the stew was the cost of the meat, and I knew it’d get somewhat better as the flavors married and developed overnight. But I was tempted!
Aw thank you on my family. They are a crazy, and very human, lot. But we have fun together and try to be supportive.
The Witching Hour is thing about raising kids I have not forgotten! It’s real, and usually reserved for the overtired, stressed parents. I bet most if not all parents out there know it well!
Walmart!!! I almost stopped by today on the way home from a bloodtest for a few random things. But I convinced myself I could skip it. And I didn’t realize this dock worker strike was going to cause panic until Wizard told me at lunch today. Fortunately, I’m pretty well stocked at the moment so I’m okay. Hope you got everything you needed!
Let us know how your lemon shrimp scampi turns out!! I’ve been deglazing with white wine (if I have some in the fridge) and it makes mine version better.
The book is going to get there, you’re doing great!!! Silver the Author is back!!! Maybe you don’t feel 100% yet but you’re writing books!!!
Happy Wednesday!
October 2nd, 2024 at 3:25 pm · Link
Viki, I agree, bland is better. I just want to help, and she knows that. I so remember those first weeks and months of learning how to live life as a mom. It’s a lot.
LOL on your kids looking up into the sky in baseball. Turbo’s dad was like that! Now he’s assistant coaching and totally into it, as is Turbo’s mom. Turbo can lose focus in the outfield. But he loves batting and is really developing some skill. It’s fun to see.
Oh My Gosh, that’s kind of scary that hubs did that! It’s also annoying that you had to handle it. I’m really sorry. i wish I could say it’s going to get easier but each person is so different. I really hope your medical system is offering you some support to help you out. I don’t even know if there are advocates available, but maybe it’s something you or even C could look into? In any case, you know way more about this than I do. I just feel for you and wish I knew a way, or resource, to help you out.
You sure get a lot done for hubs, like getting his hearing test booked!
My days been good, I’ve been mostly at home doing chores at an easy pace, and feeling like I’m accomplishing something. Hope your day is going well too!