DAY 38 - COOKING DINNER, this time for a boy

OK, since I managed to make soup that didn’t kill me, I ventured out a little further – and actually cooked food for someone else. (And, yes, it was a boy.) 

   Now, I don’t often cook for other people, because well: Nobody wants to die that way. When lists pass around at church, I’ll sign up for cleaning, babysitting, donating, driving – anything but cooking. And if food is required, well, I’ll always sign up for a salad.

   And it’s not just that I’m being timid or shy. For the past 20 years, the only thing I’ve been allowed to bring to Family Dinners is salad – specifically Sara Salad (see Lion House Recipe Book). To be fair, I do make a fabulous salad – but with 20 years of practice, I certainly should have it figured out by now. In 20 years, I’ve been allowed to host Family Thanksgiving Dinner once – partially because of geography, but it’s hard to not consider the “we don’t want to end up in the Emergency Room on a holiday” factor.

   Even last week when a friend had major surgery, I didn’t offer to cook for her or her family. Well, I did make Instant Oatmeal for her – but that was the extent of the cooking. Fortunately a few neighbors and her teenagers all stepped up – because after a few days in the hospital I’m just not sure she had the strength for my cooking.

   OK, there are a couple of things that I cook pretty well – and I have one or two “tricks” that I can pull out in a pinch. So I did. Chicken and Rice. And, of course, a salad. (I figured if the rest of it failed, we’d at least have the salad.) And to my surprise, it actually turned out. And, in all seriousness, I was a bit afraid that it might not work out – which is why I keep an “Emergency Lasagna” in the freezer. Just in case.

   And I’m still alive – and so is he. He said it was good, and, I have to admit that even I thought it actually did taste pretty good. Oh, I won’t win any Cooking Competitions – but at least there won’t be any 911 calls either.

   Feeling a little adventurous, I decided to try an experimental dessert. Nothing too crazy, but it did involve a cake mix, pudding, and whip cream. And I experimented, because if it failed I could just toss it and say that I “forgot” to get dessert. But it turned out, was rather tasty, and I even packed up the leftovers for him to take to work tomorrow. (And, no, he didn’t dump them in the garbage can as he left – I checked.)

   Don’t worry – this isn’t going to turn into a “Julie & Julia” type blog, and I’m not going to start sharing recipes. Pretty sure everyone else already knows how to boil water and make toast – and well, that is the bulk of my repertoire. But I just might get brave enough to try out a new recipe or two. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll be brave enough to invite someone else over for dinner one of these days – for, hopefully, an ambulance-free evening.