Mixing It Up

On my way home yesterday from something forgettable, I was tired and hungry. I knew I should swing by the grocery store but I just didn’t want the hassle of parking and people. I was despairing at the idea that I would have to pull out one of the cans of soup I’ve had in my cupboard since the ’90s, for lack of anything else to eat, when my brain did some sort of magic trick and I morphed into A CHEF. Perhaps I’m exaggerating the level of skill and insight that was granted me in the moment, but the outcome was truly remarkable. I COOKED for the second time in two weeks.

Let me repeat that so we can all pause in awe…

I cooked for the second time in two weeks.

There is no hyperbole to match my astonishment at this new behavior. I feel like Jane Goodall. Except, I’m also the chimp under observation. And chimps’ use of tools to obtain food probably requires more finesse than mine.

What happened, you ask? Here’s the tale, step by step…

1. I suddenly remembered that I had eggs in the frig. I’m happy with breakfast at any time of day so my flagging spirits were lifted at this recollection.
2. Then, my brain started connecting dots, as it is occasionally wont to do.
3. I had some sort of mystery, flavored rice in the same cupboard as the soup; I’d tackled my fear of cooking rice only a few short weeks ago and had a new-found confidence that those little long grains would not be the death of me after all.
4. Also, I had some freezer burn-defying chicken tenders that could be plunked into the toaster oven to broil.
5. I decided to combined everything into a piece de resistance.

I made chicken fried rice.

All in the pan

Without the fried part.

Or any other part that goes into making chicken fried rice except the rice, the chicken and the eggs.

Okay, fine. Basically, I just mixed up more than one ingredient in a pan. ON THE STOVE.

The result was even more ugly than my first cooking venture this month. And, to be honest, not nearly as yummy.

In fact, the eggs were kinda mushy. I kept forgetting they were in the rice mixture. Every time I bit into something squishy, I had a momentary gross-out until my brain picked up the dots and reminded me I’d put scrambled eggs into a pile of colorful rice.

Close-ups aren't flattering, are they?

I’m now thinking the FRIED part of chicken fried rice is kinda important.

But it was edible. And when you’re tired and hungry, that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?

Be Sociable, Share!

•