Thursday, December 1, 2011

chocolate covered ants or cocoa powder, you make the call

well folks, Thanksgiving is over, and other than a few oven burns and an unusually paranoid daughter, i think it went well.
We had my wife's side of the family over for the day, along with a few visitors all the way from Las Vegas. Working from home as i do, i told my wife i would fix a nice dinner in-between writing. How hard could it be? in my mind, all i had to do was get up after every page and baste a turkey or take a pie out of the oven, then go back to writing. boy was i in for a surprise. i now have a great respect for my mother, feeding dozens of family every holiday while i was growing up.
I actually started making test food on Monday, talking my step-daughter Brooke into stopping in to be my guinea pig. I would be testing a new pumpkin pie recipe, trying out a home-made hot cocoa mix, and i would attempt to make a lemon pie. as it turned out, i burnt the crust on the pumpkin pie, and the mirengue kind of melted in the lemon pie, but she courageously tried both pies, drinking a full glass of milk after each bite. by the time i got to the home-made hot cocoa, i was a bit frazzled, and Brooke was a bit nervous. as i mixed the cocoa powder into the hot cinamin milk, i noticed a few specs of what looked like cocoa without my glasses on, so i mixed it up a little better, threw a few marshmallows in the top and causiously handed the mug to her.
She took a few sips, slurping up a few speckled marshmallows in the process. i watched her swallow and turn to me with a puzzled look on her face. the conversation that ensued is not appropriate, but you can probably guess her words just after the little antennas slid down her tongue. apparently, the speckles were actually little bitty shriveled up cocoa covered ants that got into my ten year old can of cocoa and died. i tried to pass the the mix off as asian quisine, but it did not work.
anyway, by turkey day, Brooke was very careful about what she ate, and i will be amazed if she ever asks me to make her any hot cocoa again.
My first ever Thanksgiving day dinner was a success, though, with the television and phones off, and much great conversation between family. We truly enjoyed our "gotaminute" moment on that day!

2 comments:

  1. Hahaha! Chocolate covered ants are loved be some people...too funny!!!!

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  2. Poor Brooke...she will be damaged for life over that one. Keep the stories coming Bob. Love them.

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