Our holiday visit is going well. Dennis has shown some improvement. He is still very frail, but I think this burst of spirit is due to him being excited about our son's visit and wanting to take more part in the activities.
Ahren and I were out and about yesterday. He did some last-minute Christmas shopping and I tagged along with Archie on a leash. It was relaxing not to have to think about anything and just let the dog sniff every thing in reach. Dennis was all right for a couple of hours on his own, but I dare not leave him for too long in case he needs something he can't take care of on his own.
For dinner last night, Ahren and I tackled a Laura VItale recipe for Lemon Meatballs, which sounded really good. In actual fact, I think it was a fail. The dish took a very long time to prepare, it used half the dishes in the cupboards, and the payoff was disappointing. Worst of all it took ages to clean up, with me thinking all the time "this so wasn't worth the effort".
The main problem was that Laura Vitale tends to list the ingredients in her recipes, but doesn't give step by step instructions. You can watch her YouTube videos to see how to make the dishes, but it would sure help to have it in writing, steps one through whatever. Anyway in my opinion the sauce should have been a light brothy lemony gravy and instead it was thick and pasty. Ugh. I don't recommend it.
My kitchen is now clean and I swear the next few meals we make will be grilled fish, rice, and a bagged salad.
4 Responses
I’m glad that Dennis is making progress! I’m so very glad that Ahren is visiting! I hope you find a path that relieves you of all the work you’re shouldering right now. Thinking of you!
Haha! While I’m not laughing at your efforts, I do wonder why a chef wouldn’t post explicit written directions!! What a waste of time and food.
That’s nice you & Archie were able to be out on the town…ok, shopping…for a couple of hours yesterday! He’s probably wondering about this guy who’s visiting & hoping he stays for awhile! Despite it being a complete ‘fail’ you & Ahren were able to spend some time together trying a new recipe. That’s a ‘win’ in my book! Enjoy your weekend with him.
I save recipes (with one photo of the dish) to the notes section of my phone. I start each one with the word “Recipes” so I can use the search function.
The first thing I do it is edit the instructions down to the bare minimum. I agree, I like step by step! But I take out all the extra/unnecessary works so I can read the instructions at a glance.
I also modify the steps to reflect the way I cook. I take out things we do not eat, I add more vegetables, I adjust to use the least number of pots/pans/bowls/etc possible.
I love having recipes handy on my phone. I can cook anywhere.
I am glad your visit and the holidays are going well.
Vickie