A Really Yucky Recipe (and the Kitchen Isn't Quite Done Yet)

I finally cooked something in my pretty, new, partially-finished kitchen.  

But it wasn't great.

Which is really disappointing. 

Because I so badly wanted to successfully post a recipe tonight.  

I miss cooking and sharing my stuff with you.

This evening I made Chicken with Sweet Raisins and Apricot Sauce over Parsley-ed Orzo with Toasted Almonds.  (An adapted Rachel Ray recipe.)

During dinner, Chris and I said (approximately 9 thousand times) to the kids:  "Put a bite in your mouth, Timothy."  "Come on, take a bite Matthew."  "Finish up!"  "Come on!"  "Chew it up, boys!"   

(Almost every mealtime I feel like Napoleon Dynamite saying to the family's pet llama, "EAT YOUR  FOOD, TINA!!!!!")  

In a sweet, loving, motherly way, of course.

But tonight, my Timothy was really trying his best to obey.  I knew he was hungry.  

After staring at his plate for a while, he finally scrunched up his little nose, exhaled loudly, and said in all sincerity and without the slightest hint of disrespect, "Mommy.  This chicken is super yucky!" 

How can I possibly respond to that?  I was laughing so hard, hiding behind the counter so he wouldn't see me cracking. 

"Oh, go on, boys.  Go wash your hands and play."

I will not post this recipe, and not just because my kid didn't like it.  As fellow food photographers will understand, the sauce (plus the raisins and apricots) turned the chicken a funky color and I cannot even describe to you how awful it looked once plated.  

Well...here...tell me really.  What does that chicken+sauce look like to you? 

Retch!  Retch!

We all have mess-ups in the kitchen.  Only the brave (or stupid) admit it.

The kitchen's getting close to being done.  I had to order some cabinet hardware...it hasn't arrived yet, so I just can't take a photo until it's finished.

I'm done with the pantry, though!  I'm excited.  I'll show that to you soon.

Thanks for reading my posts even when they're not pretty,
Ginny