DAY 126

Livonia Middle School – Home Economics class – only it’s called Food and Family, or something like that.

Today I played DVD’s of “Chopped” and “Next Great Baker” (?) for 5 classes, which means I saw one of them 3 times, and the other one twice. The kids didn’t have to fill out report forms IF they cooperated and were quiet. A few kids got forms, and one got so angry she left (I called the office). Overall – a pretty good day. I’m glad to see that some schools still teach cooking and sewing. There were a lot of guys in some of the classes, too!

I’ve never seen these Food Network shows, and they make me feel stressed with all the drama and competition and rushing around. But I did find the weird combinations that they created a bit interesting. They had to make an entree that included (but was not limited to) bluefish, papaya, flatbread, and beef jerky. Weird. The contestants are all accomplished chefs.

It made me very hungry and also made me feel like going home and throwing some odd things together to see what I can create. My culinary creativity has generally been limited to an ever-changing dish known as Leftover Surprise. This included any number of veggies, meats, and starches (I’ve been known to combine potatoes, rice and pasta), carefully crafted, fried or baked, and generally topped with butter and either spaghetti sauce or cheese sauce. It was nearly always very well received. 🙂