Sunrise at 8:49 and Sunset at 19:22.
40 more minutes than my last blog! I think this counter will get stuck at 24 hours for sixty days eventually!
BINGO TALLY - 7 Losses and 2 Wins! There has been slightly more money lost than won but it all goes to programs in the community. The Spring Jamboree better be fantastic! I will likely end up as a volunteer manning some station in the festival...:)
The following is a description of my day. I have been attending the elders lunches every Monday and Friday. I breathed deeply and volunteered to do the cooking this Monday and for the next three Mondays.
On the menu was ham and cheese quiche, coleslaw, bannock and fresh fruit with yogourt.
The meal is served at 12:00 noon. I thought things through in the morning and figured that I will go to the school and start cooking at 10:00 am. I bring two pans and a cutting board as I know these supplies are not available. There were a few other things that were not available. I learned the hard way.
The kitchen is a rectangle and you stand in the middle of the surrounding cupboards and drawers. The one side with a window that opens into the gym has the clearest counter space.
The kitchen is just off the school gym and many a meal has been prepared there. I helped sort and put away the groceries for the elders lunch program for the month of March just a few days ago. No big deal.
I have the recipes that were left for me at my request. I can only cook from a recipe. I brought in my own recipe for coleslaw as I knew ahead of time that there was not one available.
I also knew that this quiche was going to be crustless. No way I am experimenting with pastry at this point. I had made a crustless quiche in the past and knew it would be ok to bake the ingredients in the pan without the crust. I thought maybe if I had time I might try to make the pastry. As it turned out, I did not have time!
I did not spot the recipes right away but someone located them for me and I was ready to go. 4 eggs. What, I will have to double this to feed 10 people. Alright. 1 can of cream cheese soup. Hey, that was not in the groceries. Double check. No. Ok, use milk to substitute and keep going.
I knew ahead of time that there was no ham as ordered but that there was plenty of chicken. I looked for the thawed out version in the fridge but no luck. I go over to the freezer in the storage room and the bag I found was not laying flat so all the chicken was frozen in one big pile at the bottom of the bag. Ok, there is a humungous microwave available. I have never seen a microwave that huge. I do a 360 search of all the cabinets around me. I am able to find a paper plate by standing on a chair and reaching into one of the top cupboards. I play around with the microwave settings and set the defrosting for 25 minutes. Cooking it will take another half an hour. Yikes! Keep going. Keep it moving. Forward motion!
I cut up the brocolli and add all the quiche ingredients to the pan. Next is grated cheese. I look in all the surrounding cabinets and drawers, There is a row above and below so it takes a long time and you forget what you saw in what cupboard if you don't follow a meticulous pattern. No grater! Time is flying by and there is no way I am walking home to get it. I cut the block of cheese into slices. I cut the slices into small strips and cut the strips into small cubes. I added it all into the pan.
The chicken is dethawed and looks almost cooked through so I cut it up and put it in the pan to bake for 50 minutes. The bannock needs to cook for 40 minutes. Conflict!
I make the bannock dough in an iron pot sitting on the counter. I don't have enough pans and do the circle of cupboards again looking for a pan. I knew I had seen one but I couldn't remember what cupboard it considered it's home. I get my hands on it and get the bannock on the pan. I have to race home to put it in the oven without warming it up first. This one is for 40 minutes and the other for 50 minutes but with the off start time they will be ready at about the same time. Pray for time to get back before either one burns. Get going. There is still coleslaw and dessert.
I get back and start on the coleslaw. I do another 360 in the drawers looking for a vegetable peeler. No deal! I use a knife. It is not a paring knife. It is a big knife so I cut away from myself as I get the peeling off the carrots. There is no chance they will be grated either. I eventually get all the ingredients in the pan I brought with me. I am glancing at the clock every minute on the minute. Down to 15 minutes and I still have to cut up the fruit for dessert. I have two bananas, two apples and a can of mandarin oranges. I get the bananas and apples cut up and I have no bowl or pan to put them in. I do another 360 and look in all the cupboards. I spot a shallow cookie pan sticking out above the cupboard and ask a taller person to help me. I put the cut up fruit on the pan with a tub of yogourt and the unopened can of mandarins. That is how it is going to get there. Things were getting down to the last five minutes. My quiche is going to be ready as well as the bannock at the house. I gather the coleslaw and fruit tray and figure I will head to the building where the lunch is going to take place. My house is close by and I will be able to get the bannock on the way by as well.
I call the band office right before leaving and let them know that the food is ready but there is no one to take it to the elders lunch. I get my jacket on and grab my things. I leave the counter in a mess and promise the custodian that I will be back,. He pulls the quiche out of the oven and puts tin foil over the top. He will pass it in to the driver when he arrives. My bannock is waiting! Please, please, please don't be burned!
I get down the stairs with my pans and start walking across to the band office. I see a truck pull up. News travels fast when there is food involved, it's my ride! I put my pan in the drivers seat and go back for the quiche. This truck is huge. There should be a step up but there is not. The gunnel board is at my knees. I am holding my pan and struggling to get up into the seat. I have to pass the pan over to the driver and struggle to get myself in that beast.
It is a short ride. I deposit my pans into the conference room and see that only two people have wandered in so far. It's noon but I am still good for time. Here's me running across the street to my place for the bannock. Please, please, please don't be burnt! I go through the kitchen/dining room/livingroom combo with my boots still on. There is no carpet to worry about. I pull open the oven door and take a breath. I am pleased to see that inside is absolute perfection. Yes!
The door on the oven doesn't close all the way so a little bit of extra cooking time seems to work out well. I scoot back to the band office with the last piece of my meal and am ready to serve the food. On time and fresh from the oven! I did get a scowly face deserter during the meal but 8 others ate and a few plates went to elders in their homes who were not able to make it to the lunch.
Phew! Let's take a little time to plan for next Monday on Friday shall we?
I will add my coleslaw recipe because this thing is amazing. It is weird all around but tastes amazing! I mixed red and green cabbage for a nice effect.
Mahsi Cho (Thank You) and Good Night!
2 cups cabbage
1 medium grated carrot
1/2 chopped green pepper
1 chopped apple
5 tablespoons yogurt, lowfat
1 tablespoon mayonnaise, lowfat
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
Wash the cabbage. Cut it into fine shreds, until you have 2 cups of cabbage.
Peel the carrot. Grate it with a grater. Chop half a green pepper into small pieces. Remove the core, and chop the apple. Put the cabbage, carrot, green pepper, and apple in a large mixing bowl. Stir together.
Put the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dill weed in a small bowl. Stir together to make a dressing.
Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
1 medium grated carrot
1/2 chopped green pepper
1 chopped apple
5 tablespoons yogurt, lowfat
1 tablespoon mayonnaise, lowfat
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
Wash the cabbage. Cut it into fine shreds, until you have 2 cups of cabbage.
Peel the carrot. Grate it with a grater. Chop half a green pepper into small pieces. Remove the core, and chop the apple. Put the cabbage, carrot, green pepper, and apple in a large mixing bowl. Stir together.
Put the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dill weed in a small bowl. Stir together to make a dressing.
Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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