Friday, November 10, 2006

Share if you Dare....What is your Biggest or Funniest Homemaking Flub?

When reading homemaking blogs, we can all get the idea that life rocks along perfectly in everyone else's home. But, even the best and the most devoted of housekeepers have catastrophes now and again. While they may not seem funny at the time, if we do find the humor in them, they can actually morph into treasured stories.

So, here's one of mine: I invited several ladies over for lunch. Now, my mother had wisely told me never to try a new recipe when you have company coming. But, instead of sticking with my tried and true dishes, I threw caution to the wind and followed a new recipe that I wanted to try. After all, I know how to follow a recipe, I reasoned. What's the worst that can happen?

The recipe was for chicken and rice. You were supposed to mix the rice with soup and water and let it sit overnight in your refrigerator. Then you placed the chicken and seasonings on top or the rice. You covered it with foil and baked it for forty-five minutes. The idea was that the rice would soften overnight, absorb the liquid, and be ready for use in a cassrole without boiling it first.

Apparently, I did not know how to follow a recipe as well as I thought. I must have gotten the water/soup to rice ratio wrong. When the timer went off, I checked the casserole. There was no soft, fluffy rice, as the recipe promised. Instead, the grains were hard and inedible. I kept extending the cooking time, putting off my hungry guests with the promse that the rice would be done soon. But, eventually, I had to give up that thought. We ate the chicken without the rice. Luckily, I had prepared some side dishes, as well.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

3 comments:

Mimi said...

Mrs. Blythe, we must be twins separated at birth. I forgot that my funniest (funny since they come out ok) homemaking flubs involved the fire department. They both happened during one pregancy -- when I was carrying my son. Look for today's post to get the whole ditzy story.

MamaBirdEmma said...

I too have had many homemakeing disasters. The latest was when I was preparing sausages for our dinner last week. I always get nervous about preparing meat and so I often have my husband check it to see if it is done. Well, I cooked the sausage as indicated in Joy of Cooking cookbook and cut one open to see if it was done. When I couldn't decide if it was finished, I put them all on a plate and brought them to my husband's study... as I reached the door, I must have jostled the plate and the sausages flew off and skidded across the wood floor and onto the carpet! I makes me laugh now, but at that point, I was so mad!!

Emma

Mimi said...

Emma, I can empathize! I've sent carefully cooked items sliding off a platter before. I'm glad you're able to see the humor in it now.