Words of Wisdom

Youth is wasted on the young.

Monday 25 May 2009

The Benefits of Having A Teenager*: The Final, Edited Version

One of the benefits of having an teenager is the fact that they do Home Economics. One of the benefits of Home Economics is that there are assignments, particularly ones which say:

"Cook a three course meal for your family".

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

But hang on.
This assignment was a 'big deal'.

She was already in the kitchen at 1.30pm weighing, measuring and preparing.

She was assisted by Morticia.

She was distracted by Morticia.

Here is the dinner table as we sat down for the first course.

The BA had prepared a Bruschetta for us, complete with roasted Roma tomatoes, a delicious mix of feta and ricotta cheese and a pesto drizzle.


But wait, there was more.......
These are lemon and garlic pork parcels. Unfortunately when she cooked and served them, straight from the pan with a lemon garlic sauce, we all ate them so fast I had no time to take a photo :-(.

The final course was apple crumble, for Himself, as he loves anything 'apple'.

I think he liked it. And what better way to finish than with your step brother washing the dishes for you! We were all great 'critics' however!

The Verdict:

Bruschetta:
Good flavour, well presented, we all felt it should have been warmed over before serving .

Pork Parcels served with Steamed Vegs:
Meat tender and parcels held together well. Veggies perfect. We all felt the grated lemon zest in the sauce however was a bit bitter. Perhaps the chunks were too big? Anyway, we think we'll leave the zest out next time.

Apple Crumble:
VERY good although the recipe called for the apples to be unpeeled and I didn't like the peel much.

I know, I know, everyone's a critic! And I couldn't do as well.

I think she had fun. I know we enjoyed it.

Now to see what mark she gets!

* I can't believe this has taken so long to get together. I don't expect everyone to read it all again but as this blog is mostly a line of communication for my family in the UK and a scrap book of memories for me in my old age when Alzheimer's takes hold, I felt I needed to finish it.

Great job BA. It's also a tribute to you.

15 comments:

Elisa said...

Oh - you are a crafty writer - leaving your audience wanting more!!! :)

Brittany said...

Yum-o! :) Come to the states and cook for me, BA!:)

Blueberry said...

i have to say that i LOVE the last picture- the one with BA and the cat. i don't know why but i just do! :)

ktjrdn said...

Abort, abort! Technical difficulties. have no time :)

I read this last night and (of course) had not imte to comment then, but wanted to come bakc and let you know that Boris was also assisting me at the time. he's my blog reading supervisor. Cats are naturals for supervisors.

natalie said...

My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. I would have been there in heartbeat (or 20,000, as I would have had to fly over an ocean to get there).

Great job, BA!

Unknown said...

well...the bruschetta looks lovely! and then?

Jill said...

Oh I guess I should get my gal signed up for that class!

Actually, fixing dinner once a week would be a good summer project for her.

I like the brick in your kitchen too. Hope it was yummy!

Arizaphale said...

What? The brick? Didn't try it this time around.

SSG said...

three course meal? what was dessert? in my HE at school we made a cup of instant coffee and beans on toast. no kidding.

Stacy said...

Wow...looks like she did a great job! I love that she's wearing an apron and looking all official making the food. Her assistant looks mighty helpful, too. ;)

I can't wait until my kids get to take those classes in school...that's if they haven't been cut out of the curriculum by then.

Jill said...

Oh I guess that came out wrong. :-)

I always worry that by the time I have Alzheimer's the blog world will be all shut down and my blog will disappear. I guess I should re-take up scrapbooking.

BA Dad said...

wow looks great BA, will you cook this in the snow?

Andi said...

What a lovely meal...BA- fantastic job; I hope you earned a perfect score! I love cooking with my daughter...neither of us had HE in school, and I felt that was something sorely missed. It was college prep all the way, as if college students do not need to know those sorts of things. It could have saved me years of horrible meals in my early years of marriage. BA's courses were superbly chosen and well executed...she really looked the part of a chef!
Arizaphale- I looked at this post earlier when I did not have time to comment, and now looked again, and I thought to myself, "How rude...you obviously did not finish reading it all before..." LOL- it took me a THIRD read to realize the title and the additions. Yes, these days, I am slower than slow.
You are raising a fine young lady. You should be so proud.
By the way, the recipe for the bubbles is a certain kind of dish washing liquid (1 cup- Dawn Ultra- blue colored kind)12 cups of water, and 3/4 tablespoon of liquid glycerine. The daughter was given a special bubble book with a ribbon wand and the recipe for the bubbles was in there. She's had that book for YEARS, and we just finally used it that day at the park.
I hope the BA's new skills in the kitchen allow you to have just as many cherished moments as I have had cooking with my own daughter...or at least some free time for you while she takes care of dinner! :)

Mid Sis said...

Just finished exams so first time I have looked at blog for a while so saw the final version in total. Good on her - much better than her Auntie who still burns water.......x

Elisa said...

Oh YUMMY! It all looks delicious!

My favorite Home Ec exercise was when the kids had to wash dishes! Well, the meals they made were good, too. By the time the third one got to Home Ec they didn't have to cook a dinner at home anymore.

But I digress - BA did a lovely job. And she looks SO GROWN UP in that last photo!!! So mature!

Sounds like a lovely evening!

Great job, BA!