McCutlet

i've always had a sneaking suspicion that i sort of suck at cooking. the fact that, on occasion, my children will willingly eat dog kibble or leaves off the trees in our yard or bite-sized rocks, but stage a nightly revolt at dinner time, probably should have been my first clue. then there was that time when DM said the kids were probably going to grow up saying, "sorry, mom! we already had dinner at Millie's house!" or i might have been tipped off when, every couple of months, DM eats something i cook and his face is awash with awe and he says, "this is good. i mean, like, really good. you made this? where did you get the recipe?" still, while no great gourmet by any stretch, i always imagined my meals were perhaps boring, repetitive, unoriginal... but at least edible. i am now beginning to question even that very basic assumption.

i was gone for five days last week. a work trip to Atlanta followed by a quick visit with my aunt and uncle who live there. my in-laws flew across the country in the other direction to visit and help DM with the kidlets while their absentee mother relaxed at the ritz carlton in buckhead. incidentally, five days is too long to be away from the kids. and 48 hours is the amount of time it takes before i'm ready to leave again :) (i'm mostly kidding, actually. they are being SO cute and sweet and snuggly and lovey lately and i *almost* can't get enough of them. swoon.)

anyway. apparently, when Ima (grandma) cooked, the kids ate like champs every night. maybe it was just a coincidence. i'll keep telling myself that ;)

then, last night, someone was coming to the house in the evening, i didn't feel like cooking, the housekeepers had been there earlier so the kitchen was actually clean, and i really wanted to keep it that way for more than 97 seconds, so i asked the kids if they wanted to get mcdonalds for dinner. i thought this special mid-week treat would be met with great enthusiasm, but instead, Colby asks, "do day have cutlets at mcdonowd's?" i.e., please mama, may i have real food instead of junk food for dinner? cue instantaneous, all-encompassing shame. (for those not in "the know," Persian cutlet, or "kotlet," is kind of like an oblong hamburger patty made with ground beef, potato, onion, egg, breadcrumbs and spices. and the kids lurve it.) i do have Ima's recipe for cutlet (such as it is - she is one of those lucky folks who just throw in a little of this and a little of that and create deliciousness). i've made it before. and it looked like cutlet, but of course, i cannot personally vouch for its verisimilitude. so i told Colby, "i can make you cutlet." but she wasn't havin' any of that. "no! you non't know how do it." sigh. luckily for us, before she left, Ima stocked our fridge and freezer with plenty of cutlet, rice, and tadig. i have enough to handily sidestep supper skirmishes for a week.

Mash Donald's

Pizza Hat

my Persian (BatGirl) Princess
(wearing nothing but shoes and a cape <3 )