thirty minute mealsMS

I realized today that having such a hectic life, working 7 days a week almost always 10 hour days, with 5 kids and 5 grandkids to feed every Thursday, a daughter with boyfriend on Wednesdays plus grandson and son-in law, it takes a real super human effort to ge that meal done. Sometimes, I have time to prep the night before, more often than not, I am ambitious enough to think I can go to the store, get the fresh veggies and meats and get a meal done, that’s if I don’t hit traffic on the way home.
So I find the challenge of having a good meal done within 30 minutes a challenge. I sometimes pull it off. Tonight, I ambitioned buying the ingredients before coming home and to my shock it was seven . Kylie and Todd pulled in as I got home. Aurghhh. Usually, they come home at 8. And as I hurriedly got the rice pot going and the pork marinated in the char siu mix, the door bell rang and Bambi with Sam walked in. Horrors. But, hey, slice the meat, etc nuke the chinese broc, get the fishballs and tofu sliced, and there I was, stir frying my first chow mein dish ever and the charsiu merrily roasted in the oven and got a good last minute broil. Oh well, another day in the life.
I truthfully admitted to Anamite that having a lack of friends around, and the serious work schedule, even if I am strapped for time, I find comfort in cooking that meal, whether it’s a lazy corned beef rice (that’s the canned corned beef for those who don’t know that this is a staple in a Filipino cupboard) or something chicken with cream of mushroom kicked up a notch by turmeric and either spinach or artichokes or asparagus, even after baking 100 cookies, cooking a meal at home is strangely relaxing .