Grand Rapids....come for the churches, stay for the Nascar and Deer Hunting.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Killin' time
I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but life got busy for me a while back. I think it was several years ago, but it could have been four or five years ago...I'm not sure. I don't have kids so it wasn't the whole children thing that made life busy. I think it was a combo of things. Pool league (I shoot a wicked game of stick) combined with ballroom dance class with my better 3/4, throw in some freelance work a couple nights a week, add a splash of event du jour and all of a sudden the calendar is full. Suddenly I realized I was looking at a calendar (which I NEVER used to do) to figure out when I could get together with friends or family. (By the way, when I say I, I usually mean we, but I'm just so used to typing I that I think I'll keep doing it.).
Every once in a while though, I (not we) find myself with a little spare time on my hands. Like tonight. My better 3/4 has a latin dance class. Now before anyone says: "well why aren't you at the class with her?", let me just clarify that its a latin dance aerobics class for chicks only, so I'm exempt. Plus, I did my ballroom thing last night and I'm plum rhumba'd out. Anyhooo....I thought I would share my recipe of my evening with you.
I'll call it.....What to do with your time when your better 3/4 is at a Latin Dance Aerobics Class.
I will begin with a prerequisite: Put on your favorite music really really loud.
Now the steps.
First..... go to your local libation purveyor.
Second.... Buy some red wine.... and some vodka.
Third.... Go to the grocery store and buy a steak (or some chicken or some fish.) Also buy a veggie like broccoli or asparagus or yellow squash or whatever.
Fourth: buy a sweet potato. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP ( the sweet potato part)
Fifth... Go home....uncork the wine....make a vodka tonic.....marinate your meat. Peel the sweet potato. Oh....and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Have a sip of your cocktail. Turn up the music.
Sixth Take a piece of aluminum foil.... I would say one that is 2 feet long. Lay it out on the counter. Slice the sweet potato into thin slices. Have a sip of your cocktail.
Seventh Place a few dollops of butter in the center of your foil...your objective here is to make a little line of butter dollops to lay your potato slice on.
Eighth Lay your sweet potato slices on top of the butter dollops. I like to do mine like a card dealer does in vegas....ya know how they fan out the cards? thats how I like my potatoes to look. Have a sip of your cocktail.
THEN...drizzle a bit of sesame oil on top of the taters. THEN, drizzle some soy sauce on top of the taters, THEN, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the taters. THEN, make a little foil packet out of the whole thing. I recommend bringing the top and bottom ends together and folding down, then crimp the ends a bunch of times so the juice doesn't leak out.
Ninth Place the packet on the oven rack and bake for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, finish your cocktail and have another while preparing your steak and vegetable.
Tenth Cook your steak ( or whatever meat you're preparing), then cook your veggie. These two steps don't matter at all. Its all about the sweet potato.
Eleventh Take your foil packet out of the oven, carefully open it, and get a whiff of the goodness that has been trying to escape that aluminum prison for the last hour. (You lost 15 minutes cause of the cocktails.)
Twelfth Pour yourself a glass of wine.
Thirteenth Eat, Drink, and be merry
Don't worry about being a member of the clean plate club...just eat all the sweet taters.
Finally....throw on some flannels and a t-shirt and call it a day.
May I suggest a sip for every "THEN" (or is that a given?). I usually begin making dinner in the T-shirt and flannels. Actually, that's what I'm always wearing. I like the way you cook. 'Better 3/4ths' is also good math.
Name: Jonathan Home: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States About Me: Just a guy who trying to eek out a living as a graphic designer in SW Michigan. See my complete profile
Name: Jonathan
May I suggest a sip for every "THEN" (or is that a given?).
I usually begin making dinner in the T-shirt and flannels.
Actually, that's what I'm always wearing.
I like the way you cook.
'Better 3/4ths' is also good math.