Tuesday 8/1/2013
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Diary and Notes
If you’re not a parent, then there is probably one thing you really don’t ever experience in the way that parents do. No, not that bull about “You never really know love until you have children” that’s just sentimental tripe and easily contradicted by chatting to some bonkers old spinster about her cat – no, I am talking about how, with almost consummate ease, somebody has the ability to completely and utterly destroy your mood and make you feel absolutely fuming mad within less than three minutes.
If you have a four year old daughter, then I am sure you know exactly what I am talking about.
Everything was going fine. I got home from work at a sensible time, and because Isis hasn’t been eating much lately (we think she had some nerves about restarting school) I thought I would buy her something I know she really likes to eat. My plan was to cook some big fresh prawns in a simple Chinese style and serve them with noodles. I also got some sea bass and was doing rice, but I knew I’d never get Isis to eat these as she is somewhat fussy.
As I said, all was going well, but Isis was a little tired from school and was engrossed in some jigsaw puzzles. She wasn’t in the mood for dinner. But what of my prawns? I’d really made an effort and wanted her to come, they were an expensive treat and I didn’t want her to miss out and also I was planning on taking a family photo using the timer on my camera to put on my blog. It was a battle of wills and I was about to lose. Lose big time.
My ego and hubris were about to destroy me.
I convinced Isis to come and have a photo taken but she said she wouldn’t eat yet as she wanted to finish her jigsaw first. I explained, calmly of course, that if she did this her dinner would be cold and the lovely prawns would be rubbery and inedible. She told me she didn’t like prawns any more anyway and wasn’t eating anything.
After some coaxing she reluctantly came and we took the photo. Afterwards I tried to get her to stay. She sat, downbeaten and unhappy looking, while I got the food on the table. Then the moaning started. “I don’t want that near me.” It was the sea bass. Toni moved it to the other side of the table and I put the prawns down in its place.
“Take that away, I don’t like it.”
“No.” I foolishly replied. “You don’t need to eat any, but we’re not moving them.”
She got up and went to the drawer and got out a pair of oven gloves. She returned to the table and began to move the offending article herself. I put the prawns back and this is when it all kicked off.
Within three minutes of the screaming, crying and shouting, my fairly happy mood had gone to completely and utterly pissed off. At one point I tried to get her to leave the room by trying to shove her out of the door but this just made things worse.
Depressed and dejected I tried to eat my dinner, but it was dust to a thirsty man. She had made me so fuming mad that I couldn’t even enjoy the excellent prawns. She calmed down and started eating noodles, having a go with some chopsticks and trying to be extra special nice to me as she could see she’d gone too far and I was upset. But it was too late. Even Isis being extra nice and the tasty sea bass couldn’t raise my spirits.
Eve wasn’t phased by any of this at all and noshed noodles and some rice. Olias thought it was all just more fun.
When things had really settled down we had some Belgian waffles with ice cream and strawberries then played hide and seek but I was still feeling down an hour later.
If anyone has any advice on how to deal with such situations let me know – and please let it include extreme violence.
Menu
Ingredients*
| Prawn Skewers 8 Very Big Deveined Prawns 1 tsp Oil 1 tsp Soy Sauce Little Minced Garlic Little Minced Ginger 1/4 Mild Red Chilli Diced Little White Pepper A Little Lemon Grass Powder |
Vegetables 1/4 Red Pepper 6cm Cucumber 1 Pak Choi 2 Spring Onions Few Drops Oil Little Minced Garlic Little Minced Ginger 1 TBsp Chicken Stock Little White Pepper 1 tsp Soy Sauce |
Sea Bass 2 Sea Bass Fillets 1 Spring Onion 1/2 Lemon Some Fresh Coriander 2cm Fresh Ginger 1 Red Chilli Little White Pepper 1 tsp Soy Sauce |
Fried Rice 150g Rice 1/2 TBsp Oil 1/2 tsp Knorr Chicken Powder 1 tsp Soy Sauce Little White Pepper Little Sesame Oil |
Fried Noodles 2 Portions Dried Noodles 1/2 TBsp Oil 1/2 tsp Knorr Chicken Powder 1 tsp Soy Sauce Little White Pepper Little Sesame Oil |
Preparation
To cook, skewer the prawns and place on a hot pan for about 2 mins per side. Serve on top of the stir fried vegetables.
Today’s Ratings:
Isis: Noodles - yum.
Eve: Noodles - yum.
Olias: Noodles, fish, rice - yum.
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*All quantities are very approximate and for a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids aged 4 years, 3 years & 6 months)
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JCBorresen@GMail.com