Granted, many transgressions could be grouped under this general category. Farmer H is a distractor. He shows up at just the wrong time. Without even trying, he discombobulates those who are trying to complete useful tasks. Like a COOLER in an old-school casino, his presence casts a pall over proceedings.
Wednesday morning, I was putting the finishing touches on three pans of Chex Mix, before popping them into the oven. I had the dry ingredients layered, and had turned from dusting the pans with a generous scattering of garlic powder. The Pony loves his garlic powder, and this batch was headed for him. I heard the dogs prancing and yipping on the porch, and then Farmer H's key in the lock.
Farmer H tromped through the kitchen to set something down in the living room, then came back and pulled out his kitchen chair.
"Uh. Can you wait until I'm done and get this in the oven? Then I'll have two hours to talk."
"No. I was heading out to put more stain on the porch anyway."
And with that, he pushed in his chair, and made his escape. I breathed sigh of relief. Little did I know that the damage had already been done.
I shook on the garlic salt, and drizzled the raw Chex Mix with vegetable oil. Then I slid them into the oven, and sat down with HIPPIE to await the every-15-minutes stirrings.
When I pulled the Chex Mix out of the oven and set the first pan on the cutting block to be stirred, I was struck by the appearance of the top layer of Rice Chex. They were brown. Toasty. That does not normally happen. I started to stir, and was struck by the smell.
"Huh. This Chex Mix smells like CARDBOARD! Oh, no! I don't want a bad batch! I know that I used that half-bag of leftover pretzels, but the expiration date was still good. That shouldn't make it smell off. Something's different from every other time I've made it. WAIT A MINUTE! THE WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE! I forgot to sprinkle on the Worcestershire! Darn that Farmer H!"
I got out the Worcestershire and pulled out the other two pans, and gave them all a good shower of this delectable sauce. USUALLY, when I pull the pans out for the first stirring, my eyes water from the Worcestershire vapors!
This did the trick. My Chex Mix turned out great. Even my sister the ex-mayor's wife vouched for it, when I took her a container
5 comments:
They should know by now to not interrupt when we are busy! Thank goodness your sniffer was working and you knew what was missing! I use butter, maybe I should change to olive oil so I can call it healthy.
Kathy,
I'm sure Chex Mix IS perfectly healthy, except for the oil. After all, it's unsweetened cereal! And nuts!
I have a similar distractor in my life, but thankfully I'm not married to him. but he does seem to pop in at the most inconvenient times. I put up with it because he's there when I need help with anything.
Val--I'm glad I don't live close enough to beg for some of your Chex Mix. That stuff is so delicious, it's like crack, and I would overindulge (I'm sure), and I'm trying to stay away from snacks like that.
However, maybe I'm worrying needlessly. Even if I lived right next door to you, you didn't give birth to me nor are you trying to (accidentally?) make me sick or make me shun your Chex Mix (like a guinea pig) because it's no longer scrumptious. I'd have no chance getting any of your in-demand Chex Mix.
River,
Farmer H is lucky that he's handy with mechanical and electronical stuff, even though HE decides when he'll fix stuff. My thin patience would have worn out by now if not.
***
Unknown,
You understand, Madam, how once you taste Mrs. Hillbilly Mom's Chex crack, you can never go back. Sis, who has access to the special recipe, seeks solace in STOREBOUGHT Chex Mix! The Ex-Mayor even offered me a taste from a bag of the Bold flavor. "Here. Try this. It tastes the most like the real stuff." NO. It did not. They're fooling themselves.
Let the record show that this batch turned out DELICIOUS, in spite of the Farmer-H-induced error.
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