Chili Challenge

Wednesday I went to the store to buy chocolate chips specifically to make zucchini bread. Then I got home and realized Scott had used two of the four eggs we had to make soup. This caused unreasonable annoyance on my part, because I was so tired and really didn't want to make another trip to the store. Scott called his dad and asked him if he would bring two eggs over when he came by to pick him up. Scott's dad, being the awesome guy he is, showed up with a dozen eggs. Now I REALLY had to make the zucchini bread! Luckily, the recipe made two loaves, one of which I split in half and shared between a super-nice friend and Scott's super-nice dad... I love giving away baking. I left out the nuts and the raisins and added chocolate chips... after the Roquefort debacle of 09, I figured it was my right. And it was goooooood... I baked and watched America's Next Top Model and I even got a voice-mail from Scott's nieces telling me they loved the bread. That's right. Scott's dad even shared the treat. I am convinced Scott inherited this amazing character trait from his dad... SCORE!

The next night I came home from school with razor-like pain in my throat and not much time before I had to go back to work for Open House. Because Scott is awesome and super-nice (like his dad!) he had everything prepped (chopped, shredded, thawed, pots on the stove, everything!) when I got home. He told me he would have cooked, but this was my gig. Love it! I now honestly understand why people on cooking shows love cooking so much. I didn't even have to open a can! I just threw all the ingredients together like recipe said and voila! It tasted like chili with macaroni. Yep, thanks Betty... another aptly named dish.

I actually feel a little guilty about saying "I" made the chili macaroni. Scott did all the hard part. So what is cooking from a recipe, really? Where is the challenge? I don't feel like I'm accomplishing much by following a recipe... what did I do? Nothing. Usually, it's a big mystery as to what I'll come up with and how it will all come out. With a recipe, well, it's guaranteed success... bland success, but success nonetheless. Maybe it was just the recipe. I wonder if I'll feel this way when I try out souffle???

Tonight, the menu is leftovers if I can move my sick self into the kitchen to microwave. I got chicken soup served to me for lunch with ginger ale... sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. (Plus, he puts cayenne in his soup. Double Score!)