Hi Nanci!
I don't send many emails simply because of time, but I had to share this
story. My cooking partner Cathy and I were feeling pretty confident in
our skills after a FEW short months of freezer cooking the 30 day
gourmet way. So, when we were approached by another friend who was
interested in cooking with us we thought it would be a great
idea--especially since the new girl (Leslie) was a stupendous dessert
maker. We usually cook together on Friday nights from about
6pm-midnight. We had planned a wonderful array of various recipes
including sweet potato soufflé, mashed potatoes, lasagna, and a
delicious ice cream pie (courtesy of our new partner in cooking) just to
name a few...quite adventurous wouldn't you agree? Things seemed to be
going quite smoothly in my corner...I was spending literally hours
layering a lasagna that we hadn't quite perfected the quantity of
yet...minding my own business. Cathy was happily browning beef for
Mediterranean Beef and Noodles. All the while, Leslie was busy peeling
potatoes...so many potatoes that we joked "this must be what prison is
like". Little did we anticipate what was to come. I don't know if we
were tired, or nervous?? But what happened next is hilarious (now). I
began the recipe for the sweet potato soufflé...for which I was so proud
because I had measured out exactly how much of each ingredient I needed
and placed into separate, labeled bags (we were cooking at Cathy's
house, not mine). Cathy was stirring something and Leslie began the task
of preparing the ice cream pies. The ice cream pies started to become a
little messy, so I stopped what I was doing and helped Leslie to place a
few pies in the freezer (to set). I remember it was FREEZING in Indiana
that day and you will soon learn why I remember that fact. Cathy noticed
that we were having trouble finding space in her already filled freezers
and she started to panic. While Leslie and Cathy tried to find a
solution to the ice cream problem, I returned to my sweet potato soufflé
carefully measuring out gallon sized bagged portions, labeling....
Finally, finished with my soufflé, I joined back in on the ice cream pie
rescue effort. Somewhere during this whole fiasco, Jeff (Cathy's
husband) arrived. He was quickly handed a pie and told to take it
outside! Stupefied by this request, Jeff said, "but it is freezing out
there!" Suddenly, we all stopped and looked at Jeff as if he was
insane..."OF COURSE it is freezing out there, why else would we have you
take FROZEN pies out there?" Leslie replied. Jeff continued to question
our method, but was shooed out the door anyway (Men?).
After cleaning up much hot fudge and ice cream spilled on the counters,
we were ready to bring the pies back in to finish. Looking around the
kitchen, I noticed that there were 2-3 bags of carefully measured and
nicely labeled ingredients for the sweet potato soufflé sitting on the
counter. In the midst of all the chaos, I had forgotten the brown sugar,
and condensed milk in the already bagged and labeled sweet potato
soufflé. It was getting later and later. Jeff was still questioning our
ability to cook appropriately, Leslie was furiously getting things ready
for the pies, I was opening and emptying about12 bags of sweet potato
soufflé back into the pan. All the while, Cathy is standing back
laughing hysterically at our antics.
Looking back, I am surprised that we continued to cook
together...Actually, I am more surprised that Leslie would still cook
with us after that. We all enjoyed the delicious ice cream pies (after
they were set in our own freezers). I am certain that our sweet potato
soufflé tasted much better than it would have had I not added the
ingredients that were previously left out. Jeff and Cathy, I'm sure, are
glad that we won't be cooking there for awhile. We learned that perhaps
next time we should do the ice cream pies first...saving freezer space
for them to set.
I thought this was kind of funny, maybe it was one of those things where
you "just had to be there".
Well I’m laughing. But I guess that’s because I HAVE been there. And if
you haven’t – well, you just don’t know what you’re missing.
