Of Dinner and Jelly Beans

I am continually enamored with my crock pot Christmas gift. This morning while hubby showered I tossed strips of cheap steak (Yep, left from the buy one get two free sale), red onion slices, and barbecue sauce makings (ketchup, vinegar, garlic, paprika, chipotle sauce, Caribbean jerk seasoning, molasses, salt, pepper) into the pot and let it simmer all day on low. The aroma that filled the house when I opened the door this evening was heavenly. While Jeff went about chores in the back yard, I pulled out the beef strips and used a couple of forks to shred the meat. Then I added some corn starch to the pot liquor and simmered it on the stove to thicken it up. Finally, the meat went back into the liquid and we spooned the tender smoky-sweet filling over toasted buns. (Remember the other night's buns? For these I spread the butter on the inside and sprinkled on kosher salt and onion powder before running them under the broiler. Much better!) The whole conglomeration was punctuated by some cool and creamy cole slaw. (I like just a little sugar in my dressing because it offsets the vinegar nicely.)

After dinner Jeff headed back out to the yard and left me with the dishes, which is unusual because our deal is that I cook and he cleans up. However, since he exempted me from yard work in favor of fixing dinner, I think I landed the better end of the bargain tonight. Once the kitchen was ready for the white glove test (well, not really), I had a hankering for something sweet. Glancing through the pantry I found the Jolly Rancher jelly beans I've been nursing for a few days and proceeded to pour some out on a dessert plate. I realize this sounds odd, but I've discovered that jelly beans are better when separated by color. I like to have all the blues, reds, pinks, greens, oranges, and purples together rather than eating fruit salad in candy form. (Can you say OCD? I thought so.) In addition, color-coded candy is always fun to arrange into nifty designs. Generally I favor stripped pyramids, funky flowers, and starburst patterns. Once every color has been correctly placed, the eating commences in an organized way that creates new patterns when jelly beans are taken away. This all takes me back to a previous blog about how much I love Easter candy - perhaps because it is often as entertaining to play with as it is to eat. (Think "toot-sweet" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.)

Finally, all this thought of Easter goodies happily reminds me of the holiday dinner I won't be cooking this year. Jeff's mom has invited us to dine at her house on Easter Sunday. Excitement is in the air when a lovely meal is in store and all I have to do is show up and eat! (T-minus 17 days and counting.)