Cookin' 101

I have had so many mishaps in the kitchen since I started cooking more often that I decided to make a new posting label called Cookin' 101. This label is much different from my successful cooking experiences, labeled "Recipes". Cookin' 101 is for people who I like to call "beginner cooks", who like myself have been afraid to try the delicate art of cooking. Please have them read some of my stories and they will soon realize anyone can cook!
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The latest cooking drama occurred Tuesday night while I was attempting to cook shrimp for the first time. Sam and I had about 45 minutes to cook, eat, freshen up, and head downtown for our ballroom dance lessons. Speaking of dance lessons, I just realized that I haven't even blogged once about that. I promise to tell y'all all about it soon, but for now let's get back to Cookin' 101. The instructions on the peeled, deveined, frozen, raw shrimp said "Boil 3-4 minutes, then immediately place shrimp in cold water." Simple right? WRONG! I turned my back for maybe fifteen seconds to measure 1 cup of white rice, and then I heard the sound of water overflowing from my shrimp boiling pot. The water was all over the kitchen floor and you could already smell shrimp all throughout the house! Ugh, I can still remember the nauseating smell like it is still there!
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Sam came running into the kitchen when he heard all the commotion and asked how he could help. Ha ha, I was so overwhelmed with the whole deal so I just looked at him and remained silent. Me, silent?! Yep! I knew he was just trying to help, but I also knew that if I opened my mouth I would either start screaming or crying and I wasn't sure which one. Somehow I mustered out the words "NO! Dinner will be ready in 5 minutes." He took out a wine glass and poured me a very generous serving of Chardonnay. What can I say, the man knows me well! Wine is an instant relaxor for me!
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5-10 minutes later we sat down at the dinner table to eat overcooked honey-ginger shrimp, undercooked rice, green beans, and bread. THANK GOODNESS for the bread because it was the only edible thing I cooked that night! Sam is wonderfully appreciative and supportive of my cooking so he had seconds and kept telling me it was good. I knew it was awful, but he has a way of making me feel good about everything. I'm a lucky girl! We had to leave everything out...dishes, pots, pans, and the smell. After our dance lesson, we came home to Bubba Gump's Shrimpin' Boat (or atleast the smell of it). Now I am on wine glass #2. We change clothes and start scrubbing! 1 half gallon of Lysol, 2 yellow rubber gloves, 1 mop & bucket, 1 Swiffer Wet Jet, 1 peaches & cream scented candle, and an hour and a half later we finished. Kitchen's never looked so clean and fresh! Lesson #1: Don't try cooking a new dish if you are in a hurry. Lesson #2: Always have a bottle of wine at home.
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Sam stopped washing dishes to take a quick picture of me cleaning. Clearly, I have that "I am NOT amused" look and fake smile on my face.