Veggie in a Bowl of Fruit

So I'm not like my sister Grapefruit.

Here's why.

First of all, best laid plans for dinner. I marinate a london broil that is questionable to begin with. Why, you ask? Becuz I bought it several days ago, and instead of looking fresh, lean and red, it's looking slightly green maybe even gray. The package says cook by today, so I go ahead anyway, despite the non-reassuring odor.

Garlic should take care of that, right? A little worschestire. Clorox? (I jest).

Because it's pouring, the grill is out of the question. I'm being ambitious throwing it in the oven at 2:30 pm so even if it's cold, we'll have a homecooked meal. Say, a steak salad. At the very least, we can heat it up. Either way, I'm making dinner. As I sit on the couch eating a very late lunch the smell wafting from the oven isn't quite what I'd anticipated.

The timer goes off. I remove the steak. Hmmmm. Not quite sure. Am I making jerkey or a juicy steak? Tenderizing might have been in order. After I let it sit -- cuz that's what Ina says to do -- I cut into it hoping I might just be misreading the situation. I carve a thin slice and pop it in my mouth.

To quickly spit it right back out.

Yup, that's me. Waited too long to cook that green meat. Although Dr. Suess might have been proud...he could have written a sequel to green eggs and ham...gray steak and wilted lettuce. Instead, my kids were indeed grateful the meal had failed as I was off to Lil Cesears to pick up two $5 pizzas -- truly to their delight.

In fact, when I picked my daughter up from high school soccer practice, and she'd asked what's for dinner, I replied in turn "Pizza" -- she said "YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!" I'm starting to think they don't like my cooking.

I realize I'd waited far too long to cook the meat I'd purchased some days before. But all out cooking just isn't in the cards right now. More than not, we have activities that cut into dinner hour every night of the week. It's exhausting. And it's not bringing me any closer to my visions of impressing Tyler Florence, let alone my flourless chocolate cake Grapefruit sister. Or my master chef father. Or my "lets see whats in the fridge and create a 4 course meal" mother. Or different variety soup and bread every day sister Liz.

Guess I remain the veggie in the fruit bowl. Square peg in the round hole.

At least I had a good hair day!