more underwater wisdom

Have you ever done some dumb thing repeatedly? Have you ever done the same dumb thing so many times and gotten away with it that you didn’t think it was dumb anymore? I did this yesterday … the same dumb thing I’ve done countless times … and paid a price. Fortunately, my it didn’t make anyone sick, but the thought that it could have made my tummy twist.

There is an old family recipe for macaroni and cheese that we love. Countless times I’ve made it, put it in a super-heated oven and left it to be eaten later. The super-heated oven itself is ill advised. I fire that baby up to about 500 for 10 minutes then turn it off and leave the house, mac baking inside. Very dumb. WHAT IF I FORGOT TO TURN OFF THE OVEN!

But yesterday I put a few twists on my own stupidity. Firstly, I left the casserole sitting longer than I usually do … closer to two hours than the usual one. Secondly, I didn’t super heat it in the oven. I mixed it up and left it, then microwaved it when we got home. The very first bite I knew something was off … and the 7-year-old had already sucked down an entire bowl!

“Is that Arizona Green Tea I just drank giving this a funk in my mouth or does everyone’s taste funky?” I asked. Everyone but the 7-year-old agreed. (I don’t think he tasted that first helping!) “STOP EATING!” I declared as a flash of the five of us fighting over our three toilets streaked across my brain. “We’ll find something else.”

Table cleared and dinner disposed of, yogurt and Christmas cookies was what we found … but we sat at the table and ate it together. Hubby’s impersonation of my panic flash had everyone in uproarious laughter and, by the end of the night all were tucked in sound asleep. It could have been much worse.

“Big dumb dumby head,” I kept saying to myself as I stuffed goodie bags and readied crafts for the classroom parties today. “Big dumb dumby head!” (Capt. Kindergarten watched Shark Tale twice while home sick … I just love when Angie calls Oscar a big dumb dumby head.) “It just goes to show you that no one is Super Mom," my internal dialogue continued. "Dumby Head. Oh well, we all make mistakes. BIG DUMB DUMBY HEAD!”

Everyone slept through the night without incident. But I’ve been scared straight, I tell ya’. No more cutting corners on food safety. If it weren’t bad enough watching my $5 go down the garbage disposal last night, I could have been watching the people I love most in misery from my culinary arrogance. To think I could trick the microscopic food spoilers was pure arrogance (clouded by a fog of holiday to-do-lists). So the next time I make something ahead it will go in the fridge where it belongs! After all, I’ve never cut such corners when I have guests, I’m meticulous about the rules when I have guests. Why wouldn’t I do the same for those I treasure above all else? Big dumb dumby-head.