“Ken! Mommy needs you.”

If you guessed this was another cooking story, you were right.

Tonight, I am making bolognese. It’s one of Kenny’s favorite things that I make, and since I am heading to New York for work tomorrow (until Friday night), I thought it’d be nice if I made the gang a good dinner before I leave them to fend for themselves. (I know, I used “good dinner” subjectively here. Honestly, I think they are better off without me and my culinary adventures at home. Haha.)

Grace wanted to help. She put the veggies in the food processor to chop, then skittered off to start setting the table. I pushed the button to chop the veggies. And by chop, I actually mean forcefully whip veggie chunks to every corner of our downstairs living space.

Grace sucked in her breath, made giant eyeballs and took off up the steps hollering, “Ken! Kenny! Mommy needs you.”  You know it’s bad when she calls him Kenny instead of Daddy. That must get his attention more quickly? Haha. Meanwhile, I didn’t ask her to do this. At this point, it’s just second nature to run and get Daddy while Mommy is cooking.

Back to the veggies.

They were all over the counter. All over the kitchen floor. Under the kitchen table. On the couch. On the floor under the cabinet behind the couch. In the living room rug. On the coffee table. In the box with my mother’s unshipped birthday present. (Can you see it now? Happy (belated) birthday, Mom. Here’s a lovely gift and some week-old carrots and onions that were meant to be in my sauce. Mmmmm. Tasty. And thoughtful, no? Especially because the gift is already late!)

Luckily, I had a back up. I got myself a Ninja Master Prep Pro System (Hahaha! I couldn’t resist inserting the whole name) on sale + coupons at Kohl’s following our recent Sloppy and Elusive Smoothies Thursday. So far, I love it. And so far, it works. Really well. I am kind of in love with it if I’m honest. This is a good thing – especially now since I’ve broken everything else that breaks large food items into small(er) food items.

As for my goal of rocking dinner? The bolognese was saved (simmering away as I type), so I am still ahead on putting good food in everyone’s stomachs.

As for my goal of rocking dinner likely ending in an ‘A for effort’? Let me put it this way: I only need to break a few more gadgets before I can claim that I have all new small appliances. Hahaha. What’s left? Hmmm. The coffee machine. Toaster. Microwave. Electric tea kettle. Crock pot. Stand mixer. Hand mixer… I am sure I am missing a few. There’s still plenty of time, folks. I am down an appliance a week so far in January. Everything should be brand new by April at the latest if I keep this pace. Hahaha.

Oh, by the way, Grace never came back to help me finish up dinner. She’s a smart girl. Lol.