Our own Personal chef.

We were lucky enough to have SGrandson over after school yesterday and overnight. It is a win-win-win-win-win etc. situation.

We shared a nice meal together that I had made earlier in the afternoon, heard all about the life of an "almost" twelve year old. Then he did his homework while I did the dishes-I finished first, so I sat down to help him organize his notebook a little better-a windstorm would have improved this notebook/folder as is probably true of the folders of many boys his age. As he was putting papers into the pockets, he was making them fit by making folds in them-not in half-all kind of obtuse angles-like an origami project in-progress. I was not able to convince him to take some papers out, but I did manage to show him how they take up less room if not made into three layers thickness for each sheet. As he kept saying uh-ha, yep, I realized that I did the entire folder FOR him-not my goal. I pulled some papers out so that he could at least have that feeling of victory that he put some papers into the pocket unfolded. And just as he finished putting the papers in-POP-he got excited to start showing me stuff. First the song that he wrote for the departing 8th graders in his school, a melancholy ditty about leaving school and where are my friends, and there you are, we will be OK. Really cute if you ask me-you did ask me right?

And then he said he had something special to show me, his recipes from Home Economics Class-they call it something else of course-"How to take care of yourself, don't expect no woman to wait on you hand and foot" Class or something like that. But it is Home EC Class just like the girls in my age group took in school in the 1960's, they are even making a pillow!!! Hey, if you can make a pillow, you can sew on your own buttons or repair your ripped pants, right?

So, he starts very slowly showing me the recipes of things which they have made-including microwave lasagna-ready in a flash-but of course in this recipe you need to cook the noodles first-the most time-consuming part-and to cook them without tearing them-why, you are the best my friend.

He told me about each recipe and his part in the class when they were making them, and then he asked if he could make something for us tonight for a special snack. I have blogged in the past about his desire to make these special treats for us, so you know how happy this makes him, I looked at the recipe and noticing that we had tortillas (frozen), I knew he could do it.

He insisted that HE would do it all, I suggested that I could tell him where all the supplies and cooking utensils were, not that I care if my cupboards all all torn apart while he is looking for something (OF COURSE I CARE-I KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE I PUT IT THERE AND NEEEED IT R.I.G.H.T. THERE), but SGrammies don't talk with their eyes bulging, they just make nice suggestions-which I did. I nuked the whole wheat tortillas while he got his "work station ready for his lab" .

When he was setting up, I remember that when he was a little tyke, I had a small step stool that he would stand on at the end of the kitchen table so that he could help me cook. He loved it, and now, I need to sit down so that he is not appearing to be taller than me.

Here is the recipe with my wording: using pastry brush, brush surface of tortilla with water, sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar mixture (2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon for 4 tortillas), using pizza cutter, cut tortilla into 8 equal pieces (like the wedge in the Trivial Pursuit game-does anyone play that anymore? It was great until they started messing with it and making each game topic specific-really, what 4 guys are gonna sit down and play sports Trivial Pursuit, but if they are with their main squeeze, they will spend a nice evening playing. Which begs the question: What woman will sit down and play Sports Trivial Pursuit? Asked and answered-not me.). Place tortilla pieces onto a parchment covered cookie sheet, not overlapping, bake in preheated 400 degrees oven for 5-8 mins.-depending on your oven. Put on cooling rack to cool (as opposed to put on cooling rack to get warm? I am so sarcastic-cut that out.) . They turn nice and crisp-which happens to be their name-Cinnamon Tortilla Crisps.

There you go, mix up some Fruit Punch Crystal Light, pull up four chairs, turn the Buffalo Sabres (who won 4-2) on the aforementioned never used much Kitchen TV, and you have yourselves a party! Hats optional. I think the TV won a stay of exile from the Siberia of the side porch that evening.

Here is our Chef Du Jour

Here is SSon's Cheshire Cat look-he is unable to show his plate of snacks-all gone in a wink! Can you see the feathers sticking out of his mouth?

It does not have to be complicated or expensive to share your lives. You just need to make the time.

Matka and our SGrandson, her SGreat-Grandson spending time in 2008 -she was 85 that year.

She loved each one of her little ones-here in 2009.