Dinner With Daddy

A few nights ago Sour Dough mentioned that he had a craving for Chinese food.   Since Sour Dough doesn’t usually make requests or mention cravings I figured that he must really want it.   I decided to make Chinese food last night to appease him. Now I know that when my kids say they want Chinese food, what they really mean is they want ribs and wonton soup.   While I make a pretty mean rib, if I do say so myself, I don’t make them the way the Chinese restaurant does.  So, I decided to make fried rice and beef stir fry and then go to the Chinese restaurant to pick up ribs and soup. The fried rice was easy to make because I basically just copied what I had seen the chef at the local Hibachi restaurant (which is technically a teppanyaki restaurant) do a dozen times.   I simply cooked rice in my rice cooker, then on the stove in my wok I heated olive oil, scrambled two eggs, added corn, peas and diced carrots, rice and soy sauce.  Super easy and quick...

January 23 was always just another day to me.   This year, however, I learned that January 23 was soooo much more than just another day; it’s National Pie Day.   As explained on the American Pie Council’s website , this particular date was chosen because “celebrating the goodness of pie is as easy as 1-2-3”.   Besides, I think the other PI day is 3/14.   Get it, 3.14?   I didn’t until Sour Dough told me about it. Anyway, back to the 1-2-3, easy as pie, pie day.   When I first read about it that morning I thought to myself, “Hmmm that is an interesting “holiday”, if you will.   I can do something with this.”.   My first thought, since it was already rounding noon when I discovered it, was to go to the store or the Bakery and buy some pies.   But that folks, is not my style.   Who buys a pie when you can make one as good as or better than, one from the Bakery.   And you can make one faster than heating up one of those frozen thingy...

J.A. Henckels Knives are among the best in the world.  They are my knife of choice.  I am giving away a J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Carving Set to one lucky reader.  For a chance at winning this set, Like my Dinner With Daddy Facebook Page  and post a comment on this post before 2/15/12. Winner will be decided by a random drawing from comments made on this post prior to 2/15/12.  Winner will be announced on the Dinner With Daddy Facebook Page on 2/16/12.

When Cheddar Buns went for her annual physical recently, the Doctor noticed something when she took her eye test. He noticed that she either: a) Forgot to open her eyes for the test b) Never ate a carrot in her life, or c) didn't study I'm sorry, just kidding.   She did, however, fail her eye test. As a consolation prize she got to take a trip..... to "see" the eye doctor. As a father I sometimes worry about my children and their popularity. I'm not sure why I worry about it, I wasn't popular and look how great I turned out. Cheddar Buns' idea of popular is different from a lot of people. She truly likes, and tries to help, everyone. It never mattered to her what clique other kids were in or who they liked, she is friends with someone from all of the cliques. When My Beautiful Wife told me that my Princess got glasses and texted the picture to me popularity never crossed my mind.   My mother in law said to me, “I hope the kids at school don’t teas...

There are a few things in the food category that I had once found inedible, gross and generally not ment for human consumption. Some of those things are now my favorite foods. Among those foods that have transitioned from disgusting to delectable are mushrooms, Greek yogurt, Brussels sprouts and one of my faves, capers . Let us focus today on the capers. I don't have a litany of recipes that call for capers. Actually I can count those recipes on one......finger. That's right, one recipe. Capers, for those of you that don't know are buds of the Caper Bush, or the not so common, Capparis spinosa, that are pickled in a brine. Oh yea, and they are deeee-licious. The other night I made my one recipe with Capers, Chicken Piccata , which happens to be one of my favorite foods because it has, yup you guessed it capers. As the family gathered 'round the table one of the kiddies asked what the food in the dish was. I told them "It's Chicken Picc...

Tonight at dinner we had a great example of some of the craziness that takes place around our table.   A simple thing like knocking over a glass of milk can turn into a psychologist’s dream session. My youngest, Sticky Buns, knocked over his glass spilling a few drops of milk onto the table.   For some reason when any of our children knock over a glass or spill anything, you would think that they had just caused a nuclear spill to rival Chernobyl, based on their reaction.   It has always been that way, ever since those little Buns came out of the oven(so to speak). So, as Sticky Buns is wiping up the few droplets that had hit the table, I made the comment, “Don’t cry over spilt milk.”   Mini Buns, my 10 year old, followed that immediately with, “But if it’s wine, you should whine.   That’s what Oma says.”   “Oma says the Campbell ghost spills your wine.” Brȍtchen, my Mother-in-law, often regales us with stories of her family ghost, The Campbell ghost,...

    One night, before Christmas, the family was gathered at the dinner table enjoying the usual crazieness we call dinnertime. In the background Christmas music sang out from the stereo in the living room. The song that was playing was Celine Dions' "The Magic Of Christmas Day", and at the time I wasn't able to remember her name. Mini Buns, my 10 year old, who is a music buff inasmuch as he can't help but sing…umm…. always, was sitting next to me. Trying to remember the name of the singer, I turned to Mini Buns and asked, "Hey, Buddy, who sang the Titanic?" He looked at me with a rather puzzled look and responded, "Um Dad, it was an ICEBERG!" Laughing at the realization of what just took place, I said "Not who SANK the Titanic, who SANG the Titanic!" Without hesitation he responded, "I know Dad, that's what I said; Ann Iceberg. "