A Simple Meal

For my first two blogs I used some “legit” recipes, for this meal I just used what I had in the freezer/pantry.

It needed to be a simple meal because it was kind of a crummy day in some respects. I got down to Lawton to ride the trail where the “12 Miles of Hell” bike race happens every year. I had attempted this trail several months ago but only got about 5 miles in, so needless to say I was really excited about this ride. Randy, a friend from work, and I started up the trail and the first hill is a doozy. We were pumping our legs and trying desperately to keep our balance amongst the sharp rocks we were riding over, when all of a sudden my legs started pushing with zero resistance. I look down and my derailer, the device that changes gears on your back tire, was hanging from my bike; the day was over. It was really disheartening, because I had trained for this and was really ready to accomplish this big goal I had set up, but oh wells. . . So after that Randy and I grabbed some Meers, which is a big deal in Oklahoma, and I was impressed.

Ok, to the meal.

I checked out the freezer and found a bag of frozen chicken tenderloin tenders and defrosted those bad boys; Emily just last week, when she was in Kansas City, picked up some grilling spices which I used on the chicken. I then raided the pantry and found some corn and green beans that had collected a tender layer of dust, and topped the meal off with some potato skins and a cold brew.

This meal doesn’t need much explanation, but I was quite proud because normally when I’m tired and slightly grumpy I rarely cook, but I rose up and stood in the face of grumpiness and put together this simple yet satisfying meal.

Oooh, seasoning!

On the grill!

Emily brought me a beer 🙂

Did I mention Emily is pretty? Because she is.

Finished product, the simple meal.

Music wise, it needed to be chill, the name of this album says it all and it’s a perfect title.

Pat Metheny – One Quiet Night

Enjoy, and here’s to the simple meal: may you always be there when the hours are not there to prep, when the battle between fast food and cooking is waging and cooking barely wins, and finally when you help clean out my freezer and pantry.

Joel