The chicken and dumplings dinner I served on Tuesday night was bested only by the side show, aptly heralded as, “Who can get James to laugh while he’s drinking his milk so it comes out his nose?”

For this, I chopped baby carrots into bite-size pieces and attempted to slice slimy, raw chicken tenderloins into smaller bits?

Nonetheless, with my husband away at work, I was out numbered at the table and actually found myself joining in the fun, regaling my boys about a similar incident I experience as a child – only with cherry kool-aid and hot dogs. Enough said. 

Last night, I made an herbed pork tenderloin with oven-roasted roasted potatoes. I know, I know. This sounds like Sunday dinner fare, but again, it’s a simple recipe that yields a) a lot of food and b) makes the house smell divine. 

The scent of rosemary mingled with thyme instantly transported me to back to being eight years old, sitting at my Nana’s dining room table. This could explain why I found myself making a concerted effort not to slouch, but couldn’t resist poking my sister (albeit on Facebook).

Despite all six of us homebound bodies eating together last night, there is lots of left-over tenderloin. Tonight, then, I’ll simply make some mashed potatoes and gravy to go with it. For that, I will enlist the help of my master peeler, my fourth son. Although he has Asperger’s Syndrome, his intense focus on the task at hand makes him a whiz in the kitchen and he loves to help. My kinda guy…

Until next time…