A Chance To Redeem My Chef's Hat

Happy Magic Kingdom Day!  Woohoo!!  Knowing I would be up late, I tried to sleep in, but as you know, my puppies are pretty demanding.  I wandered into the kitchen at 4:30 hoping I could catch a catnap later in the day.  It was not to be.

At the appointed hour, I toodled on off, all the while trying to imagine the route in my head.  The entire central part of our little city is under construction.  There's no way around but the long way.  Prince Charming was flying off in some big bird-like contraption to the beautiful shores of Florida.  It was going to be a slow night with no company to keep me awake.

I met one of the other Knights at the door as he limped in and up the stairs.  I guess wearing all that heavy steel armor has resulted in disastrous knee pain, whereupon he can't mount his horse any more.  The Castle Witchdoctor performed surgery and now he limps even more.  These times do try us.

The good news is that the Castle Lawyer showed up in all her splendor and we knocked it out of the park.  Only one grumpy peasant caused a problem ... almost came to blows actually ... but calmer heads finally prevailed.  One peasant went home $1500 richer, happy as a clam she can now provide Thanksgiving dinner to her hoard.

While there, I discussed my disastrous meat dish with the real Chef.  It seems the problem was me, not the pot.  No surprise there.  I chose too large a chunk of animal, putting it in a too small pot and filling it to the brim.  If it had 12 hours to cook, it probably would have been fine.  He laughed and said I could borrow his Chef hat any time.  He knows not what he offers.

That's when I got the biggest laugh of the night.  The newest Chamber Maid told me "they" had not balanced for the last three nights of bingo.  I questioned the Castle Lawyer.  Turns out, it was the Chamber Maid who was on the infernal machine all night long, every night they didn't balance.  She forgot to tell me that part.  Mystery solved.

At the end of the night, I received a chance to redeem my Chef's hat, the really tall white one!!  I'm so excited.  The people at the Senior Center, not so much.  Today I will help cook 7 huge turkeys, along with all the fixings ... sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, gravy and dressing for 100 seniors.  

I've got my fingers crossed everything goes well.  After all, it can't be THAT hard.  Most everything is coming out of can, except of course the gravy ... it's a bag.  The hardest part is making it all taste like the REAL thing.  I think I'm up for the challenge and looking for redemption.  Wish me luck!!!