Dinner disaster 2013

Polenta.

I've heard some great things about polenta.  How versatile it is.  It can be creamy or firm.  You can put just about anything in it or on top of it.  It can be creamy yummy goodness.  Or so I have heard...

Every so often, I want to try something new for dinner.  I am always looking for new ways to put the same handful of stuff together.  Every time I go to the grocery store, I keep my eye out for anything different that could fit in Pookie's list of safe foods.  As I was going through the pasta aisle and saw some instant polenta.  I've never had polenta before, but I thought I would try it out.  I think instant polenta might have been my first mistake.

Rob had a very late day yesterday, so of course I thought that was a great time to do a dinner experiment   I had some steak tips, carrots and polenta.  Well, the carrots came out really well.  But it is hard to screw up carrots.  The steak tips were a little chewy, but were edible.

Then we come to the polenta.  I read the instructions on the package.  It seemed easy enough.  I got out a pan, filled in the appropriate amount of water, tossed in some salt and waited for it to come to a boil.  I think my second mistake was using too small of a pan.  The water came to a boil and I started to add the polenta in, mixing all the while.  Well, wouldn't you know, boiling polenta is like a volcanic explosion.  It landed on at least three walls, the floor, all over the stove and me.  Of course this is the point that Pookie comes into the kitchen to "help."  I scooted Pookie out of the kitchen, at which point he has a melt down.  I couldn't leave the polenta all over the kitchen to harden into rock.  So I got out my cleaner and cleaned off the stove, walls and floors before sitting down to dinner.  I get Pookie's dinner all set as he is continuing his melt down.  Nothing like an over tired, over hungry two year old.  I finally sit down to eat and the polenta is horrible.  It has become a congealed hot mess.  Ugh.

Then to top of the whole hot mess of the dinner, as I was getting the dishes into the sink, Pookie knocked over my glass and spilled cranberry juice everywhere.  It was on the table, on the my chair and all over the floor.  Double ugh.

At some point I want to try polenta again.  However, I think I am done with the instant stuff.