Kitchen Fail

It’s still early but, thus far, only five residents have signed up for the Halloween Costume Pizza Party on the 20^th. Not surprisingly, a few residents have verified word-for-word what I’d said in my last post – that fewer still are going to want their stinking pizza.

“I don’t care if it’s free.”

“I wouldn’t touch any of their pizza.”

There was a time when the word “free” would motivate. Residents would come down, grab and go. So the fact “free” no longer holds an appeal is indicative of a lot of resentment STILL towards management, which will not change until they get Nurse Ratched off the premises.

When I went down yesterday to verify how many had signed up, the 95 year old who created and maintains the Community Garden (which garden management planned to plow under when they took over the complex but backed off after being advised it’s a Certified Wildlife Habitat and they’d be in trouble with the State of California should they follow through).

Score one for the residents.

At any rate, The Gardener (let’s call her) observed me walk into the kitchen area and look up at the wall. When I came out and sat down she asked, “What did you do in there?”

“I was checking the activity board.”

“What activity board?”

When I explained how management had changed the location of sign-up sheets from the counter to a board on the wall in the kitchen, she WENT OFF.

“How did you even know it was there!? (Apache told me).

“I didn’t know it was there!? … Why didn’t they tell us!? … Why didn’t they leave it where everyone can find it!?” (I still think it’s because management, for whatever reason, doesn’t want us to have fun, and they want the various Activity Directors to fail so we settle down and stay quietly in our units).

“What’s wrong with them?” “Why are they the way they are?” (Beats me. I don't get it either. Perhaps they’re Satan possessed.)

When the next old lady came into the Community Room, The Gardener led her into the kitchen to complain and show her the board. It appears, however, that this second old lady is not so upset with management that she’ll turn down free pizza. Instead, I overheard her angrily exclaim, “I’ll go but I’m not dressing up in any costume!”

Lol.

Though it didn’t make the calendar and there’s no sign-up sheet posted, the Halloween potluck breakfast hosted by the residents themselves is a go for the 27^th, only the organizers are calling it the Harvest Breakfast.

The organizers wanted me to bring deviled eggs, but I told them yesterday I wanted to try a new recipe I’d found – Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots.

Not wanting to repeat the epic fail I experienced for the Valentine’s Day Potluck, when I followed the Pioneer Woman’s Monkey Bread recipe and the dish came out soggy, not cooked all the way through and I was forced to bring Girl Scout Cookies instead, after purchasing a cooling rack yesterday, I tried the recipe out for breakfast this morning.

Yuck!

Though the recipe indicated bacon dredged in adobe sauce mixed with brown sugar would hold together without toothpicks, you can see it didn’t always hold.

Plus, dredging the bacon caused it to turn out not as crispy as bacon should be, and the brown sugar made the dish cloyingly sweet.

So no.

I’ve plenty of time to experiment, so I think I’ll try the recipe out with no sauce – just plain bacon wrapped and also try it out with a lot less brown sugar.

If experimentation fails between now and then, the organizers will get their wish – deviled eggs for breakfast.