30 minute meal? HA!

Just once I'd like to see Rachael Ray (who I adore) have to cook one of her 30 minute meals while actually dealing with everything else that happens in people's homes just before dinnertime.  You know, having to help with homework, unload the dishwasher so yet another dirty dish doesn't end up in the sink and negotiate a small, healthy snack since the jackals children can't possibly wait 30 minutes for dinner.  She'd also need to put the cans from the beans/tomatoes/vegetables into the recycling container, wipe up the spot where the chicken dripped on the floor before someone steps in it (of course using bleach spray, which you have let sit for 2 minutes in order to kill the germs), realize that the person who is supposed to be doing homework is actually hiding in the bathroom and get them back on task all while not burning the onions she's trying to saute.  Don't forget to set the table and pour milk and cut fruit and try to be attentive to another child who is attempting to tell you a story.

Even before those things take place she'd probably need to go to her pantry to make sure she set everything out that she'll need to cook dinner.  At this point she might discover that she has only 1 Tablespoon of a critical ingredient when the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of it. 

Not that any of those things happen at my house right before dinner.  Oh no, certainly not.  I'm just saying they might happen.  You know at someone else's house.  At my house the missing ingredient would smartly have the words "more in freezer" written on the lid.  So I would confidently go to our freezer, pop the door open and proceed to spill a cookie sheet full of corn kernels all over the floor.  (12 ears worth of corn kernels that had been blanched, cut off the cob and frozen on a tray, if you must know.)

Sorry Rachael, we had cold cereal instead.