Key West Pink Shrimp

Radishes

Pistachio Nuts, and

Gummie Bears

Those were the items Richard was working with, yesterday afternoon, when I challenged him to a round of Chopped.  For months we have watched the Food Network's t.v. show in awe, wondering how anyone could take four totally unrelated ingredients and turn them into something edible.  Not just something edible, but something that usually looks delectable.

Yesterday my competitive husband, Richard, took a crack at it.

Matthew joined me at the super market in morning to select our fourth ingredient.  We deliberated between coffee, avocado, rhubarb, yogurt covered pretzels, and some sort of Italian soda pop.  In the end, it was Matthew who decided that Gummie Bears should win (I'm pretty sure he was banking on securing the leftovers).

At 4:00 p.m. the festivities began.  Matthew and Jack helped me pack the items into a basket and then we huddled around our kitchen island to watch dad's expression when we unveiled the ingredients.

There was a small groan when Richard saw the Gummie Bears, but with only 30 minutes on the clock there was no time for him to dwell.  He immediately, and confidently, moved about the kitchen cleaning shrimp, melting gummie bears, crushing and slicing, and occasionally visiting the pantry for additional seasonings.

With three minutes to spare, Richard produced an original: Pistachio Crusted Pan Seared Shrimp sitting on a bed of Romaine salad, accompanied by red radishes and a Red Wine-Gummie Bear reduction vinaigrette.

We all cheered and laughed and anxiously sat down to try his creation.  It was good.  It was actually very good.  Each of us cleaned our plates and as Richard and I were washing the dishes, here is what we decided:

Richard's creation was good, because he didn't have enough time to convince himself there was no possible way this amateur cook could turn four random ingredients into something edible.  He was forced to operate on his instincts and on the faith that he had what it took to successfully create something out of nothing.

Time is funny.  Time can help us turn something good into something great, but it can also indulge our inner critic and keep us from ever trying.

The insight is funny, coming from a woman who spent last week thinking, and rethinking, how in the world she could ever turn individual words into a full-blown book people would want to read.

I gotta go.  Time's a-wasting.

Shining off until tomorrow...