S P and i often enjoy standing around discussing how are year has been, why MY husband is yet again in the dog house and ....READY for it... NEW MEAL OPTIONS that we've tried throughout the year (shocked? me too, if you were to tell me when i got married that i would enjoy chatting about whole grains i would have laughed in your face!) well, never say never i guess!!
now, as good neighbours often do we share things and in past years we've from time to time shared a sampling of our newest food creations and this year was leading up to be the same (personally i love it when someone finds my healthy meals tasty...i have picky eaters and they don't always have the same palette as i do. ok, lets be honest, NEVER. which really fawking kills me because i'm a great "fishaterian" chef!)
so day two of our holiday and on the lunch menu was a KILLER kale & quinoa salad (me love me a whole grain!). i decide S P needs to try this one out. i fill a bowl full and make the delivery. she. loved. it. me, pleased!
later that evening there was a knock at the door, our bowl was being delivered back to us by a very cute 5 year old messenger. his words were " don't bring this bowl back empty" and he leaves. hmmm?
i stare at my bowl which now has an amazing baked whitefish and roasted vegetables in it. i take a bite and declare "well played S P, well played!". i love a bold face challenge almost as much as good wit.
being competitive by nature, i took that little mans message as your mamma wants to start an east barriere lake mother chef f'n challenge! well game on S P! don't you worry that bowl will not come back empty (weird, because it's our bowl to begin with but whatever...it's on!)
the next day i plotted hard on what my next explosive, blow S P's mind, sampling of fishitarian awesomeness i would inflict on her..... the result " summer lettuce cups", containing some of summers finest ingredients (mango, avocado, prawns and quinoa). no joke, it made me moan when i ate it. i walk over all proud and shit and she looks totally surprised i have a bowl in my hand!? i look at her and say with my head cocked to the side "game on S P"....she laughs (because she is rather used to my crazy talk. clearly she doesn't feel threatened by my concoction?!) i continue on and tell her how much i love this east barriere lake mother chef challenge thing we have going on here. she again looks confused. i remind her about her son coming over and letting me know NOT TO BRING THE BOWL BACK EMPTY message.
howling begins. why is she howling (at me no less)? whats so funny, i ask? she informs me that what her son said was NOT correct, he was suppose to say " in our house, we never return a bowl empty" (in other words...a kind and thoughtful tradition turned sideways by her son and this is why 5 year olds should never give messages!) . BAH HA HA. i join in on the howling. thats awesome, just awesome.
after that moment, we decided that we would keep the "EBLMCC" going...regardless of the miscommunication. what happened after that was weeks of returned bowls (and plates) with epic dinner and lunch samplings (a few gag options were thrown in there to mess with us and cause a good belly chuckle).
in the end, we both won! we left the cabin with our tummy's full, new ideas to try and loads of laughter! so i highly recommend delivering your friends bowl (plate or platter) back with the message " don't bring this bowl back empty" you never know what will happen!?
