Farmers Market: Garlic shrimp and a diaper dilemma

Linda Robertson/Columnist
Published: April 9, 2008

The Farmers Market is open now but the produce will be very limited this early in the season. However, you will most likely be able to find fresh herbs with no problem.

Last week my son and his wife decided to go out to a seafood dinner and then take the kids to see "Horton Hears a Who." Great idea. So off to the seafood restaurant they go, which, with a 4-year-old and a 17-month-old is scary enough make you arrive with early on-set heartburn.

The 4-year-old chose mac-and-cheese from one of his four personal food groups—pizza, hotdogs, eggo and macaroni. (Who knew Red Lobster even served that?) Ian is not picky at all, in fact for a little guy it is unusual just how many things he will try, and then like. As a matter of fact, he will choose a cucumber slice over a cookie just about every time, and then go back for the cookie.

Well, he ate everything they put in front of him. Mom and Dad had a good meal and everybody behaved themselves. Success!

When they arrived at the theater they were pleasantly surprised to find that there were only a handful of people and just about all of them had small kids. Everyone was really enjoying the movie and both kids were laughing and pointing to the antics on the screen. Dad was holding Ian and just like parents everywhere, taking pleasure in his son's happiness.  Their moment of family bliss was interrupted when they smelt a foul odor coming from somewhere … . Any guesses where that might have come from?

You got it.  Mom and Dad are frantic when they discover that neither of them stopped to grab a diaper as they left home. So, Christopher said he would deal with it somehow and off to the men's room they went. Without all the detail, let me just say a bath in the sink was necessary. So the next step was to dry the precious little freshly washed bottom. No towels, no problem. The hand dryer works, and it is nice and warm. Christopher said Ian thought it was great fun as his dad held his backside up to the blower. Some other man walked in on this scene and just burst into a knowing giggle. OK, now the baby is clean and dry, but still no diaper. The solution was to stuff a large wad of tissue in a strategic location inside his little jeans (and hope for the best). Believe it or not, little Ian arrived home dry and fresh as a daisy.

OK, how do I blend a recipe into this story?

Go back and read the first sentence.

QUICK AND EASY SHRIMP WITH GARLIC AND BASIL

1 pound raw, peeled shrimp (15 to 26 recommended size)

1 large clove garlic minced

4 leaves of fresh bail chopped

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil

Melt the butter in a skillet with the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring so the garlic won't burn.

Add the shrimp and basil into the hot butter mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp is pink on both sides.

Serve the shrimp and sauce over cooked spaghetti pasta.

Adjust this recipe to include more of whatever ingredient you like best, i.e. more garlic, more basil to suite your taste.

Linda Robertson is the executive director for Historic Manassas Inc.