Happy Traumatic Two & a Half Birthday

So it was a peaceful Friday evening, January 25. Grandma was in town and we thought, "What the heck, let's go out to dinner." We'll go to the new place Iron Chef, which is like Benihana and Lea will enjoy the show of cooking and we'll enjoy the food.


Well, we forget how little Lea is. She uses big sentences and really communicates with us, as well as seems to understand when we explain things to her. We forget that she's only two and a half, she is just our little person.

Well, when the chef at Iron Chef began his show and poured oil on the gril and set it on fire she let loose with tears. Happy Half Birthday sweetie, we're going to scare the bejeezus out of you. So we calmed her down. She sat in my lap and ate soup and some veggies. She even smiled at the chef once or twice. Then, suddenly with a wee bit of warning the chef did it again. He set onions on fire to make a little choo-choo stack that steamed. Well no amount of train talk was going to make him a good guy again. Nope, it was over. She hugged me with a pat on the back and tears at the corners of her eyes, voice shaking, trying to be calm and said "I don't want you to be scared either mommy." We moved to a table in front and finished our dinner. Lea got a lot happier, especially since the staff fell in love with her, felt bad and gave her animal crackers and lollypops. So Lea had a $40 plate of animal crackers and we had a great story.


I found the yummy rice recipe so thought I'd share. Now I guess we don't have to go back, tee hee.

Benihana Fried Rice

1/2 teaspoon chopped onion
1/3 teaspoon chopped carrots
1/3 teaspoon chopped green onion
4 ounces steamed rice
3 pinches of salt (optional)
7 teaspoons cream butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 ounce cooked chicken
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
3 pinches of pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Scramble eggs and chop after cooking. Sauté chopped onion, green onion and carrots until done and mix with chopped scrambled egg and chicken. Break off chunks of steamed rice and mix with vegetable, egg and chicken. Add sesame seed and salt and pepper, stirring well. Add cream butter and soy sauce into the mixture, stirring well until done. Makes one serving.