Sunday Family Dinner

Rod and I spent the last Sunday of the month with Corey. Despite the chilly temperature of the visitation room (did I say "chilly"? It was damn COLD!) we enjoyed hours of great conversation and the hours seemed like minutes, the day passing all to quickly (why the AC is on when the temperature outside is below 50 degrees is anyones guess (surely its not to discourage visits??? No, the prison wouldn‘t deliberately do something that mean-spirited, that’s just my “conspiracy” thinking again).

We consumed too many calories as usual today, easy to do when the over-priced food offerings in the vending machines all have ingredient lists that take up most the back of the package, and contain words one can’t even pronounce let alone understand. But suffice it to say, toxic ingredients and all, at least it is a change of pace from the “usual“ fare the inmates get inside, and magically tastes just fine. Today we purchased double cheese burgers, red and white checkered pkgs advertising “Deli“ salami sandwiches, NY Cheesecake, and a few assorted sodas and “vitamin” water. I can always count on feeling (and looking!) bloated and uncomfortable when I leave for the day, but it’s a small price to pay for these little “picnics” we love to share with our son. Theres just something about “breaking bread” together with loved ones. A time honored family tradition that brings us closer and paves the way for good conversation.

Speaking of food, Corey was telling me how a new friend has joined their “car” for dinners. James seems to especially enjoy Coreys cooking, and on a few occasions has praised his entrees as “the best he’s ever had!“. High praise considering he is a relatively new inmate, not one who’s become bored or jaded with the usual bland offerings of the chow hall cuisine yet. He wondered how Corey came up with all his recipes. My son explained how he’d long ago sent his mom (me :)) his Commissary list (all the various items he can buy from the prison “grocery“) and received back many recipes using (or "adjusted" to use) what limited items he had access to. A few of my sons’ (and his friends for whom he often cooks) favorite recipes include Paprika Chicken over rice, Beef in Red Curry sauce with either rice or noodles (angel hair pasta is all they can get), Beef Stroganoff (using cream cheese in lieu of sour cream) among many other dishes I can’t immediately think of. Of course there are his Cheesecakes, he has "mastered" the decadent dessert and is sought out for it and advice on how he does it so well! All in all Corey's “repertoir” has grown over the years and I am so happy he has found joy in coming up with his own recipes as well, something most consider a "chore" has become a creative outlet for him and I know he takes pride in what he turns out.


It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of one or two things still safe to eat. ~Robert Fuoss