ketchup
Our fridge was so empty this week it didn’t even have ketchup in it.
Now while an empty fridge is nothing new around here, even I have to admit that not having ketchup is cause for some alarm. This is because we’ve come to rely on condiments as they make even my most random of cooking attempts somewhat tasty.
Friends took pity on our empty fridge and treated us to lunch at Bouchon on Sunday: salad with shrimp, macarons, a gorgeous ceiling, the best bread I’ve had outside of Paris (really).
I can’t really say I have much of an excuse for not having ketchup except that:
- I got some bad news regarding my hair: Apparently I’m no longer eligible to do Japanese straightening anymore. If I want to keep my hair on my head that is. Which I do.
- Thinking of the impending frizz that will likely make me even taller than I already am made me lose my appetite.
- Not having an appetite didn’t exactly propel me to the grocery store.
- Ali being out of town all week (read there were no specific demands for breakfast / lunch / dinner) didn’t exactly propel me there either.
- And when I finally made it there? I couldn’t find a single parking spot. Not one, despite circling for 10 minutes. (Love L.A. Love it).
Funny how we had no food but we miraculously did have the ingredients to make homemade cake pops and chocolate covered strawberries…
So Maya and I gave up and hightailed it back home. Where we discovered that if you close your eyes really hard, dip a rice cake in spaghetti sauce, and wish upon a star? It almost tastes like a french fry.
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 
thumbs up, great pops! 🙂 Love the title of this post.
Thanks M…I’m sure one doesn’t see the title “Ketchup” too often…LOL
Ha ha I should try that!
Sorry about the hair verdict. I doubt frizzy hair will make you look any less beautiful 🙂
So very nice of you to say! Thank you Madhu.
absolutely, absolutely sweet, this post! Japanese straightening… thanks to you, now I know what that is. Knowledge is power!
I’m so happy you can embark on the Japanese-straightening journey…it’s sadly over for me. 😦
Ha, that is so true-you really do know you need to hit the store if condiments are running low-or in my case if chocolate stashes are empty.
On the other hand if the larder running dry meant my friends took me to Bouchon…
The silver lining was definitely Bouchon!! Love that place.
can’t believe ketchup was the more pressing issue versus hair, was your hair breaking from the straightening? And once you get to NYC you can walk to the market (at any hour) to get any condiment you’re out of.
For the first time ever I had breakage in the front, which is why I now have strange looking bangs. Don’t laugh at me when you see me, okay?
Too funny! I’ve never tried that trick with the rice cake, but I usually have caramel corn ones anyway and that wouldn’t taste good with spaghetti sauce! Although now you have me thinking that I should buy the plain ones and dip them in things…dijon mustard comes to mind! Have a great day, Ameena!
Caramel corn rice cakes? Why have I never seen these before? I’m guess because TJ’s doesn’t carry them…
I’ve found them at most grocery stores. They’re great with cottage cheese and cinnamon or if I’m being splurge-y I put peanut butter and cinnamon on them. SO good!!
Times are hard. Every store, corner shop, service station in the UK stock up on Ketchup. No Samosa or kebab can be eaten with Ketchup. The UK have got it all sorted out – you’re in the wrong place.
Samosas and ketchup are the BEST combination. I can’t wait for my next trip…any samosa places you recommend? Aside from Masala Zone?
When you are closer to your trip – give me a shout, I will proudly show you some awesome places in London and throughout England (mainly North) which is where the best is – should you wish to travel a little.
Haha okay I can get on board with rice cakes being like popcorn but I think fries might be pushing it ;)! I am so impressed by those cake pops- you and Maya are quite the team!
A cake pop maker is really quite fun! I highly recommend it.
I haven’t had ketchup in over a month, i haven’t missed it either 😛
Are you avoiding it because of the sugar?
Wouldn’t anybody want to have cake pops and chocolate dipped strawberries instead everyday? Rice cake and spaghetti sauce as substitute for fries. Brilliant!
I didn’t really eat the cake pops…just made them. They were too sweet for me. I was craving ketchup though, which is filled with sugar?
Makes no sense.
Sorry to hear about the result of the Japanese straightening to your hair. How about using the regular hair dryer? I let my hair dry naturally now due to the fall out, sure I look like Medusa for the first few hours (!!) but afterwards I look decent enough to let other people see me 🙂
A hair dryer does nothing for my hair, unfortunately. I need chemicals and lots of them to get it under control!
I absolutely love Bouchon, so happy that you got to go! Have you tried the Brazilian Blow Out? It doesn’t last that long (4 months~), but I think it’s a lot milder on your hair.
I have not tried the Brazilian Blow Out but I’m thinking that’s my next attempt. I hear good and bad things about it…
Recently, I’ve been the same way with Sriracha. We’re almost out and I’m having a mild internal panic attack.
I’ve never had Sriracha, maybe I should replace my ketchup habit with that?
I am crazy about stock piling, I fear no food in my house! Maybe Maya can take up couponing 😉
I need to learn how to stockpile…I fear stockpiling because I fear wastage…
By anymore, you mean, not until you’ve grown an entirely new head of hair that hasn’t been touched by Japan, right? What will you dooooo? (And I mean that in all sincerity).
I think he meant don’t do it again, EVER.
I have no idea what to do next except to give the Brazilian Blow Out a try?
If I had to battle for a parking spot I would NEVER do any grocery shopping. ‘Aint nobody got time for that!! Better go get it before Ali comes back. LOL Homemade cake pops! Yum. And I’d love to try that bread. I’m such a carb junkie.
Luckily you don’t live in LA because every parking lot is a new battle. Sad but true.
When you finish your book I”m going to be the first to read it. You are something else. I was cracking up laughing about Serena in the last post! Oh my goodness that is hysterical and the rice cakes as french fries…yes, keep wishing…ha!
I’ve noticed this too, that even if we have no food we can manage to make cookies and all manner of treats.
LA. I really like visiting but that place kills me sometimes. Take care Ameena.
Shauna xoxoxxo
Funny how we have sugar, flour, eggs, and even baking soda but no staples like ketchup?
Thanks for the comment Shauna..I always love reading them!
full disclosure: i clicked because i saw les macarons. you’re reminding me how badly i need to go grocery shopping…eggs with 6 condiments doesn’t count as a full meal
Eggs work well with every condiment, wouldn’t you agree?
I’ve lived in Southern CA for 10 years and have only been to L.A. four times. The traffic there kills me, I am definitely a small(er) town girl.
Rice cakes in ketchup? That’s not good Ameena, call for some take out. Stat. Oh and look into a grocery delivery service. I bet you would love it.
I don’t blame you…the traffic here will deter anyone from making the drive.
The problem with take out is that someone actually has to go and take it out. Sometimes it’s easier to get in my pajamas after work and eat rice cakes. 🙂
You know, I almost always have a ridiculous amount of food in the fridge (freezer especially) for just one person. And yet I still wind up making scrambled eggs for dinner more often than not. Sometimes groceries are overrated.
Well said Leah. I have yet to get sick of eggs! Love them.
I’m forever envious of your dining out adventures. We planned a trip to Yountville to visit Bouchon this weekend and (un)surprisingly, it didn’t happen. Grr. We do however, have a Costco sized container of ketchup so there’s that I guess 😉
So the Bouchon in Yountville? Is one of my FAVORITE restaurants in the world. You must make the drive! IT’s so worth it.
Bouchon macarons are good.. I love La Maison too for macarons.
OMG.. you can’t get the straightening anymore? My hair looks frizzier than yours, seriously look into the Moroccan Oil hair dryer and all their stuff, it’s so good and it smells amazing. Unless the weather is horrible, my hair can actually look nice.
Ameena, NYC has no parking spots either, but you can walk everywhere. 🙂
I will definitely try the Moroccan Oil…I’ve heard lots of good things about it. But I fear it’s no match for my non-chemically treated regrowth. We’ll see…I have my fingers crossed.
You had the ingredients for tasty, sweet treats! That’s good enough!
Unfortunately I am not a big fan of sweet treats anymore…only chocolate in it’s original state. 🙂
Chocolate and strawberries are both good for you and delicious. Win-win.
Funny, Maya says the same thing! 🙂
You have the right idea…if you have to be out of something, better ketchup than chocolate and strawberries!!
I’m with you on the chocolate but I’d rather have ketchup than strawberries…
And why can’t you go back to Japanese straightening on a new head of re grown-out hair, anyway??
I’m not sure, maybe it’s possible? But since he told me no more I took it literally. Don’t want to chance it!
It’s rare that we get down to a no-condiments situation. More frequently, we have a condiments-and-what-is-in-that-container-is-it-supposed-to-be-green-and-fuzzy situation.
One plus side of an empty fridge? No green-and-fuzzy situations…
Hmmm, is that worse or better than going to make hot dogs for dinner (don’t judge, they were nitrite free organic turkey. once in a while I like to have a dog night so the kid can feel normal) only to find that the bag of dogs blimped out. Wha?! How do hotdogs go bad?! I thought they were all full of preservatives and sh#%. So we settled for cereal for dinner. MIlk is protein right? Sadly, no one took us to Bouchon.
I used to LOVE hot dogs. I’d sneak them when my parents weren’t looking. And I agree…confused how they can go bad? It’s like a Twinkie going bad. Or so I thought?
Milk is definitely protein.
Ha, I’ve had those bare-fridge times, and I’ve invented some pretty nasty tasty meals because of it!
Nasty tasty…I love it. That’s what everything I make is like…
Sorry to hear about your hair, what do you do now? The strawberries and the cake pops look great! I know what you mean though, you didn’t have ingredients to make real food, like dinner perhaps??
I had no ingredients to make real food. Only dessert, which is odd!
You can certainly take a bottle or two from our pantry—we stock up on condiments like you wouldn’t believe! I’m trying so hard to use up what we have :P!
Throw your extra ketchup our way please!
I feel same way with Sriracha because I need it with EVERYTHING! Sorry about the hair situation – how about oil massage to condition your hair and give it a second try after few months? You guys got really creative with the dinner there..i would have settled in with cake pops 😛
Pretty sure the oil will do nothing for my hair disaster. Unfortunately! I’ve tried it before with no results. 😦
I’ve yet to attempt cake pop, and you guys did a great job! Have I mention how much I despise LA’s traffic? 😀
I bet I hate it more since I live here!! 🙂
Ha ha. I have the opposite problem. 2 open bottles of ketchup! How did that happen? My husband doesn’t eat it, my kids are here occasionally, and I eat it once in a blue moon. As far as your hair, I feel deeply for you. I have crazy curly hair. This humidity here is making me look like a clown. Argan oil (a little bit) helps somewhat. My hairdresser put some kind of wax stuff in it last week. No help whatsoever. I’m a bit jealous of you, I bet you can parallel park. You must be adept living in LA. Where I live, not a problem. My husband taught my kids to do it, I’m beyond help.
Is Argan oil the same as Moroccan oil? I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.
Oddly enough I am better at parallel parking than I am at parking in an actual spot. Not sure why that is?? 🙂
Argan oil is 100% pure. Moroccan oil has a tiny bit of argan oil in it but is mostly made up of silicone. Argan is a little pricey but it does seem to help and you don’t use a lot.
Awesome, I will look for it! Thanks for the suggestion Seana.
Oh no ketchup is a problem. So is the no more straightening (I suppose – my hair is so straight I WISH I had this problem).
Also – I’m back at it 🙂 check out my blog/ upcoming book. I think you’ll like it 🙂 plus I owe you a copy for being one of the very first to proof read the beginning. http://thecraigslistroommate.com/
Congrats on the book! I’m really happy for you.
If you have sprinkled strawberries and cake pops all your problems are solved. Real life.
If only that was the case…. 🙂
It’s amazing the hollow echo of an empty fridge. But the dipped strawberries look delicious. We recently filled our fridge with food, and when some of it froze, I asked my husband what was wrong with the fridge. He said that it works more efficiently when it has items inside it to cool, and I probably should turn the setting down, now that there was actually food in it! Who knew? 😉
No kidding! I had no idea that more food = a colder fridge?
Once all the food has cooled down to the temp., there is less space left to keep cool, and the fridge doesn’t have to “work” as hard every time you open the door to replace the cold air that has escaped…buy more ketchup! The bigger bottle, the better! 🙂
It’s so good to know this Rufina! Thank you for sharing this with me. 🙂
Cooking with condiments can produce some pretty fantastic results! And I should try that rice cake and spaghetti sauce combo.
Let me know what you think of my random combo. 🙂
Very quickly this web page will be famous amid all blogging viewers,
due to it’s pleasant content