Hock locks and other accoutrements

Winter is beef stew season. I finally wrote it into our weekly menu. Pulled out the crockpot and snagged the first recipe that showed up on Google. Dumped beef cubes, celery, carrots, onions, etc. into the pot, set in on high, and went about my day. Returned from errands to the most delightful scent, and happiness in my heart that I wouldn't be trying to squeeze in a dinner prep while scouting finds on Pinterest.

By 6:00 p.m., I was lifting the lid to add some cornstarch to thicken. A gentle stir revealed an unexpected ingredient: the absorbent pad that lines the meat pack.

I phoned a friend. I phoned the grocery store. I went online. Fortunately, I am not the first person this has happened to. The government even has a link about it. I tried to overlook the condescension of its opening: The absorbent pad is clearly not intended to be cooked ...

Clearly.

(For the record, I didn't see it go in the pot!)

While three out of four sources said to eat the food, we declined. Simmering plastic just didn't sound appetizing. Not even to the guy at the meat counter. We ate eggs instead.

Unmistakable

How often do we want to write things off as coincidence? Sometimes God shows up in ways that are unmistakable. I think everyone's got a crazy fish story. What's yours? Leave it in comments over at 66 Books.

Writing today at my favorite place.