Bena Mae’s Kitchen: For What It’s Worth

 Every internet user has experienced the loss of important copy that cannot be retrieved. It has happened to me more than once, this morning for example. I was ready to send my article that I had written yesterday to the newspaper when poof….it disappeared. No amount of clicking on keys would bring it back so I’ll just have to begin all over again. So much for an afternoon of browsing the Sunday paper. Oh, well. Them’s the breaks.

Something happened this week that gave me pause and demonstrated just how funny human nature is. No matter how much stuff you make up, nothing is as amusing as the real thing. Let me explain: I had just finished paying for my veggies at the farmers’ market when I spied several boxes of fresh tender okra. When I asked the vendor the cost per box, she said $3.50.

I looked in my wallet and all I had was a $20 bill and $3.35 in smaller change. Not wanting to spring a $20 bill on her, I asked if she could take some of the okra out of the box and sell it to me for the 3.35. A funny look came over her face and she said she didn’t know how to do that. Since it wasn’t rocket science, I tried to explain to her what I meant.

"Just take 15 cents worth of okra out of the box and sell it to me for 3.35. I hate to have you change a 20 dollar bill for a mere 15 cents."  I could see her mind mulling over the dilemma and finally she reached inside the box and took out 3 pods of okra.  According to my fourth grade arithmetic, that meant the okra was 5 cents a pod. Big deal. 

While I was cooking supper that evening, my thoughts lingered on the scenario I had experienced earlier. If I had been the vendor, I would have said "since you’re such a good customer, just take the box as is. Fifteen cents doesn’t make that much difference." As I said, folks, human nature is funny.  But 3 pods of okra!!!

Another example of just how exasperatingly funny people are, happened when I was a soda jerk at a drug store fountain many years ago. We had this customer who was there first thing each day for his morning cup of coffee. He would drink it down to where there was about an inch of coffee in the cup. Then he would say, "Don’t bother my coffee. I’m going to run over to my office next door and I’ll be back in a minute."

When he came back, he would hand us his cup and ask for a refill (which was free). He did this several times a day, nursing that "one paid for" cup of coffee all day every day while he made those quick trips to his office. 

The moral  of the story is this: If you want a lesson in Psychology 101, just work in an eating establishment or any other establishment that serves the public.. Right, wait persons?  

But folks, what would we do if we had to deal with sane people all day. Borrrring!

This eggy, cheesy pie is a great seasonal side dish in place of potatoes, rice, pasta, etcetera.

Sweet Vidalia Onion Pie

1 1/2 cups crushed buttery round crackers

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups sliced sweet onions

2 eggs

3/4 cup half-and-half

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, mix together crushed crackers and 1/3 cup melted butter. Press mixture firmly into a 9 inch pie pan and set aside.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet and saute onions until translucent and tender but not brown. Spread into prepared crust.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, salt, and white pepper. Pour mixture over onions then sprinkle top with shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until center is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.