who's in the kitchen

When it comes to procrastination, I’m not Jerry

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I’ll admit, I procrastinate at times, but my husband Jerry makes me look like an amateur.

Each Sunday, I try to get him to the gym at a reasonable hour, so he’ll have time to enjoy a long workout. It never works out though, and he gets there close to 4 pm and the gym closes at 6.

Last Sunday was no different. He managed to dilly-dally around the house and he got there late. Before he left I asked him to pick up a package of pita at Gourmet Glatt, on the way home. I explained exactly where he’d find it, if they had it in stock — directly across from the dairy department in the last aisle. He left the gym at 6 pm. At 6:45 I called and asked if he was harvesting the wheat needed to bake the pitas. He explained that he couldn’t find it in the last aisle, so he walked through all the aisles twice trying to find it. I explained to him the concept of not finding it where it belongs. “It’s called, they are out of the item! Come home!”

Jerry’s childhood friends have often joked about Jerry’s propensity to procrastinate, no matter what. Bob Gittleman, one of Jerry’s closest friends, calls Jerry “The Piddler.” Whenever Jerry plans to do anything, especially things which he loves to do, I basically beg him not to “dilly,” so he doesn’t miss the things he really wants to do. But he sabotages himself.

Jerry and I love the Bud Lite “Dilly Dilly” commercial, and Jerry noticed that the meaning of the term “Dilly” might in some way depict him in a positive way. “Hmmmm,” Jerry thought, “might Judy be complimenting me even though she doesn’t express ‘Dilly’ with the same affection and respect as expressed in the commercial.” He then does what Jerry does best. He determines that he must investigate this important issue (the complex tax issues awaiting his attention as a tax attorney would have to wait until this puttering mystery was solved).

To his surprise the term “dilly” is defined in the dictionary as “one who is remarkable or outstanding.” He couldn’t believe that I was being so positive, and perhaps he had erroneously misjudged me, but he was puzzled why I never appeared pleased when I complimented him on being remarkable or outstanding. “I guess one learns something new every day,” Jerry thought.

Jerry usually begins his workday by warming up and puttering around the office, telling stories and jokes to each victim he encounters. Eventually he focuses, and addresses those complex tax issues, employing his experience to solve his clients’ and colleagues’ needs. Often, when he happens to know the solution (because he has seen it before) or, once he figures out a solution, Jerry says something like, “This reminds me of a story,” and he begins to tell some funny ridiculous story to his desperate colleagues.

Rick, an excellent, very serious and dedicated tax partner and his oldest, closet friend and colleague in the office, used to explode at Jerry for joking around at such a serious moment. Jerry didn’t miss a beat and would finish his story and then provide the solution which Rick was desperately seeking. Over the years, Rick learned to relax when Jerry began to tell a ridiculous story as this signaled that “The Piddler” was going to morph into the cavalry and save the day. And when he does, he deserves to hear “Dilly Dilly Jerry,” from Rick and his other colleagues.

But don’t get excited Jerry, dally is a verb that means to waste time or fool around. But of course it does.… So when I say don’t dilly dally,  don’t pat yourself on the back, sweetheart. Dilly dilly appropriately means that Jerry is a remarkable, talented, procrastenator, a veritable pro’s pro.

Now these recipes. Dilly dilly, enjoy!

Dilly Rolls Recipe

By Mary Bickel at TasteOfHome.com

Ingredients

2 cups 4-percent cottage cheese

2 Tbsp. butter

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. dried minced onion

1 to 2 Tbsp. dill weed

1 Tbsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook cottage cheese and butter until butter is melted. Cool to 110° to 115°. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add eggs, sugar, onion, dill, salt, baking soda and cottage cheese mixture. Add 3 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Form into 24 balls; place in a 13x9 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Dilly Dilly Bread Dip

By Nor M at JustAPinch.com

2 cup sour cream

2 cup mayonaise

2 Tbsp. dried onion

5 to 8 Tbsp. dill weed (add dill a little at a time. taste in between adding the dill. I like a lot of dill weed in my dip; make it your own)

1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoning salt

2 Tbsp. dried parsley