Fried Rice

Walking into my front door, finally home from 4 and a half long months spent away at Hebron Academy was a breath of fresh air. Feeling as if I was finally back where I wanted to be, escaping all of the grip of school I rushed upstairs back to my room. Empty like no one had lived there before I threw my backpack down onto the floor, and moved my computer back into its designated spot. Turning my LED’s back on only aided the feeling of return that I was desperately searching for. An hour of work rushed by me like it had only been 5 minutes due to my blazing ability to remember how I like everything set. However suddenly that all changed when I felt my stomach grumble. I was hungry.

However, unlike Hebron, no one was waiting to cook all of my meals round the clock without me even lifting a finger. I was responsible for my own dietary scheduling. However nothing could have prepared me for my journey downstairs to the fridge. The horrors of nail bitingly sweet cheesecake and savory perfectly cooked steak with a side of rice wafted into my nose with one opening of the door. My eyes rushed for something that I could feel comfortable eating in the pleasures of my own home but to no avail. I was stuck at an impasse, however instead of many opinions there were none at all. “We have to go to the grocery store right now!” I shouted to my mom.

Even after a 2 and half hour car ride I was still eager to hop back into the car if it meant that I could decide what I was going to feed myself. While I certainly loved the idea of fully catered meals, I will always be the independent type who wants to figure things out and understand things for myself. Whether it meant sprinting to the finish line or crawling inch by inch, I loved the idea of making it to the end on my own. Even though I had no idea what I wanted to make, or how I was going to make it I knew that whatever I decided, it was going to be uniquely my own.

“Alright, we’re here.” my mother groaned as she climbed out of the car. Nervousness flooded my body while I was walking into the grocery store. The whole car ride went by and I hadn’t even decided what I wanted to make. However a sudden idea popped back into my head, a reminder of how I had already laid the groundwork for my success in the moment. Notes that I had taken back at school, recipes that were going to be easy good choices for me. However, one stood out in particular, fried rice, it was easy with relatively minimal ingredients, one of which was already in the fridge waiting for me back home. I now had a plan and knew exactly how I was going to do it, all that I needed now was extreme permission in my execution.

Four ingredients, leftover rice, soy sauce, egg whites, and vegetables. Those were ultimately what was needed for my recipe of the champions. I had set up everything in the kitchen to go, my trusty frying pan by my side. I ferociously chopped up my vegetables, consisting of carrots, green beans, and onions. With every chop I could feel my technique growing far beyond my age. Tossing vegetables into the pan first to let them brown, I got my egg whites ready. I specifically chose egg whites because they are lower in calories than whole eggs while providing much more protein benefiting my diet. I cautiously lowered in the egg whites, ensuring that the pan wasn’t too hot causing the complete destruction of my dish. Finally the rice, topped off with the soy sauce to give me that salty and savory flavor that I was hoping for.

After roughly 10 minutes of work, and what felt like a battle in the kitchen, my meal was prepared. My eggs sparkled in the sun, and my soy sauce gave depth to the appearance. I was filled with so much pride for myself that while walking up to my room, I knew I needed a snapshot of this moment. A quick photo was all I needed to capture this breathtaking moment. So I quietly whisked off to my room, and devoured my fried rice.