1;
The first time Ike offered to make dinner, Soren was skeptical but nonetheless had faith. He could never not have faith in Ike, and maybe he'd be better at it than anyone thought.
He realized he would have been better off making dinner himself. Ike couldn't measure, he spilled things, forgot to thaw the meat for the stew. What was intended to be a hearty beef stew with a side of cornbread ended up being a burned mess with a side of wet, gritty cornmeal.
"You tried," Soren said as he forced down a bite. "That's the important thing."
2;
Soren came home from the library to find the kitchen filled with smoke and Ike grinning sheepishly.
"I didn't think microwave peas and carrots could catch fire!"
"They can if you set it to fifty minutes instead of five," Soren muttered. "We're lucky this machine is still under warranty. And what happened to the chicken cutlets you said you were making?" Ike pointed to a pan holding two charred lumps.
"Apparently you can't set it on auto-pilot like you can a portable grill." He shrugged. "Oh well. Pizza or Chinese food?"
3;
For something so easy, the macaroni and cheese gave him more trouble than it weas worth. The water boiled over, the noodles overcooked and stuck together, and the cheese sauce packet exploded in his face. Throwing sliced cheese on top didn't do anything either, and when he served the messy concoction to himself and Soren, it was a miracle either of them could choke down a bite.
"Luckily, I had the presence of mind to prepare alternatives," Soren said as he unveiled two baked potatoes and a big salad. Ike loaded his potato with cheese, sour cream and bacon bits, and nothing more was said about the failed macaroni.
4;
Heating up frozen food should have been easier, Ike thought. But he was numberblind and the print was so small that he mistook 450 degrees for 250 somehow, and the sailsbury steak was frozen halfway through. Sticking it back in the oven only burned the outside and rendered the dish completely inedidle and the vegetables burned.
"The oven's a piece of junk anyway, I should've put it in the microwave," he said with a shrug. Soren just sighed, wondering when would be a good time to gently suggest to Ike that he should give up and let him take care of the meals from now on.
5;
Luckily, there's one thing Ike is good at, and one thing Soren happens to like. The cooking shows make sandwiches look a lot more complicated than they are, but nothing could be simpler. Of course, Ike's idea of a sandwich is different than Soren's but it's still the same basic thing: some kind of filling between some kind of bread, be it five kinds of meat and cheese and pickles slathered with mustard or lettuce, tomatoes and cheese with a layer of dressing.
And, Soren thinks with a smile, they're working together, chatting as they prepare their meal. It's basic, it requires so little effort, but nothing could be better.
Sandwich Night may become his favorite night yet.