As I mentioned before my daughter writes a funny and interesting blog. Today, I read with amusement this littler excerpt::
Enormous leg of lamb done up Lebanese style roasting in the oven. Mezes waiting to be set out on the table. Nammoura cake (semolina yogurt cake with rose & orange blossom water syrup poured over it) waiting to be popped into the oven. The air in our apartment is redolent of cardamom and cinnamon and turmeric and garlic and lemon; it smells heavenly in here.
I know..doesn't sound amusing and you are wondering if I indulged in just a wee bit too much champagne last night. I am not answering that question but I can assure you that I can validate this amusing claim.
Travel back in time with me--you know you wish you could.
My fourteen year old daughter would rather stick her nose in a book that do anything useful, including baking, cleaning her room or heaven forbid, talk to the rest of us. My 9 year old son is the opposite. Never met a book he felt was worth sitting still for and talking is one of his favorite pass times. You try to maneuver around it with well placed "hmmmmm..interesting, sounds good" etc. Don't even think for a moment you can out smart a kid.
"Mom, look at me!"
"I'm busy! Why do I have to look at you while you talk?"
"Because it's the only way I can tell if you are listening!"
"I'm listening!"
"No, you are just saying hmmmm to make me think you are listening!"
I know I divert here a bit but I want you to understand how different these two children are in nature. Naturally, the 14 year old feels she is so superior to her little brother and he is always trying to find one thing he can do better.
The night of the famous brownie cook off began innocently. My child who lives for sweets begged me to make homemade brownies. Always pinching pennies I had found making them from scratch was easy and less expensive than buying boxed brownies as most of the ingredients are items you have in your cupboard.
I was tired and told him if he wanted brownies he could make them himself. Instead of being discouraged he was turned on big time. YES! I could hear my future baker yell. It was enough to bring me into the kitchen and supervise. I gave him the recipe and watched as he carefully measured and followed each step precisely. The heavenly smell of brownies filled the kitchen and it was enough to bring old bookworm into our midst.
Nothing is better than still warm from the oven brownies and we all enjoyed that first piece. My son kept pushing for a compliment from Miss Hard to Please till finally she said, "anyone can make brownies".
"Really? Let's see you make them!"
"You are so juvenile! Give me the recipe!"
Like my son, she carefully examined the recipe. The difference is somewhere her brain didn't connect on measurements. The child is gifted but her math skills must have dyslexia! The first batch came out as hard as rocks!
What did you do?
I followed the directions!
Tell me what you read!
Oh.....hmmmm...I think I put in a half cup of salt instead of 1/2 teaspoon...Anyone could misread that as look he has a bit of cocoa on it!
My son years between bites of brownies "don't blame me if you can't measure"!
Not to be outdone by a 9 year old, she yanks the recipe back and says she is doing it again.
My kitchen was beginning to look like a flour war zone but I said, "fine".
This time you could see her measure and remeasure. She was finally pleased with her results and put it in the oven. They smelt fine and I could see the hope rising within her.
"They are still gooey inside ", she announced despite going past the cooking time. They were also very flat.
"Hey," my son encouraged, "if you were making fudge they look okay".
I tried to tell her they tasted good, just like gooey fudge. She kept mumbling something about "how hard can this be and I am not quitting till they are perfect!" So Miss Perfection starts making her third batch.
By this time my son and I are both praying for success. She had flour in her hair, floor and cocoa now made a path on the floor but by gosh those brownies were going to be made!
I am happy to say the third batch was perfect!
"See, I told you anyone could make brownies"!
She never really started cooking till right before she met her husband and was broke enough between jobs to start cooking. It helped that her husband to be loved food and cooking for him was a way to impress or pay him back for dinners out. She has learned to cook from recipes and measurements no longer confuse her so she has turned out to be an excellent cook and a superb baker. Yep, baker. Go figure.
So you have to agree with me now that the except is amusing when you consider how far she has come.
Lesson here? If you have children with habits or shortcomings and you wonder just what you did wrong or worry about their future ability to survive--don't. Who they become isn't influence completely by their present status. They will change despite you and become whoever they are eventually comfortable with--even learn to like cooking.
Don't despair as there is always hope...
Enormous leg of lamb done up Lebanese style roasting in the oven. Mezes waiting to be set out on the table. Nammoura cake (semolina yogurt cake with rose & orange blossom water syrup poured over it) waiting to be popped into the oven. The air in our apartment is redolent of cardamom and cinnamon and turmeric and garlic and lemon; it smells heavenly in here.
I know..doesn't sound amusing and you are wondering if I indulged in just a wee bit too much champagne last night. I am not answering that question but I can assure you that I can validate this amusing claim.
Travel back in time with me--you know you wish you could.
My fourteen year old daughter would rather stick her nose in a book that do anything useful, including baking, cleaning her room or heaven forbid, talk to the rest of us. My 9 year old son is the opposite. Never met a book he felt was worth sitting still for and talking is one of his favorite pass times. You try to maneuver around it with well placed "hmmmmm..interesting, sounds good" etc. Don't even think for a moment you can out smart a kid.
"Mom, look at me!"
"I'm busy! Why do I have to look at you while you talk?"
"Because it's the only way I can tell if you are listening!"
"I'm listening!"
"No, you are just saying hmmmm to make me think you are listening!"
I know I divert here a bit but I want you to understand how different these two children are in nature. Naturally, the 14 year old feels she is so superior to her little brother and he is always trying to find one thing he can do better.
The night of the famous brownie cook off began innocently. My child who lives for sweets begged me to make homemade brownies. Always pinching pennies I had found making them from scratch was easy and less expensive than buying boxed brownies as most of the ingredients are items you have in your cupboard.
I was tired and told him if he wanted brownies he could make them himself. Instead of being discouraged he was turned on big time. YES! I could hear my future baker yell. It was enough to bring me into the kitchen and supervise. I gave him the recipe and watched as he carefully measured and followed each step precisely. The heavenly smell of brownies filled the kitchen and it was enough to bring old bookworm into our midst.
Nothing is better than still warm from the oven brownies and we all enjoyed that first piece. My son kept pushing for a compliment from Miss Hard to Please till finally she said, "anyone can make brownies".
"Really? Let's see you make them!"
"You are so juvenile! Give me the recipe!"
Like my son, she carefully examined the recipe. The difference is somewhere her brain didn't connect on measurements. The child is gifted but her math skills must have dyslexia! The first batch came out as hard as rocks!
What did you do?
I followed the directions!
Tell me what you read!
Oh.....hmmmm...I think I put in a half cup of salt instead of 1/2 teaspoon...Anyone could misread that as look he has a bit of cocoa on it!
My son years between bites of brownies "don't blame me if you can't measure"!
Not to be outdone by a 9 year old, she yanks the recipe back and says she is doing it again.
My kitchen was beginning to look like a flour war zone but I said, "fine".
This time you could see her measure and remeasure. She was finally pleased with her results and put it in the oven. They smelt fine and I could see the hope rising within her.
"They are still gooey inside ", she announced despite going past the cooking time. They were also very flat.
"Hey," my son encouraged, "if you were making fudge they look okay".
I tried to tell her they tasted good, just like gooey fudge. She kept mumbling something about "how hard can this be and I am not quitting till they are perfect!" So Miss Perfection starts making her third batch.
By this time my son and I are both praying for success. She had flour in her hair, floor and cocoa now made a path on the floor but by gosh those brownies were going to be made!
I am happy to say the third batch was perfect!
"See, I told you anyone could make brownies"!
She never really started cooking till right before she met her husband and was broke enough between jobs to start cooking. It helped that her husband to be loved food and cooking for him was a way to impress or pay him back for dinners out. She has learned to cook from recipes and measurements no longer confuse her so she has turned out to be an excellent cook and a superb baker. Yep, baker. Go figure.
So you have to agree with me now that the except is amusing when you consider how far she has come.
Lesson here? If you have children with habits or shortcomings and you wonder just what you did wrong or worry about their future ability to survive--don't. Who they become isn't influence completely by their present status. They will change despite you and become whoever they are eventually comfortable with--even learn to like cooking.
Don't despair as there is always hope...
No comments:
Post a Comment