photo from KingArthurFlour.comI think people would say that I am a pretty good cook. My Mom was a really good cook too. She taught me a lot of what I know… and the rest I’ve learned from watching the Food Network! However, regardless of how well you can prepare a meal – there is still the occasional disaster.
I have already blogged about a particular birthday cake that my Mother made for me. Click here to read about it. I also remember, well I’ve been told, about my Mother being upset that I spilled spaghetti on the carpet after she had hand scrubbed the entire carpet on her hands and knees. She was so angry that she picked up the entire plate of spaghetti, threw it in the kitchen, it landed on the cabinets and we all watched as it slid down the face of the cabinets and onto the kitchen floor. OK, that might not be considered a kitchen disaster. That could be classified as an exhausted and frustrated Mom. Also, I don’t think we EVER had a family dinner where the rolls weren’t burnt – or pretty close to it. That is a tradition that I continue to this day – along with my sister in law! Every Thanksgiving and Christmas we swear this is the year we won’t have almost burnt rolls. Maybe this year!
I remember my first experience with gravy. My Mom had taught me her “secrets” and I had the whole family at my apartment for a special dinner. I was making the gravy and I looked at my Mom with tears in my eyes. It was WAY too thick… kind of like glue. My Mom sighed, looked at me and said, “Cindy Lynn. Gravy is gravy and wallpaper paste is wallpaper paste, and never the two shall meet.” She grabbed some beef broth and worked her magic. The meal was saved.
I’ve discovered that no matter how wonderful a chef I may be – baking is NOT my thing. I mean I can bake a cake, and cookies and brownies… but pie?? THAT is a different subject entirely. I’ve tried so many times to make crust. I follow my Mom’s recipe, I’ve followed Martha Stewart’s recipe, and I’ve decided that Marie Calendar’s is the only recipe that works for me! (That would be the frozen pie shells I can purchase at the grocery store.) And even though I do make a passable filing – pecan, pumpkin, lemon meringue, I still think I am missing the “pie gene”, which is why we REALLY don’t have pie very often.
But, my favorite story has to be the night I was making a meal for my friend that needed meals for her family. So, a group of us got together and picked a different night to make and bring the dinner to her. I made the MOST delicious Indian Chicken dish. It’s one that I make often, but this time was honestly the BEST I had ever made it. It was perfect. Well, I was in a hurry and I didn’t want her to have to worry about returning bowls and Tupperware, so I got the brilliant idea that I would use my food sealer (or as I call it – the “seal a meal”). I didn’t have any of the premade bags – but I have a long roll of the material that you can make your own bag out of. So, I cut off a long enough piece of the material, sealed the bottom of it, placed the food in the bag, picked it up and sealed the top. Job done, right? Well, as I picked up the bag the bottom of the bag fell out and all the food ran down the front of my kitchen cabinets, on the floor and onto my area rug. Needless to say I was a little less than enthusiastic.
Yes, kitchen disasters – they come in big and little sizes. I always feel it’s one of God’s ways of reminding us that we’re not really in charge – and that He has a really good sense of humor…. Even if WE sometimes don’t.
I have already blogged about a particular birthday cake that my Mother made for me. Click here to read about it. I also remember, well I’ve been told, about my Mother being upset that I spilled spaghetti on the carpet after she had hand scrubbed the entire carpet on her hands and knees. She was so angry that she picked up the entire plate of spaghetti, threw it in the kitchen, it landed on the cabinets and we all watched as it slid down the face of the cabinets and onto the kitchen floor. OK, that might not be considered a kitchen disaster. That could be classified as an exhausted and frustrated Mom. Also, I don’t think we EVER had a family dinner where the rolls weren’t burnt – or pretty close to it. That is a tradition that I continue to this day – along with my sister in law! Every Thanksgiving and Christmas we swear this is the year we won’t have almost burnt rolls. Maybe this year!
I remember my first experience with gravy. My Mom had taught me her “secrets” and I had the whole family at my apartment for a special dinner. I was making the gravy and I looked at my Mom with tears in my eyes. It was WAY too thick… kind of like glue. My Mom sighed, looked at me and said, “Cindy Lynn. Gravy is gravy and wallpaper paste is wallpaper paste, and never the two shall meet.” She grabbed some beef broth and worked her magic. The meal was saved.
I’ve discovered that no matter how wonderful a chef I may be – baking is NOT my thing. I mean I can bake a cake, and cookies and brownies… but pie?? THAT is a different subject entirely. I’ve tried so many times to make crust. I follow my Mom’s recipe, I’ve followed Martha Stewart’s recipe, and I’ve decided that Marie Calendar’s is the only recipe that works for me! (That would be the frozen pie shells I can purchase at the grocery store.) And even though I do make a passable filing – pecan, pumpkin, lemon meringue, I still think I am missing the “pie gene”, which is why we REALLY don’t have pie very often.
But, my favorite story has to be the night I was making a meal for my friend that needed meals for her family. So, a group of us got together and picked a different night to make and bring the dinner to her. I made the MOST delicious Indian Chicken dish. It’s one that I make often, but this time was honestly the BEST I had ever made it. It was perfect. Well, I was in a hurry and I didn’t want her to have to worry about returning bowls and Tupperware, so I got the brilliant idea that I would use my food sealer (or as I call it – the “seal a meal”). I didn’t have any of the premade bags – but I have a long roll of the material that you can make your own bag out of. So, I cut off a long enough piece of the material, sealed the bottom of it, placed the food in the bag, picked it up and sealed the top. Job done, right? Well, as I picked up the bag the bottom of the bag fell out and all the food ran down the front of my kitchen cabinets, on the floor and onto my area rug. Needless to say I was a little less than enthusiastic.
Yes, kitchen disasters – they come in big and little sizes. I always feel it’s one of God’s ways of reminding us that we’re not really in charge – and that He has a really good sense of humor…. Even if WE sometimes don’t.
7 comments:
Yes those pesky kitchen disasters. When my Grandmother was alive and living in a rest home, they would have a family carry in about once a month. They furnished certain items and family members brought covered dishes. I had made my baked beans that my Grandmother liked, just as I stepped into the dining room area to set my dish on the table, it slipped out of my hands fell to the floor, and broke into one big mess. Of course the lid didn't break, but beans, glass and all had to be pitched. And all of these elderly people sitting around watching me cleaning up that big mess. But I didn't shed even one tear, just kept telling myself perhaps it was for the best, those oldsters may not have needed more gas. LOL
Thanks for the great laugh this morning and for making me feel a little better about my moments spent in the kitchen, whether good or bad.....lol.
That was such a funny post!
Glad I am not the only one that has disasters in the kitchen. I on the other hand do not like cooking as much as I love baking. My rolls are always lightly done just the way I like them and I can make pies but I usually over cook the veggies and dinner is often no where near perfect. How about you do the cooking and I will do the baking. Sounds good to me.
Very funny. This is one reason I don't cook. Ha!
so funny... yup we ahve back up plan for disaters...pizzahut ;)
Ahhh. Kitchen disasters. My worst was... my hubby grabbed a full pitcher of cranberry juice out of the fridge and it slipped out of his hands and hit the floor and splashed up and over all the cabinets and floor under and over everything. Side note: I had just finished re-modeling our old houses kitchen and had painted all the cabinets bright white. It took me almost a day to get all the red off of everything. Good kitchen times....
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