The Writing Mamas Daily Blog
Each day on the Writing Mamas Daily Blog, a different member will write about mothering.If you're a mom then you've said these words, you've made these observations and you've lived these situations - 24/7.
And for that, you are a goddess.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Baked Out
"I’m known for my cooking in general and my baked goods in particular. My children are the ones with the non-Safeway cupcakes for classroom birthday treats. I am always the first to contribute to the school’s annual cake walk. And please, none of this boxed stuff—it’s all from scratch.
Few things delight me more than settling into the kitchen on a Saturday morning with several new recipes to try out and NPR in the background. I skin chicken for stew, chop preserved lemons and parsley for couscous salad, and grind hazelnuts for a chocolate torte. It shows my love for my family while offering uninterrupted listening to "Car Talk" and "Prairie Home Companion."
Still, it’s time-consuming. We’ve come a long way from spearing mastodons and grinding acorns, but trekking from Trader Joe’s to the Farmer’s Market and back to the grocery store for the forgotten ingredient is the modern-day version of hunting and gathering.
I say I do this for my family, but do they really care? Really, it’s for me. They’d rather have milk and cereal seven nights a week than a martyred mother demanding tribute for how much she’s slaved over a family dinner.
My Supermom complex has me staying up till midnight after a full day’s work to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch for a school potluck.
But sometimes I just can’t make myself start creaming butter and sugar when I want to go to bed. I remember the first time I bought a package of Pepperidge Farm Milanos instead for snack time. Although it was a nearly fatal blow to my self-image, it was liberating.
Supermom has retired. Now it’s Pepperidge Farm to the rescue.
By Lorrie Goldin
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Few things delight me more than settling into the kitchen on a Saturday morning with several new recipes to try out and NPR in the background. I skin chicken for stew, chop preserved lemons and parsley for couscous salad, and grind hazelnuts for a chocolate torte. It shows my love for my family while offering uninterrupted listening to "Car Talk" and "Prairie Home Companion."
Still, it’s time-consuming. We’ve come a long way from spearing mastodons and grinding acorns, but trekking from Trader Joe’s to the Farmer’s Market and back to the grocery store for the forgotten ingredient is the modern-day version of hunting and gathering.
I say I do this for my family, but do they really care? Really, it’s for me. They’d rather have milk and cereal seven nights a week than a martyred mother demanding tribute for how much she’s slaved over a family dinner.
My Supermom complex has me staying up till midnight after a full day’s work to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch for a school potluck.
But sometimes I just can’t make myself start creaming butter and sugar when I want to go to bed. I remember the first time I bought a package of Pepperidge Farm Milanos instead for snack time. Although it was a nearly fatal blow to my self-image, it was liberating.
Supermom has retired. Now it’s Pepperidge Farm to the rescue.
By Lorrie Goldin
Labels: Lorrie Goldin
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