The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is our library club book this month; it is excellent. A tale of a girl who tastes the emotions that go into food, from the happiness of a pasture-raised dairy cow, to the emptiness of her mother.
Lemon Cake reflections. Being aware of my cooking emotions. What am I adding to dinner? Sorrowful spaghetti, irritable enchiladas, chipper chicken? Roast with a side of joy? To have food, nourish my family, what a blessed gift. I will slow down, cook with intention. Choose joy as an appetizer.
I wonder and guess at the emotional sides served up by cooks in my past. Grandmothers, neither one especially happy or satisfied. Mother, a mystery of sacrifice. Ex-husband, sly tricks, doling out entrees to multiple women.
I come back to self. Serve up goodness, silly, smiles, patience and the greatest of these, Love. I will choose more than ingredients, nourish more than bodies.
47. lemon cake smell and taste
48. music in unknown language
49. soft bed warm with flannel
50. my Creator waking me up in the dark hours, house sleeping, to talk with me? yes me, I matter to Him.
51. soup
Soup, I love soup; I serve it about once every 8 years. Last week we had soup. Soup? How can something so full of good be reduced to doubt and distaste by my kids? Same word, different tone, changes meaning completely.
I don't have a photo, but here's the recipe. Customized for my family of 7, Good Soup:
1 lb. ground meat (turkey, beef, venison...)
1 lb. sausage
1 chopped yellow onion
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 can diced tomatoes with oregano and basil
3 cups of frozen green beans, broken into pieces
2 cups frozen corn
3 cups chopped cabbage
5 cups beef broth (I used Rachel Ray's)
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1+ tsp salt
black pepper
Brown the meats, remove, cook the onion - add the garlic when onion is almost finished. Add meat back in, along with the broth and all the vegis. Bring to boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, until vegis are cooked. Turn off heat, add vinegar, salt and pepper.
They all complained at the word soup, but we ate the whole pot! Accompanied by:
Beer Bread
1 12 oz beer
3 cups self rising flour
2 Tbs. sugar
Stir together with a wooden spoon, pour into greased bread pan. Pour 1/4 cup of melted butter over top if you like butter.
Cook at 350 for about 50 minutes.
Dessert incentive to eat all the soup: Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie
2 1oz squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz Cool Whip
1 graham cracker crust
In large bowl melt chocolate in the microwave. Add milk and peanut butter, stir well. Fold in Cool Whip, dump into the crust, and freeze. This needs to freeze at least all day, if not overnight. Recipe courtesy of Borden.
No food pics, I was only thinking with my stomach.
52. winter in Texas
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