I really feel as if I have evolved as a mother in this department; and this is probably most evident when it comes to cooking meals. I used to be so stuck on following a recipe just the way it was written. This meant measuring and leveling off every teaspoon or cup, and never substituting or deviating from the recipe. If for some reason I forgot to pick up an ingredient at the store, I would drop everything and rush to the store to get that one stinkin' ingredient. I would follow that recipe to a tee. Okay, a bit perfectionistic I'll admit. But, now my current life does not allow for dropping everything to rush to the store. And, even if it did, that is really not a practical way to live.
If plan "A" as perfect as it was going to be all conjured up in my head suddenly comes to a screeching halt, like say no sausage for that "Sausage Strata" I was going to make for a church breakfast this morning. You just make an egg bake. Ya' feeling me? Egg bakes are good. You gotta let it go.
Also, another good point to bring up is that after 7 years of learning and refining how to cook, and how to read recipes and follow them closely; once you get the hang of things then you can start to get creative and experiment and change things out. Having a plan B seems to be a much easier option when you get the basics down. This goes for mothering as well. What seemed like an impossibility as a first-time mother doesn't throw me off as much the third go around.
Not to say, I don't burn pancakes, or forget to buy ingredients at the store, or heck even make a list half the time it seems, or totally just "lose it" and not be able to pull together A, B, or C today. On those days you eat popcorn or cereal for dinner. This is life. Or maybe this is just my life, and now you know. But, my life is hectic, busy, overwhelming at times, and it doesn't always follow a recipe that turns out into a beautiful dish on a silver platter.
And, I'm okay with that.
See, I told you I have evolved.
2 comments:
Katie,
You're not the only one who makes popcorn for dinner sometimes!
I'm finally at that place, too, where I feel comfortable improvising and making up recipes. Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food has been very helpful in that. I wish it hadn't taken me till I was 30 years old to figure out this stuff! I hope I can help my children get there faster.
Even without kids, I sometimes eat ice cream for breakfast. Letting go is good.
They told us we could do whatever we wanted when we grew up. I took them seriously.
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