Martha Stewart I ain't.But this time of year brings out the Martha in me.
So when Mom asked me to bring green bean casserole and a dessert to Thanksgiving dinner, my inner Martha stepped in and took charge. Her list looked like this:
Green Bean Casserole
Pumpkin Pound Cake w/Walnut Sauce
Apple Crisp
Homemade Bread
Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese
Cranberry Chutney
Spinach Dip
Apple Pie
So much for casserole and a dessert.
I jumped in with both feet this afternoon, spending about eight hours in the kitchen, peeling, mixing and chopping. Brother played football with the boys down the street. Sister was beside me in the kitchen, learning to knead and making a little concotion of her own, and Baby...well, Baby was doing what she does best. Finding trouble.
So, how did it all turn out? Well, I forgot two key ingredients for the Spinach Dip, so it never materialized. The Apple Crisp had to be crossed off. My bread didn't rise...at all. And the edges of my pies got a little dark. Far from perfect.
But what fun.
Tonight it feels good to sit and rest my weary feet. The house smells of warm butter, yeast and sticky, sweet cinnamon. And it's all wonderfully satisfying. Tomorrow we will gather around the table with family, who is also far from perfect, and feast.
Imperfection is good. It means we have reason to keep trying. And trying means another chance to enjoy the process.
Enjoy the process this holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving.
10 comments:
Martha or not, Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving! You're nothing if not adventurous!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I cook for 12 people including the 4 in my family and I know how tough it is get everything accomplished and on the table at the same time. I'm not Martha Stewart either even though I do make my attempt.
It all sounds so yummy. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Wow, impressive cooking! That's a lot of dishes.
The pie looks great!
I had a great Thanksgiving! I hope yours was happy too!
Oh and, Martha was definitely not visable at Grandma's house this year either.
My pies always come out looking odd, but they smell and taste fine; I do best with just about everything in life when I let go of perfection and embrace the philosophy/theology/mentality you presented here.
Imperfection reminds me that I've not arrived, that I need grace, that tomorrow's another day with more possibilities, that I need to stay humble and grateful.
Thanks for posting the picture. Thanks for writing in the smells and textures.
That pie looks delicious! Glad you enjoyed the process. ;)
Your pie looks fine, but here is tip you did not ask for (I'm full of unsolicited advice) To keep the edges of your pie from over browning, cut strips of tin foil and put around the edges of the pie before baking. About 15 minutes before the pie is done, pull the strips off and finish baking. Voila as we say in Texas.
Hope everyone enjoyed the fixins... the benefit of having a grandma who had 6 kids in about 7 yrs is that I am still at the kids table because the other generation of women want to be in control! So, I got to bring roles from the store and ice... no complaints here! :) But I do wish I had your skills... might encourage me to do it more often!
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