Love and Marriage is like Baking a Cake

It's that time again. Let's talk about the kitchen. Around a month ago I had asked several of my Facebook friends to tell me their favorite must have in the kitchen. I was surprised by the amount of high dollar items that were mentioned because truly my must have items in the kitchen really seem be low dollar items. For instance, I really appreciate having a great mixing bowl. Over the years I have accumulated several, but for the purpose of this discussion I want to talk about the large clear mixing bowl that I received for Christmas  this past year.

When making a cake (from scratch) the recipe usually calls for mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately and then combining them together slowly. As you mix the the wet ingredients you might scrap the sides with a spatula occasionally to ensure you mix everything thoroughly. You also make sure you have the right size bowl so there is room to mix the two together in the end. When mixing the dry ingredients together you are careful not to stir too fast so that nothing spills over the edges.

Then you are ready to combine the two. Usually the recipe calls for you to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in stages and mix completely before moving on. You begin by adding the first amount into the bowl. Being careful not to mix on high right way, otherwise you might end up with a flour face! Then you add the next little bit of dry, and as you do it becomes more difficult to mix and it takes longer for all of the ingredients to become incorporated. Now you grab the spatula and scrap those sides again, because you want to be sure you are getting it all.  As you mix in the last amount you have the hang of it. You are almost there!

Eventually, you have a smooth batter that has been mixed well is ready to bake and enjoy!

Now I say all of this to have you think about the way we begin our relationships and marriages. Go with me for a minute! :) One of you is the dry ingredients and one of you is the wet ingredients. I'll let you decide who plays each role. Here's how I might think of it. The spouse representing the wet ingredients might be soft-hearted (butter-softened), needs to be given special attention (eggs-fragile handling required), has just a certain way of doing things (water/oil don't mix well together), and adds takes care of things (vanilla-makes everything better). The spouse representing the dry ingredients might be selfish and need attention (flour-main ingredient), escalates situations often (salt-heightens flavor), has a a great sense of humor (sugar-adds airiness and fluff), and is self motivated (baking powder and soda-rising agents).

Now you might have difficulty identifying the ingredients and the roles in your relationship, but the good news is that God intended for the two of you to be put in the bowl together to make one more well rounded person, the good and the bad. It sometimes isn't easy to mix and most of the time it requires slow speeds so we can do it well and extra room to make mistakes. He also made it so that once in awhile we would scrape our ourselves down and be restored. He also wants our hearts to be clear and transparent so he can do a might work in us. You see if all the measuring and mixing isn't done correctly the end result could end up being flat and tasteless.

I encourage you to take the time to know who you are and how you plan on mixing into the life of your spouse. The mixing may need space and scraping, done at different speeds, accomplished in doses, and time. But if you concentrate on the measuring and mixing parts now you will be more satisfied with the end result a delicious and satisfying cake, just like your marriage.

Preheat the oven and coat the pan! Enjoy!

Lezlie

Time for a new pan!

I begin this blog by saying that I am just a simple home cookin' momma that loves to cook, thinks she knows a thing or two, and understands that as much as her kitchen needs a good frying pan so does her marriage. Just yesterday, my husband Nathan suggested it was time for us to get a new frying pan. We have had the same one for the last seven years and it definitely has seen better days.

One might think that a frying pan should last longer. However, I am here to tell you with the abuse and use my frying pan has experienced it is time to get a new one.  There's a lot of history in the old one, so if you don't mind I'd like to take a second and look back. This frying pan was part of my "I'm going to be a great wife because I can cook", "Oh no, I burnt the grilled cheese again!", "Why didn't you use spray before you did that?", and most of all the times when it was filled with love.

You see I don't claim to do it right every time, I just claim that I have gone through one pan and think I may have learned a thing or two about cooking and the cook.

It is through my cooking experience that I have discovered that every woman needs a good frying pan. I mean not one that you pick up at the local dollar store, but a good frying pan. It should be non-stick and at least as big as a dinner plate, but no bigger than the largest burner on your stove.

This is going to sound contradictory, but you also need a good stick pan too. This pan would be called an iron skillet. If you want great eggs or fried potatoes then you need a well seasoned iron skillet! Don't forget to use the left over bacon grease too!

Hopefully, my family would tell you that more great cooking, than bad cooking has come from that old skillet. Trust me the main purpose for my skillet is cooking, but oh the many times I have thought of alternative uses. The dog under my feet, my son and his toys on the floor, and my husband, but we will leave him for another day.

Heat the pan and get fryin'!

Lezlie