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My mother taught me to bake well. She showed me how to measure accurately. To scrape the measuring cups level with the straight edge of a butter knife. To read through the list of ingredients before beginning. To follow a recipe with care and accuracy.
Then, I did away with following recipes, and many of those things she taught me, all together. I had to.
After learning the basics, those baking skills my mother carefully taught me, and practicing enough with recipes others have followed, I now follow the way meals were made long ago—by the prairie pioneers I admire—who made by memory, by trial and error, and with a scoop of this and a pinch of that.
It began when the babies came. One in my arms, one pulling on my leg—by the time a recipe was found there was more baby tending to do (and, that was even before the next little one came along). So, I simply began to make—to make without following any guide at all. And, baking and cooking became so fulfilling—
—And, forgiving. Yes, the making of food is forgiving. An over-mounded measuring cup, or one that is a little short, is not noticed in muffins or pancakes. Putting the wet ingredients in a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, instead of mixing dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another, is simply one less bowl to wash. Tossing in a shake of ginger, instead of the usual cinnamon, gives new brightness to an old favorite. Improvising and experimenting makes the job of making meals less of a job—and more of something I like to do more of. So much more than before.
I am doing it by heart.
| Food for living | Stay with tried-and-true recipes when cooking and baking for guests, but make like mothers did for their own families long ago—with a pinch of this, a pinch of that, and a lot of intuition. We share our substitution chart, to get you started on your own baking food play.
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instead of raisins use dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots
instead of chopped apples use chopped pears
instead of cinnamon use nutmeg or allspice
instead of walnuts use pecans, or almonds, or shredded coconut
instead of vanilla extract use almond extract or lemon extract
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Our young ones have been caught by my zeal for food play too. I still teach them how to bake properly, like my mother taught me. Knowing the right way, is the best way to begin cooking on a whim. But, our children also see the fun I have creating our meals on my own. And now, we have a little recipe creator in the making who has been testing her own recipes. Even she knows, when she makes her own recipes, improvisations can be made along the way—she changed her 19 tablespoons of sugar to two bottom left, below. It is fun (and funny) to taste what she has come up with. Her recipes usually—almost always—involve sugar and chocolate chips. Now, that is food fun.
And, my mom? She is playing in the kitchen too. She taught me cooking and baking basics thank you, Mom. But, she is experimenting in her kitchen daily, making from scratch. She often shares her healthy recipe adjustments and kitchen endeavors at whiteleycreek.com. And, she is still teaching me good things.
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©heather cahoon • wordplayhouse®
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