Scratch

"Non-cooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet."  ~Julia Child

I talked before about how I am a "from scratch" girl when it comes to cooking.  I completely and totally enjoy the feeling of satisfaction I get from making something so well that people can't stop talking about it--no matter the effort.

It's why I do Thanksgiving at my house every single year.  People are always wanting to help and I just can't do it.  I have to do it. I finally have a system of doing things so that the day of the feast, I actually have time to relax and mingle while things cook.

I say all this to get to this point...

I bought a cookbook put out by Taste of Home and Reader's Digest.  I expected to find from scratch recipes, and a lot of it is.  However, upon further inspection there are recipes in there calling for refrigerated doughs of various breads and certain pre-mixed spices.  WHAT?!

Thinking about it, yes, I get that not everyone likes to do things from scratch. But why not put the recipe for the dough and spice mixes somewhere else in the book?  Would that really be all that difficult?

I'll keep the book because there are quite a few recipes in there that I know the husband will appreciate and they speak to me.  I can't help but feel disappointed in these companies' choice to omit the full from scratch recipes.

I know some of you out there are staring at the screen and have that blank look, and others of you are probably rolling your eyes because you can't fathom why on earth I wouldn't want to make things easier on myself.

Let's look at it from a couple of different angles...

Ladies... 

A majority of girls begin planning their weddings from the time they are able to understand what a wedding is. Once you're engaged, you go into overdrive with all the detailing. There's the photographer, videographer, disc jockey or band, officiant, ceremony site, reception site, seating...well you get the idea.

My point is that you do all this planning and the ceremony lasts fifteen to thirty minutes.  The reception lasts three to six hours on average.  You've had months if not years of planning for a few hours of celebration.  Why not just run to a chapel or Justice of the Peace and then hang out with friends?

Gentlemen...

Your favorite athletes practice plays numerous days a week during their sport's regular season.  They watch footage from other games to study their opponents.  They train for hours upon hours in the off-season. They get paid the big bucks because they are such good athletes.  

If they're so good, then why do they need the practice, training, and studying?  Can't they just go out and do their job without having to deal with all the mess and risk injury during practice?

Kids, Teens, Adolescents...

Going to school and doing homework...such a pain, right?  You do tons of homework, study, do presentations, and take tests.  You go through three to five stages of education.  What are you doing all that for?  Because good grades can get you scholarships or grants.  Most importantly, the jobs that pay well, hire people with degrees and social skills.  

The effort I put out is nothing compared to the reward I receive.  Pride and personal satisfaction.

Best Laid Plans

"You can always amend a big plan, but you can never expand a little one. I don't believe in little plans. I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now."

--Harry S. Truman

My husband cracks me up...often.  Every time he makes big plans for us, something inevitably goes awry.  Every little trip, dinner plan, errand or menial outing...a wrench gets thrown into the cogwheels, cranking the gears of life.  

I've grown accustomed to change, and over the past ten years, have learned to welcome it. The husband...not so much.  He dreads it; it makes him anxious and he doesn't handle it well.  I guess that is why I've learned to adapt to whatever happens quickly.  I need to be the calming force--balance the scales to look as though the change is actually to our advantage.  It's not an easy task, but I like a good challenge.

Our ten-year anniversary is coming up, and I was thinking about what he has planned--at least as far as what I know our plans are.  There are some plans I don't and probably won't know about, and I will have to come up with a solution quickly to best squelch the anxiety that will already have taken root the moment we walk out our door to begin our adventure.

So, why am I thinking about this so much?

Courtesy: Disney Fairy Tale Weddings

During our honeymoon, we planned our ten-year anniversary.  Nothing is as we planned. Not a single thing.  Does it bother me?  Only slightly, but it was a lofty goal.  We're talking three-ring circus here, folks.  


As Truman said, (paraphrasing) plan big, things will change, be ready with another big plan.  

Last year, we conceded that our biggest plan, would not come to fruition.  He's pushed that plan to our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.  Big plan...be ready for change. **giggling at the thought**  

The husband has a new plan.  I know the location and length of time.  We've made a few plans within the major plan.  Something may go awry.  For the parts that I am aware of, I am prepared with plans B through Z--always have a backup for a backup.  

Sounds crazy, right?  Maybe so, but I am an analytical person--at times, overly so--but that personality trait has assisted me in other areas of life, and I cannot  will not denounce it.

The big plan is in three weeks...I'll try to revisit after the fact.