On Cakes

As many of you know, I don’t like to cook. Within weeks of dating B, I had permanently branded his carpet with an outline of a pot of burning rice. It was both by necessity and design that I married into a family of chefs. I also happily reap the benefits of having my Indian family close by to enjoy plenty of homemade goodies. That being said, I can do desserts and aside from an ill-fated cherry jubilee three years ago, they are usually well received!

My biggest issue with cooking is that it requires patience. I don’t like to faff around making something good but I do love good food. Not long ago, I owed B a romantic dinner. This translated to me buying a bunch of exotic cheeses, some dry herbed salami, an excellent port and the most delicious caramels drizzled with roasted sea salt. In retrospect, I found this (a) typical, (b) funny and (c) a little sad for my husband.... though he was probably relieved I wasn’t cooking because when I am in the kitchen, it means he is in the kitchen.

Tingu’s teachers also know about my lack luster culinary skills as he told them that his mom is 'not allowed in the kitchen because she burns things'. Haha. Because his audience so loved this joke, he never fails to repeat it every time I walk near a kitchen appliance…’Don’t burn it, Mommy’.

Trying to dispel the rumors, I stayed up till 2am making hand-dipped chocolate strawberries for Teacher Appreciation day. They thanked B

The straw that broke the camels back was one night when B was not home and some friends popped over for tea and pizza (as you do with Indians). Unknowingly, I served cold, horrid tea to my guests and I burned the pizza.

Thus, although, I mostly like being banned from the kitchen, I also realized I cannot be so dependent that I can’t manage toast (at least until I move to India!). I also like the idea of nourishing Tingu & Hunie’s little bodies with something I made. So I rekindled my relationship with the stove. I made the kids a quick panko covered chicken with vegetables. I overcooked the chicken and they couldn’t manage more than 3 bites before they started to spit it out. An incorrigible optimist, I found mild satisfaction in that I actually did something to fail at and moved on to the backup dinner of yogurt, fruits and raw veggies.

Eating dinner..naked. Sometimes I don’t ask...and luckily, for now, neither do they.

In this comeback year from mommy bootcamp, I have realized what took 15 minutes pre-kids takes 3 days post kids. We tried many things this inaugural year and failed at quite a bit. But here is to trying and failing and trying again!

1. The 10,000,000,000 cookies I make for the kids birthday party favor bags. As I do this once a year, I have to make cookies all night long for a week straight before I am satisfied with the outcome. I am still trying to articulate why I bother.

Year 1 & 3 were ok - year 2 was ambitious with the two tone and turned out kind of shody but I was 37 wks pregnant and probably couldn't reach the counter to ice the darn things anyway!

2. Painting birdhouses:

Tingu made the birdhouse with his Nana, the painting...looks like a murder scene and the Amnesty sticker stuck to the bottom cracks me up.

3. Attempts at gardening:

The tomato plant on left; basil on right. I asked Tingu to water them this morning and he looked and me and said, 'Why? They're dead.' Ouch. The tomato plant actually did produce one sad but cherished tomato before dying. 

4. Moving Hunie to a big-boy bed:

Yup, that's Huns - sleeping in the pack and play next to his bed.

5. Meals for my hubby. My optimism got a healthy dose of reality as I attempted a seven course meal for B on Friday. That is not a typo and yes, that was the next logical jump after a failed attempt at 15 min panko-crusted chicken.

I am not going into details as I hope to still have many of you over for dinners!

I'll scale back and try again. I think that's my current motto in life.