Things Mama Taught Me: Follow the Directions

Maybe I was nine or ten, I'm not sure, when my mother thought it was time for me to learn some baking skills. She wrote down the ingredients and the directions to follow for my first creation: cornbread. Even a grade-schooler with minimal skills could mix flour and yellow cornmeal with salt and sugar and baking soda. The buttermilk I added was real—the tart liquid left after churning butter—and the "shortening" was probably lard or bacon grease. The batter was poured into a couple of Pyrex pie plates, brown-ringed from years of use, and baked until golden brown on top. Every week for a long time—until I graduated to sour cream chocolate cake—I made cornbread for our Saturday evening supper, the leftovers from which we ate on Sunday morning, crumbled into a bowl and topped with sugar and milk like cereal. Just like modern mothers, Mama knew about "planned-overs."

"When in doubt, read the directions!" We have to say that because there exist those individuals who rush into a venture without considering what resources they will need or what procedure to follow. Sometimes that turns out all right; how hard can those "cornbread" experiences be? On the other hand, if we have not learned to follow the recipe for making simple "cornbread," it's not likely we're going to succeed when it comes time to make the more complicated "chocolate cake."

Experienced cooks can depart from the printed page. When making a pie crust, Mama told me to add water to the dough until it "felt right." She knew just when that was and made the best pies in the county. Me? I follow the directions on the package that tell me to unroll it into the pie pan.

Just about every cookbook that is a collection of favorite recipes has one for a happy home or a good marriage or a friendly day or well-preserved children: 2 cups understanding, 1 cup kind words, etc. How about following these directions?

Recipe for Reality

Mix well:
1 cup Stress
2 heaping cups Limited Time
¾ cup Hope
2 tablespoons Frustration
1 tablespoon Guilt

Add as necessary:
Tears
Sweat

Knead thoroughly with:
3 cups Faith

Cover with Prayer and let rise.

Place in oven heated with Trials and Tribulations.

Remove after due season.

Spread with the Sweetness of Grace and
Serve while warm with God's Love
     to family, friends, and strangers alike.

Want to make some?

MaryMartha