Recipes

By: Bobbi Govanus Monday December 7, 2020 comments Tags: #Self-Care, #KitchenWisdom, #Patience

Getting ready for the Holidays, most of us are in the kitchen more than usual.  Whether we are making traditional favorites or trying something new, we rely on a recipe.  The creative chefs out there can and do substitute ingredients or completely break free to try new things, but most of us like having these guidelines.  Even when I am making something that I have made FIFTY times, I need to look back and refresh my mind or forget a step or a key ingredient. 

We can use the lessons learned in the kitchen for our life!  Some recent examples that occurred in my kitchen illustrate what I mean. 

Happy Accidents

I was making a batch of Cranberry Chutney for the neighbors for their Thanksgiving tables.  I have made this recipe dozens of times and didn’t realize until I was delivering it with the recipe that I had forgotten to add the walnuts.  I apologized, but one neighbor said her son is allergic to nuts!  This coincidence was an apparent catastrophe averted.  Lesson #1: Don’t throw in the towel when you forget something!    

Trust But Verify

It was making my fudge making day.  I had already whipped up my Never Fail Fudge and was ready to begin the Cake Batter Fudge.  My daughter told me she triples the recipe, so I was eager to try that. I needed more vanilla morsels, so I figured a quick run to the store and I would be all set!  NONE at Aldi, NONE at Publix, and so I went to Dollar General as a last attempt before I just made a small batch.  They had them!!! I was delighted!  I purchased my two bags and rushed home to complete my task. 

I stirred my butter and three cans of sweetened condensed milk into my pan and began to simmer.  I added the bags of morsels one by one. The last package was not white but a shade of yellow.  I looked at the front, thinking I had grabbed butterscotch, BUT no, it was Nestle Premier White.  I turned over the bag, examined the expiration date, and was appalled that these morsels expired in July 2019!  SURELY, NO store would ever sell at REGULAR price expired food.  This white chocolate did not melt!  I stirred and heated the mixture, but tiny chunks remained.   The increased heat scorched the pan.   It was a disaster.  So Lesson #2: Take nothing for granted. 

Never Assume

I received the recipe for my Grandmother’s signature Apple Nut Cake from my cousin.  She and her mother had made it after Grandma died.  They had brought it to a reunion a few years back.  My daughter wanted to make it this fall, so I reached out to my cousin since I could not find my copy.  She sent a picture of the 3x5 index card my Grandmother had created.  I shared the recipe with my siblings and had many questions about it.  Is “t” a teaspoon or a Tablespoon?  Is “c” a cup?  The shorthand that cooks had back in the day does not exist today.  The recipe card does not say to grease and flour the baking pan. For her, it was a foregone conclusion.  If they had not asked, it might have been a disaster.  Lesson #3 is ALWAYS clarify!    

Simple life lessons come to us at a cost.  If we can learn from others, we stand to be happier, more well-adjusted people. We need to take responsibility and make good choices based on all the facts we have at hand.  When we do this, our lives look like the picture in the cookbook.  When we take shortcuts and use inferior ingredients, things don’t turn out quite as well.  Here is to us as we cook up the life of our dreams. 

About the Author: Bobbi Govanus

Bobbi loves sharing through the written and spoken word.  She is an Amazon Best Selling Author and has delivered topics that inspire and empower in business and personal life to international audiences.  Bobbi views herself as a Travel Guide on the JOURNEY of Life allowing others to thrive while avoiding wrong turns and rough terrain!  She is an award-winning Entrepreneur and Certified Passion Test Facilitator who helps her clients gain clarity by better knowing themselves and what lights them up.  

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