Make the Ordinary Something Special
Take Pen to Paper: Edition 26
Childhood birthdays growing up were always celebrated with a cake. In our family, the special cake was angel food cake.
The birthday honoree was allowed to pick two colors for the cake. My mother would separate the batter into three bowls. One remained white. The others received a few drops of the color of our choice.
Yes. My mother was making a three-colored cake!
I would watch the drops go into the batter. As my mother stirred, the developing color looked like cotton candy. My memory tells me no matter how often I saw this as a child, I was always amazed.
The batter was light and fluffy. I could taste the sweetness on my tongue before it was baked.
Years later, my husband requested an angel food cake for his birthday. Newly married, I had confidence in my ability to whip one up without relying on my mother.
I found a recipe and went to work. Do you know how many egg whites it takes to make an angel food cake from scratch? Do you know how long it takes to beat egg whites to a stiff peak? I didn’t.
I gained a new admiration for what my mother did every time she made this sugary delight.
As a staple dessert easily made special for our birthdays, my mother must have a secret recipe easier than I used. It was time to find out.
When I called to ask her for her recipe, she sounded confused. “I don’t have a recipe. I buy a box mix.”
Now I laugh at my assumption that she made those cakes from scratch and my endeavor to do the same.
But my admiration for her efforts was not diminished by this new knowledge. She took an ordinary box mix for angel food cake and made it special for each of us. This, in turn, made us feel special.
My birthday is in a few weeks. What kind of cake should I ask for?
7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good
I am grateful for family celebrations. The photo above shows my mother, my siblings, and me with a birthday cake outside. The snowman tells me it’s my sister’s birthday. Sadly, I couldn’t find a birthday picture with an angel food cake. 🎂
Before there was Color Bath Dropz* (my granddaughter loves them), there was food coloring. When my boys were young, I kept some in the bathroom so they could take a colorful bath. Food coloring provides a special source of enjoyment when my granddaughter and I bake.
Sometimes capturing an ordinary image at the right moment makes it extraordinary. Seeing these underwater photos, travel photos, and National Geographics pictures of the year makes me want to get out my vintage Pentax K1000 that I haven’t used since my pre-parenting days. 📸
Check out these extraordinary vegetables and fruits. You may want to plant some in your garden this year. 🍎🌽
A quote: "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault
During spring, when so many plants bloom, I’m grateful for those with the vision to create spaces for the public to enjoy. Check out the live bloom cam for the National Malls Tidal Basin cherry trees.
You may want to take advantage of an extraordinary free event on March 28. Look up into the night sky and see five planets at once.
Thank you for reading!
What about you? Are there special traditions around the celebrations in your family? Do you have events you originally thought as ordinary that you now view as extraordinary? Leave me a comment and let me know.
❤
-Susan
*Just as a reminder, I do not use affiliate links. I do not benefit from sales of recommended items.
Do you remember snakin cakes? You mixed and bake them right in the same pan that came in the box.
Love this. Thanks for sharing.