Saturday, December 22, 2012

Measure Twice - Cut Once

Think Twice- Cut Once


     It was Saturday morning, and I was running around from eight-thirty in the morning till eleven at night, trying to finish my Christmas gifts. It was turning out to be a race against time, and I was stressing out a little. Why do I do this to myself. Though I do think that this style of last minute preparation is really inevitable for me. It just like taking a final. I don't quit studying till I enter that classroom, and I don't stop puttering around with gifts till I have to hand them off to their expected receivers."Here, take it. It's the best I could do".  Nineteen framed gifts was the total count up today, and two sore thumbs from sanding and waxing in the garage. I have found a new love for finding and fixing old wooden frames, since being acquainted with a simply waxing procedure back in November.

   But this morning I made a mistake. Grandma came to the house with her box of recipes with the intention of making dinner for all of us. I was working in mom's house alone and everything, including my brain, was a mess and strewn about the house.

    Ever since Grandma made a taco deep dish a few years back for me, she has always kept in mind  that it has been my favorite meal of hers. She would once and a while make it for me if I was home. Well today seemed like a special day and Grandma started talking about making this dish as she sat looking at her recipes at the table. Me being a confirmed gluten intolerante, grandma began to get creative and think of substitutes for the Bisquick mix that was needed for the topping. "We could use oatmeal flower and make our own."I agreed with her! And we could add our own rising ingredients, salt and whatnot to complete the rest. Who needs Bisquick!? So I hurriedly opened the pantry and looked around for the bag of oatmeal flower that mom had recently ground up for the Lefse party this past week. I saw a bag, but it seemed different then the one used previously. "Well, Mom must have ground more oatmeal and put it in a different bag," I thought, not taking seriously even the fact that its contents were a little different looking as well..  I measured out the two cups and gave it to Grandma along with a few eggs that were in the fridge.

Grandma left and I went back to making a mess in the house. Frames and their glass pieces were on the counters in in splendid randomness.








I left Mom's house around six thirty and headed over, across at the field, to eat supper. Still in the process of cooking, we all waited a while in the living room watching a oddly long infomercial to pass the time. 

Dinner was set and Grandpa, Grandma and I sat down to eat. It was really good! Had a touch of sweetness that I found interesting, but I thought this not unusual. Just different. 


Mom and Earl came by later and sat down to also have a bite to eat. It occurred to me now to tell Mom where I found her flour in the pantry and confirm that it was indeed ground oatmeal. Mom seemed confused at what I was saying, but soon it dawned on her what her daughter used instead of wheat. . . chocolate cake mix. I couldn't stop laughing as I sat in the living room listening to Mom and Grandma as the two of them realized the situation.

Now grandma usually find my mistakes funny, but today it was different. "All that work, and I wasted a pound of venison!" I quickly sobered up.

Sigh.... Merry Christmas to me I guess. To all those out there, Chocolate Taco Cake, just might be the next big thing.