What's Cookin'?

I was in the mood to bake a cake. We hadn’t bought cookies this week, and that cake mix sitting in the cupboard was tempting me. Howard had been after me to cook red beans and rice, and to keep from heating the house, I made them that morning to have for lunch. They tasted incredible, and I knew we would still be too stuffed for much supper when he got home, so if we had something light, maybe I could make the cake.

Just the two of us, though. Maybe I should use half the mix for a smaller cake. I had finally bought an 8x8” pan the other day. Dividing it in half was iffy, though; I usually ended up with one over-full cake and one skimpy one. I could invite my kids over, but supper wouldn’t be that special. Decisions, decisions. The cake turned out amazing, and on impulse I placed ripe strawberries around the edge of the luscious chocolate frosting. Howard was impressed, but we only ate a couple of pieces at the end of the giant cake.

Late that evening, the phone rang and it was our son, Greg, inviting us to eat the next night. “I was supposed to call you earlier, Mom, but I forgot. I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

I told him no, we were just getting ready for bed, and said, “Can I bring a cake I made? It was too much for us.” He said, sure, if there was any left. I assured him there was plenty.

“It’s Adam’s night to cook,” he said as an afterthought. Then he said it would be something I couldn’t quite make out, but it sounded Mexican. I love Mexican food, but sometimes it doesn’t like me. Well, it would be worth it to see them, anyway. I was looking forward to conversation and catching up on family news.

Their family has been cooking by an easy meal plan that has pre-printed healthy recipes and shopping lists for the varied meals. They have been enjoying it, and by taking turns, it is giving the kids experience in cooking. The clear instructions make it foolproof, and the varied menus keep it interesting.

Supper was delicious with my 17-year-old grandson serving up a huge pan of cheesy chicken enchiladas and salad. The festive-looking cake with chocolate-tipped strawberries was the perfect ending. My daughter-in-law’s mom popped in just in time to enjoy the food, too, so with seven for dinner, most of the cake was eaten. I brought home the last two pieces to have tomorrow. It wasn’t too much, after all! And I even brought home a menu sheet to consider. Who knows what I’ll be cooking up next?