Hi Readers,
I recently spent my second "snow day" out from school. It was a great time to stay inside, watch the snow with my hands wrapped around a warm mug of green tea, cook, bake, and of course, do some school work!
I have to admit, seeing the snow gently falling outside my picture windows, coursing through the trees, caused me to be in a baking mood and, as a result, I made a plethora of "goodies." On the dessert menu and covering my kitchen table are brownies, oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate chip banana bread. Do you notice a theme? I love chocolate chips and don't get to have them that often! I restrict myself, but when I do, I always go for the Enjoy Life baking chocolate chips. They're gluten, dairy, soy and nut free and completely vegan!
As I was mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients for the banana bread, I was struck by something. When I'm cooking, my mind is allowed to wander, as my hands and body engage with the whole cooking process. When I first tried to make this recipe, I cut out four different types of flour that the recipe called for and only used one. The ingredients came out like a dough instead of a thick liquid. I cooked it at the temperature that the recipe called for and kept it in just as the writer had indicated. It came out crumbly, overcooked, and not moist at all!
So, I wasn't satisfied and decided to have a second go-around with it. I tried the recipe again, this time, cutting back the amount of flour that I used, decreased the amount of baking time and decreased the oven temperature. The banana chocolate chip bread emerged from the oven, a beautiful golden color, moist, and with a little bounce when I pushed on it. All in all, taking a chance, mixing up the recipe, and trying something new, really helped to make the dessert my own.
Baking banana chocolate chip bread is a lot like dating. When I'm baking, I follow the recipe to the "T." I'm a teacher, so I am very accustomed to routines, structure, and plans. My daily life revolves around those three important "ingredients!" When I try to apply this process that I've used for eons (it seems), with dating/finding a guy, my experience is like the first banana chocolate chip bread, burnt, crumbly, and devoid of moisture.
I'm not saying that we should not date/find a guy (or a significant other, for that matter) by not "following a recipe." Honestly, there is no "recipe" for love. What works for one person to find love may not necessarily work nor have the same affects for another person. Everyone's taste buds are different. Dating is not a process where you gather said ingredients, mix them together, bake, and voilà, you have a handsome man, cooked to perfection. Dating is a lot like my second banana chocolate chip bread attempt: that is, one in which you alter the ingredients, take a risk, lower the temperature, and most importantly, give it time to cook.
Your experience may seem awkward at first. It may not taste "quite right" or be akin to your liking, but after several attempts and many experiences, you'll be able refine the selection. You may not be able to "fix" your potential man (that should not be your ultimate goal), but dating certainly shows you a lot about yourself - and provides you a mirror into the world that you've been in far too long. Dating encourages you to take on the form of that banana bread, to put yourself "out there" (see my last post) and present yourself to the world, flaws and all.
Dating provides you with an outlook into the sea of fish, goldfish, piranhas, etc. that are in the ocean. It's a big, wide world out there, but, I guarantee you that, in the process, you learn as much about yourself as you do about the men out there. And that, my friends, is just as, if not more important than, finding a potential "mate."
cheers.
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