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| The source of all that was delicious. |
Baking.
My favourite thing.
I was in my usual spot. On the cupboard beside her Sunbeam mixer.
That maker of all things delicious.
She added something to the mixture already in the bowl and turned on the beaters.
Mmmmm. Could anything look better?
I leaned closer.
“Mom? Can I have a taste?”
“Honey, it’s just sugar and butter and eggs.”
“But it looks so good!”
“Okay.”
She stuck the tip of the spatula into the batter and held it up for me.
I leaned in and licked.
It was delicious!
Mom just shook her head, rinsed the spatula and continued adding ingredients.
“Mom? Can I have another taste?”
“In a moment, dear. It’s almost ready.”
I sighed and fidgeted impatiently.
Finally, she added one last ingredient.
Vanilla.
I should mention here that vanilla smells much better than it tastes.
Just FYI.
Then she got a spoon and gave me a dollop of batter.
Mmmmm. Even better than the last taste.
“What is it?” I asked as I licked the spoon.
“White cake.”
“I like white cake.”
“I know.”
Mom scraped the batter into a cake pan and shoved the pan into the oven.
I looked around.
Usually, by this time, the sound of the mixer had attracted all the youngsters in the vicinity.
And some of the adults as well.
But there was no one.
The world was mine!
“Mom? Can I lick the bowl?”
Licking the bowl.
That ultimate in rewards.
That oft hoped-for and seldom granted treat of treats.
I should point out that it didn’t actually involve ‘licking’ the bowl.
Mostly it consisted of running a spatula around the inner surfaces, catching every minute spec of deliciousness.
Okay and there was some licking involved.
Mom set me on the floor and handed me the bowl and spatula.
I sat where I landed and started in.
Could life possibly offer anything better?
Moving ahead . . .
I was making banana bread this morning.
My fourth granddaughter was seated on the cupboard beside me, mouth sticky from ‘tastes’.
I spooned the batter into pans and put them into the oven.
“Grandma? Can I lick the bowl?”
The circle is complete.
I'll bet that gave you both pause and misty eyes.
ReplyDeleteYep. Both! :)
DeleteWe had a glass Sunbeam, and it made orange juice, too. I was born before spatulas; used the finger lickin' method.
ReplyDeleteThe best method!
DeleteComplete until your granddaughter has a daughter, and then it will begin again! I remember sometimes having to share a beater or the bowl, not just with my sisters, but with my dad if he was around!! No wonder I started doing my own baking!
ReplyDeleteGetting the beater or the bowl to yourself is a brief glimpse of heaven when you live in a large family!
DeleteLovely story. To this day I prefer cookie batter to the actual cookie!
ReplyDeleteOh, me too! :)
DeleteLove any kind of uncooked baked thing - bread, pancakes, cookies, cake, biscuits ... I was in heaven when they came out with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream :)
ReplyDeleteYes, the new generation is a lot like the old one, in the important stuff anyway :)
They had the two of us in mind when they came out with that particular flavour of ice cream! It's so nice to see some of the old ways carrying on . . .
DeleteBeing the only girl I usually one that round until my baby brother was born then I would share. I got smart and when I would see mom getting the ingredients together I would tell my brother to get the mail or feed the dog anything to get him out of the way.
ReplyDeleteOh, you crafty girl! Why didn't I think of that?!
DeleteI remember licking the bowl, but we kids had to get in fast if Dad was home. I still lick the bowl now, but my grand children had to miss out on that joy as they had allergies.
ReplyDeleteLicking the bowl isn't recommended these days because of the raw egg content. I think it's sad, so many kids missing out on that delicious experience. I hope there are some parents who still let the bowl licking happen.
A lot of our fun is curtails by 'facts'. Sigh. I think we just know too much! :)
DeleteMy brothers and I use to argue about whose turn it was to lick the bowl so Mum had to have a good memory...she never failed either and her word was law! My favourite mixture to lick was her chocolate cake... My daughters and grandchildren have continued the tradition. Maybe it's genetic...
ReplyDeleteGood genes, Robyn!
DeleteLicking the bowl was one of the reasons I loved helping my mom bake. Seems to be something we hand down...my kids did it and now I'm looking forward to my grandchildren getting a bit bigger (babies now!) so they can take part in what I feel is a rite of passage. Great post.
ReplyDeleteA rite of passage! Love it!
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