Thought and Poem

Thought and Poem

Ahem…being the creative person that I am, when I cook and bake, I usually never follow a recipe. I have always seen a need to add a pinch more of something else that the recipe doesn’t call for. I recently did this adding thing when I made my tomato bread. I have also been known to add of can of something that was not called for. Most times when my guests say, “Umm, what is it or what is in it,” I can usually tell their bluff. What they are really asking me for, is the secret ingredient that made the meal different than anything they have ever tasted before. Other times, I think their questions are warranted because they are too afraid to take a bite….I understand as I have felt this way in the past too.

Well the other day, I did something I never usually do when I cook or bake. I followed a recipe exactly as it was called for? Ha! I even surprised myself and found the results to be exceptionally good. So good, I might try loyally following the next recipe I plan to use, and see if I like the results. I might start a new trend! I made some corn muffins and not one ingredient more than what was called for. The results were…priceless. Do you think it is too late for me to change my ways?

What about you? When you are baking or cooking, are you apt to avoid adding things to a recipe, or are you likely to add this and that’s to enhance the flavor and make a recipe your own? Share your thoughts with us….Jeanne Claire Probst

I Followed a Recipe!

I had a yearning for some homemade bread,

I couldn’t get the idea out of my head.

Bright and early, after I rose from my bed,

I went to the kitchen, but I didn’t want the usual banana and cereal thing, I wanted homemade bread instead.

Well, now that posed a little problem because I didn’t have any in my house to eat,

And this meant I had to dig through the cookbooks to find a suitable recipe.

I found one that was simply easy and wouldn’t take long to make,

After all, I wanted to eat it NOW and I didn’t want to wait all day to get a sample to taste.

I made the bread exactly as it was meant to be,

And only put what the recipe called for, sugar, oil, salt, flour and yeast.

I let it rise, and then I punched the rising dough down and kneaded it some more,

Then I put cut the dough in half and put it in the loaf pans to rise a little more.

After baking and taking the pans out of the oven and placing them on the wire racks,

I was impressed that the bread came out like the picture in the cookbook...can you believe that!

So now I have the desired homemade bread before me, and ready to eat,

And after taking my first bite, I had a big smile on my face….I was very pleased.

Jeanne Claire Probst