It’s the oddest things that make one miss a loved one. Like right now as I’m chomping on my over toasted bagel. To the rest of you, it is most likely burned. But growing up with Eileen Francois for a mother, I learned that there are various degrees of burning one’s baked goods! My toast had to be badly badly burned to warrant a good scraping over the sink … never ever did you throw away good toast. After all, carbon was good for you! The funniest was the time she pulled a freshly baked coffee cake out of the oven and placed it on the Sunday Breakfast table. It was beyond overly baked … it was burned. My mother however pronounced it a new delicacy …. “Blackened Coffee Cake”! (For the record, this one ended up in the trash. It was beyond recognition!).
Don’t get me wrong, my mom was a wonderful cook. I think it’s just that sometimes she got distracted by kids and birds singing out the window and conversation with family and friends. Mostly, the woman just had some perspective on what was important in this life. If one shouldn’t cry over spilled milk, why should one cry over an over toasted bagel?
Mom's been gone 2 1/2 years. But she'll always be here wih me ... every time I burn my baked goods ;)
2 comments:
I too grew up with a mom who slightly overbaked. To this day, I enjoy burnt brownies - the crispier the better. My poor wife doesn't understand! I always eat the slightly overcooked edges of her brownies first.
My mom celebrated her 90th birthday last August. We almost lost her in July, as she fell and had a severe bleed in her head. But God was gracious, and after two very serious brain surgeries, she is still with us. The surgeons were amazed that she survived, and with no permanent damage! She is still able to attend Mass every Sunday, albeit with more difficulty.
I work out of my home, and my wife and I share caregiving responsibilities. It is a true blessing and honor to serve her. As Jesus says, it is more blessed to give than to receive!
My mom was told growing up that if she ate burned toast, it would make her hair black & curly. :) This was apparently something she wanted a lot, so she was the receptacle for the burnt stuff. (It was the depression.) When we were kids, she told us that "scraped toast" was the best kind. That is, with the burned part scraped off into the sink with a knife. ;)
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