Mixology

Good Morning to you!

It's December 2nd and today is my father's birthday. Dad, if you're reading this today-Happy Birthday to you! Just wanted to get that in there. And also tell you that Maestro's best friend, Ashley, shares your birthday, only...she's just six.

On to other thoughts. I woke up at 4:32 this morning thinking about my hand mixer. I have no idea why or how it came into my thoughts, but I was thinking about how they don't make equipment like they used to. Even just 14 short years ago. I bought that hand mixer when I was living alone for the first time in my own little apartment. It was a cute one bedroom in a big place that was a single family home at one time, but then converted to apartments. So, something with character, you see. My bathroom was bigger then my living area in that place. I paid $350 per month to live there and it was quite an adventure to be by myself for the first time, truly alone. There was an older man that lived under me and he used to fish-A LOT. One time, he went fishing somewhere in Maine and caught a bunch of landlocked salmon. He nicely shared some of it with me, some of the best tasting salmon I've ever had, so fresh and yummy. He was a nice man, I wonder what ever happened to him? Do you do that? Meet people along the journey of your life and wonder where they are now? Of course, he seemed older to me at the time because I was in my early 20's, he was probably in his 50's. Now that I'm 40 myself, it's hard to remember that people in their 20's see me as "older", especially when I have kids the same age as they do!

Ah, but back to the mixer. I was thinking that it's really seen my life with me. I love to cook (big surprise there, right?), and so have used it quite a lot. It's seen the first cake I baked a friend for his birthday, the first cookies I made for an ex-boyfriend (who I spent way too much time on), the new adventures in cooking when I learned I truly love to cook, and countless batches of Christmas cookies using my grandmother's sugar cookie recipe. It even has the coveted honor of being the mixer to make over 100 home made corn and date muffins that we served at our wedding reception. With the help of my parents, we managed to get 65 people fed while still doing the whole wedding shabang. A word to the wise, don't think you can do this part of the wedding yourselves. You're not meant to be host and bride (and flower arranger, and decorator, and sew flower girl dresses the list goes on) at the same time, it's too much, just trust me on this one.

It's the mixer our children have used to learn to cook, and if you scroll back, you can see a picture of Maestro whipping up some bread batter with it, and previously I posted a picture of Little Red using it. I feel like this mixer is a true friend to me. It's been there for all the big milestones in my life. Now, my breadmaker that started to flake paint and had to be tossed was a fly-by-night friend, didn't have the fortitude to last through my bumblings at bread making...I got pretty good at it before it had to hit the garbage. Traitor.

I realize that you may be wondering where the heck my mind really dwells. The reason that I've had these revelations is that I have been pondering replacing it with a more modern mixer, maybe even a stand mixer. I know it would get plenty of use here, especially this time of the year when I'm always making cookies, bars or cakes for others. Of course, I've been pondering it for quite some time. I like the idea of a stand mixer...but then there's my trusted friend tucked away in the cabinet behind the grater. It doesn't take up as much space as a stand mixer would. You know, really, they are a bit ostentatious, aren't they? I have a very small house crammed with 4 people and all their stuff, and can I really make that kind of a space commitment? My little mixer works just fine. It does have something loose in it that rattles around as you mix, but it still works just fine. I think I'm gonna hang on to that ol' girl. She's tried and true and never lets me down. Maybe someday I'll look into that stand mixer, but for today, the little white mixer that could will due the duty. I think I need to get a batch of Christmas cookies in the oven today...time to dig her out.

Wishing you trusted friends in your kitchen, ~Peacemom