Because, Because, Because

21 Apr

The last immediate member of my family is my mom. I am told I am the most like her. Growing up, I didn’t take that so well. The older I get, the more I understand her and admire her. We didn’t get along the best in my teenage years, and she gave me “because” for a reason whenever I asked why about anything! All I wanted was an explanation to her “no.” Now I see that some things really didn’t have or need an explanation. It is just life and it makes sense the older you get. One thing we always could agree on though, was food. We get along best in the kitchen and while we are eating.

When I met Lawyerboy in college, I was most nervous to tell my mom. Not because I was worried she wouldn’t like him, but because I valued her opinion more than anyone elses. I wanted to tell my parents a couple of weeks after meeting him. I just knew he was the one and wanted to share him with my family. Lawyerboy was a little apprehensive about this. He was nervous to say the least. I told him not to worry, because I have the best family. I could tell everyone thought he was a good guy, including my mom when I brought him to the farm to meet my family members that were around. I called and asked my sister Kathryn what mother had said about him. Kathryn said mom wrote her an e-mail that said, “He was nice and had great manners.” My mom loves education and was a big fan of every degree Lawyerboy continued to pursue. She was a huge part of our wedding. Not just because she was the mother-of-the-bride, but because she made all the food, my wedding dress, and altered the bridesmaid dresses.

A book should be written about my mom on how truly remarkable she is and on all the things she does! Her work ethic and how she gets it all done in a day are just two things that should be documented. I am not just saying this because she is my mom. She is a great mom, but she also takes care of her community. Here is just a taste of her personality and her jobs: She is a marvelous cook and an even better baker. She has a strong faith in God and doesn’t like swearing. She doesn’t put up with nonsense. She rarely sits down. She is a clock watcher and pays close attention to the weather. She is an excellent seamstress and loves to quilt. She enjoys listening to local and professional sports on the radio when she sews and/or quilts. She is an elite multi-tasker and has multiple jobs. Besides a wife and mother of four, she drives school bus, cooks homemade meals for the school, organizes concessions at ball games, is the substitute rural mail carrier, a tailor, teaches confirmation, and sells her baked goodies. She also takes care of the farms huge yard during the nice weather months and tends to a garden full of fresh grown vegetables and some fruits. She strives to do all these things well.

My mom is a very generous person with her money, and even more so with her time, and time is so important to her. She has spent hours in kitchens. She shrugs her shoulders at cooking, even though she is good at it and gets rave reviews. It just isn’t her favorite thing. (If you’re lucky to be very good at one of your not so favorite things, good for you!) 🙂 She loves to bake though and you can taste her time and love in each bite.

Since I was a little girl, I loved to watch her in the kitchen. I have been intrigued with food since I was a toddler. There are more pictures of me with food than without! My mom and I not only love to eat, but we love the process of food starting from a garden or field and then adding this, and mixing that, and creating a masterpiece. Like I mentioned earlier, my mom’s favorite word to us growing up was ‘Because.’ It drove me crazy when I didn’t get an answer. She made us be members of 4-H. There were things I liked about it, but mostly I’d rather be at home. When I would ask why we had to be in it, she would usually say, “Because you learn how to do things.” I liked that I got an explanation and not just “Because.” Plus I got to bake a lot of goodies while in 4-H. I was a part of ‘Be A Better Baker’ and whenever I asked my mom baking questions, I always got an explanation and not just ‘because’.

In our community, my mom is known for ‘doing it all’. Sometimes my mom feels like she get too much recognition. I think most would agree she deserves every bit of it. She is most famous for her cookies. They are huge. They are tasty. We often have homemade bars, cake, bread, and pie in our house. But almost daily, you could find a cookie, actually a variety of cookies, but for sure a chocolate chip cookie. She has changed her recipe a bit since I was a child, but they still have the same great flavor and always remind me of my childhood. They are the first thing I baked all by myself as a kid.

So, stealing a bit of the lyrics and tune from the Wizard of OZ, “Because, because, because, because, because… Because of the wonderful things she does for her family, friends, and community, she is the most wonderful mother of all.”

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees – Prep Time: 10 minutes – Bake Time: 14 minutes – Makes: 24 cookies

3 sticks margarine, softened

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 cups flour, not quite

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix butter, oil, and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the baking soda, salt, and four cups of flour. You may not need the whole last 1/2 cup. Sprinkle some in and stir. Keep adding a little more until you have a smooth, cookie dough consistency. Add the two cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

You may use an ice cream scoop. I don’t think my mom even owns one. She uses two spoons, as do I. Scoop up dough with one, and use the other to scrape the dough off onto the baking sheet. I get 8 cookies on a sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. I turn the baking sheet after 7 minutes of baking. I let them rest on the pan for a couple of minutes before moving them with a spatula onto a cooling rack or wax paper on top of a dish towel. They are so good warm out of the oven. They are super good frozen, too. Just let them sit out a couple of minutes and you can bite right through! They will make you happy!