Sunday, September 23, 2012

Cake and Biscuits...

I think my selective memory may be worse than Jeff's. I don't remember details very well but many of the memories I do have of my childhood involve either making or eating food.  As everyone else has shared, I remember Jeopardy! and the "zings" from Dad about the food - maybe because it needed more barbecue sauce. And I'm glad that you can buy Sonny's now because nearly every other sauce is better than Bull's-eye (which I remember having frequently) in my mind.

I remember having superhero cakes as well, but I thought the batman cake was mine.  I think my favorite cake of all was a teenage mutant ninja turtle cake. I don't know why I was so fascinated with TMNT but I was and Mom was willing to make the cake to make my day a special one. As a parent now myself, I am amazed at the amount of time that Mom spent making our cakes.  When Annika decided that she was going to have a Cat in the Hat party for her 3rd birthday, we outsourced the cake making because we didn't think we'd have the time to make it and do everything else to get ready for the party. Yet every year, Mom had our cakes ready to go - whether the cake was a soccer ball, a TMNT, or another superhero. Annika's already let us know that her 5th birthday party will have a Paris theme - anyone want to make an Eiffel Tower cake for us? Mom?

The dish that I remember having most frequently was Chili Chicken Success. I just googled it and found that it is a common name.  I think I grew up thinking that Mom called it Chili Chicken Success because she could throw some chili and chicken in the crockpot and it was a success with both the kids and more importantly, Dad. I don't even know if it was made in a crockpot, but I remember a lot of crockpot chicken meals.

I liked Sunday dinners the best because I could help make dinner. I loved to make the biscuits. When dating Erica I think I could still make them without a recipe. I told her that I could never marry someone that can't make biscuits so I taught her how to make them. Unfortunately, we don't have them often and I'm now craving biscuits. When I met Erica's family, her Mom asked me if there was something that I would like to eat with dinner. Without hesitation, I asked for biscuits. Erica's family gave me some incredulous looks when I asked if they had any syrup. They took a liking to waffles with ice cream the next morning though.

So, I would like to thank you Mom for not only providing and accommodating our wants, but making it fun and allowing us to participate in the experience. You've done a great job teaching our kids in the same way you taught us - all three of my girls expect me to be able to teach them to draw because of the time that you spent teaching them. Annika asks to make Nani's cookies because of the times she spent making them with you. So, partly thanks to you, my kids are learning the skill that I mastered quickly - sprinting into the kitchen to eat desserts fresh out of the oven, a critical skill in any Holland household. In all seriousness, I really do appreciate the time that you spent with me - teaching me to cook and bake - and wish I could be making you a meal with biscuits tonight.  The first recipe I post on the blog will be the soup that you've asked about often.

I love you and Happy Birthday!

Brad

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