Mom was never a great cook, so there are not a lot of "I remember Mom in the kitchen" stories that are in my library of favorite reads. However, Mom could bake an "out-of-the-box" cake with the best of them. The MOST important tools in this favorite of all favorites culinary exercise were the beaters.
With six kids, and two parents, Mom baked a cake at least eight times each year. However, with six kids and only two beaters, being one of "the chosen" to "lick the beater" after the batter filled cake pans had been successfully placed in the oven to perform their magic, was a challenge. I think the best chance I had of getting to be one of the chosen, was to be "hanging around" in the kitchen and offering to help with the baking. Of course, Mom could see right through those selfless offers, I'm certain, but nevertherless, she put me to work and I enjoyed the "raw" cake batter, licked savoringly from the metal beater to which it clung. While it is true that one of the kids usually also got to "lick the bowl" (which was technically performed by using a spatula to scrape the bowl, and then licking the spatula), the beaters were always my favorite. My tongue just seemed to enjoy them more than the spatula.
Now, as I recall, licking those beaters tended to be a rather messy event. I'd have cake batter on my nose, on my glasses, and who knows where else. So, I was intrigued when I found this photo of the next generation, the chosen, the "absorbed in the beater" bunch. Those beaters looks so.... clean! And the girls don't appear to be wearing ANY cake batter? I have to wonder... was this a REAL beater bash, or was it a "practice run?" Jenn appears to be holding a flashlight... was she looking for that last drop of batter? Heather seems to be looking to see whether there is a button to push to produce MORE batter. Regardless, I can say for sure, it is a darn good thing that my sister did not have the "No Shoes - No Service" policy, or these shoeless babes would have been out of luck! (At least Heather is dressed! Jenn appears to be in her pj's still!)
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| Cousins Carrying on the Tradition |
11 comments:
The simple things, like licking the beaters, well, I had 4 kids and they all wanted them too. Yah, batter on the face, clothes, in the hair - good times!
We are raising a crew of beater babes here as well. Great memories. :)
I remember that my sister and I used to fight to get the beater with the most batter left on it :-)
God bless you and have a great week
~Ron
LOL Sharon... yep, that's what I remember too... why are these two so CLEAN? I seriously have no idea, but I do know this was at my sister's house, so perhaps they were just practicing!
Leigh, those are the simple pleasures of childhood... I'm glad the tradition carries down to the next generation!
Thanks Ron, you have a great week too! I was happy to just get a beater... no time to decide which had the most batter!
Ahhh, I remember fighting for the beater too! We usually had to rock, paper, scissors for one! I think the girls have just gotten the beaters out, are waiting for someone to actually make a cake because there is NO WAY they could be that clean if they had licked them!
WV: insolu
That photo was taken at your Dad's house circa Nov/Dec 1987. The cook was probably barefoot too and she always offered the beaters to whatever kids were around! She still does, even though the kids are in their 20's!
Hahahaha Kat! Well, they definitely have them clean!
Hey anon! Ahha! I thought it was Jeannie's house from the floor... but I suspect you are correct, cuz, I know that cook DOES always offer the beaters to the "kids."
I think this post is so cool. At my mom's house there was only my sister and I. Yet, at my dad's house we had to do the same thing with all the other kids: Hers, His, Theirs and cousins. Talk about a knock down drag outside in the yard toussels.
Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
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