Cornstarch is a wonderfully useful ingredient for thickening things like gravy, puddings, etc. However, if not used correctly, it can result in an inferior product. To work properly, cornstarch needs to be mixed with a cold liquid to make a slurry. It is then added to the hot liquid where the starch molecules swell and thicken the mixture. If cornstarch is added directly to the hot mixture, it causes lumps. Some of the lumps can be eliminated with some work, but it’s much easier to do it right to begin with.
Our relationship with God is like that sometimes. It seems like we wait until we’re in hot water to call on Him for help. Then we wonder why it’s still tough. He has to work on us more “vigorously” to get us to the point where we need to be. But, if we worship and commune with Him when life seems cool and easy, when the tough times come…and they will…it can result in an even better relationship with Him. Don’t wait until things get rough to establish a relationship with God. Start when things are a little calmer. The results will be much better.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Contemplating Cornstarch
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Waiting
I’m not a very patient person at times. I should pause here to allow those who know and love me to nod their heads in agreement. Now don’t get me wrong, when it comes to working with people I have patience, at least I think and hope so, but when there is something that I want to happen, I become very impatient. To quote my favorite movie, The Princess Bride, “I hate waiting.”
This became more apparent as I demonstrated making pancakes to one of my classes. These were no “out of the box” pancakes. No, these were pumpkin pancakes. Pumpkin is one of those foods that can conjure up a plethora of memories and take me to times, places, and people that have brought me joy. To wait for these pancakes to be ready to eat is pure torture. My impatient nature sometimes results in a less than perfect pancake.
One step in the making of pumpkin pancakes is beating egg whites to a stiff peak. The heaviness of the pumpkin requires the lightness of beaten egg whites to make a good texture. A culinary fact is that eggs separate best when they are cold, but beat best when they are room temperature. So the process goes like this. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator, separate the yolks from the whites, cover them, and you guessed it; wait. It’s only for about 20 minutes, but it’s still waiting.
Once the waiting is over, it’s time to turn the somewhat useless egg whites into something that makes all the difference in the pancake. Making sure not to use anything plastic, (it’s a petroleum product and will result in the egg whites not reaching full volume) start beating the egg whites. You can use a variety of tools, but I have found that a wire whisk works the best. Keep beating, and beating and beating. It’s not ready until when you lift the whisk out of the bowl the egg whites are peaks that do not bend over at the tip. It may seem like your arm is going to fall off before you get to this stage, but trust me, it’s worth the effort and the wait. Rushing this part of the process, results in less than desirable pumpkin pancake and it would be a shame to not strive for perfection in something so amazing.
There are times that the only way for God to accomplish His work in us is to separate us from things. They may be comforts, people, or situations. These don’t necessarily have to be negative things in our lives, but in God’s wisdom He can see exactly what we need and where we need to grow. It may be painful and it may make us reevaluate what our life is about, but if we allow God to completely transform us, we will reach our full ”volume” which results in something that can make the difference in a world filled with heaviness.
In my impatience with flipping pancakes, I tend to end up with at least a few pancakes that can’t be eaten. They’re pale and doughy in the middle. As a young cook, I learned the hard way that turning up the heat doesn’t help. It just results in the right doneness on the outside, but still doughy in the middle. From the outside it appears that everything is as it should be, but when you get to the heart of the matter, there’s still work to be done.
I get impatient with God at times. I think I know what should be happening and it boggles my mind why God chooses not to snap His all-powerful fingers and make it happen. I once shared my questioning of God’s timing with a friend and he responded with, “The only thing I can say is I expect God is wanting you to learn something from Him.” That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear at the time, but in retrospect, he was probably right. The problem is that I even get impatient with my impatience. If God is trying to teach me something, let’s get on with it and go on to better things. Fortunately, He knows how things should go so I don’t end up “doughy in the middle”. He knows the exact moment that His will should be revealed and when we take our lives into our own hands or become reluctant to wait for what He has for us, we usually mess things up and end up not having what He wanted for us from the beginning. God always answers our prayers. Sometimes, He says, ”Yes.” Sometimes, He says, “No.” Sometimes, He says, “Wait.” I hate that part, but I am learning that it’s necessary.
God’s timing and our timing are rarely the same. He sees the big picture and knows that sometimes, it is only through waiting that we can become what He wants us to be. It is sometimes only through waiting that we can have what He wants for us; the very best. When it gets hard to wait, remember that God doesn’t want heavy, dense pancakes that are doughy in the middle. He wants pancakes that are pleasing in texture and flavor that comes only from waiting.
This became more apparent as I demonstrated making pancakes to one of my classes. These were no “out of the box” pancakes. No, these were pumpkin pancakes. Pumpkin is one of those foods that can conjure up a plethora of memories and take me to times, places, and people that have brought me joy. To wait for these pancakes to be ready to eat is pure torture. My impatient nature sometimes results in a less than perfect pancake.
One step in the making of pumpkin pancakes is beating egg whites to a stiff peak. The heaviness of the pumpkin requires the lightness of beaten egg whites to make a good texture. A culinary fact is that eggs separate best when they are cold, but beat best when they are room temperature. So the process goes like this. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator, separate the yolks from the whites, cover them, and you guessed it; wait. It’s only for about 20 minutes, but it’s still waiting.
Once the waiting is over, it’s time to turn the somewhat useless egg whites into something that makes all the difference in the pancake. Making sure not to use anything plastic, (it’s a petroleum product and will result in the egg whites not reaching full volume) start beating the egg whites. You can use a variety of tools, but I have found that a wire whisk works the best. Keep beating, and beating and beating. It’s not ready until when you lift the whisk out of the bowl the egg whites are peaks that do not bend over at the tip. It may seem like your arm is going to fall off before you get to this stage, but trust me, it’s worth the effort and the wait. Rushing this part of the process, results in less than desirable pumpkin pancake and it would be a shame to not strive for perfection in something so amazing.
There are times that the only way for God to accomplish His work in us is to separate us from things. They may be comforts, people, or situations. These don’t necessarily have to be negative things in our lives, but in God’s wisdom He can see exactly what we need and where we need to grow. It may be painful and it may make us reevaluate what our life is about, but if we allow God to completely transform us, we will reach our full ”volume” which results in something that can make the difference in a world filled with heaviness.
In my impatience with flipping pancakes, I tend to end up with at least a few pancakes that can’t be eaten. They’re pale and doughy in the middle. As a young cook, I learned the hard way that turning up the heat doesn’t help. It just results in the right doneness on the outside, but still doughy in the middle. From the outside it appears that everything is as it should be, but when you get to the heart of the matter, there’s still work to be done.
I get impatient with God at times. I think I know what should be happening and it boggles my mind why God chooses not to snap His all-powerful fingers and make it happen. I once shared my questioning of God’s timing with a friend and he responded with, “The only thing I can say is I expect God is wanting you to learn something from Him.” That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear at the time, but in retrospect, he was probably right. The problem is that I even get impatient with my impatience. If God is trying to teach me something, let’s get on with it and go on to better things. Fortunately, He knows how things should go so I don’t end up “doughy in the middle”. He knows the exact moment that His will should be revealed and when we take our lives into our own hands or become reluctant to wait for what He has for us, we usually mess things up and end up not having what He wanted for us from the beginning. God always answers our prayers. Sometimes, He says, ”Yes.” Sometimes, He says, “No.” Sometimes, He says, “Wait.” I hate that part, but I am learning that it’s necessary.
God’s timing and our timing are rarely the same. He sees the big picture and knows that sometimes, it is only through waiting that we can become what He wants us to be. It is sometimes only through waiting that we can have what He wants for us; the very best. When it gets hard to wait, remember that God doesn’t want heavy, dense pancakes that are doughy in the middle. He wants pancakes that are pleasing in texture and flavor that comes only from waiting.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
You are invited
You are invited to a sumptuous feast. The menu has been planned specifically for your benefit and enjoyment. Your host will see to your every need and will dine with you as long as you wish.” Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Now imagine that you arrive at the feast with your own flatware. It’s no ordinary flatware. You grabbed the best that you had. It’s neatly packaged and comes complete with its own napkin and possibly a hand-wipe. Upon your arrival, your host questions why you felt it necessary to provide your own utensils. You are quick to explain that while you were sure that they could provide an excellent meal, you doubted their ability to see to the details and took it upon yourself to take charge of the situation. You proudly show them the multi-use utensil that is a combination of a fork and spoon. Surely, this is better than anything the host could provide. Your host respects your choice and watches as you struggle to eat the food that has been so carefully prepared. There are some foods that you can’t eat because you refuse to use what your host has for you. After all, you know what you’re doing.
While this situation may seem ridiculous, it is essentially what we do with God all too often. God has invited us to take part in a glorious life. Everything has been carefully planned and while we may not know or understand everything that happens, we can be assured that He has everything under control. Even with that assurance, we mistakenly show up thinking that we need to help God out. We profess to know that God can take care of the big issues in our lives, but fail to recognize that He has every detail taken care of also. We show up with our less than ideal notions of how things should be and end up missing some of the greatest blessings that He has waiting for us. We say that we give Him complete control and then turn around and put limitations on how He can accomplish His plan. Whether it’s a dollar, a mile, or a minute, every time we take it upon ourselves to stipulate how God can bless us, we rob ourselves of what is waiting for us.
You are invited to a sumptuous feast, but don’t worry. He’ll provide flatware
While this situation may seem ridiculous, it is essentially what we do with God all too often. God has invited us to take part in a glorious life. Everything has been carefully planned and while we may not know or understand everything that happens, we can be assured that He has everything under control. Even with that assurance, we mistakenly show up thinking that we need to help God out. We profess to know that God can take care of the big issues in our lives, but fail to recognize that He has every detail taken care of also. We show up with our less than ideal notions of how things should be and end up missing some of the greatest blessings that He has waiting for us. We say that we give Him complete control and then turn around and put limitations on how He can accomplish His plan. Whether it’s a dollar, a mile, or a minute, every time we take it upon ourselves to stipulate how God can bless us, we rob ourselves of what is waiting for us.
You are invited to a sumptuous feast, but don’t worry. He’ll provide flatware
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