The push and pull of our weather – springing forward to warmer temperatures, sunny skies, and blooming vegetation brings hope, and then the cloudy skies, cold breezes and dampness causes us to retreat inside and seek the warmth of the familiar and comforting. It is this back and forth that reminds me that while my teens may be expanding their reach for independence, they also retreat back to Mom and Dad and the comfort of family. It’s the flexibility, and unpredictability that can sometimes throw us off kilter, but with the right toolset, I know that they can learn to weather through things.
From Pretzel Lessons . . .
Saturday’s bright blue skies transitioned into a Sunday filled with fog, dampness, and impending rainfall, so I pulled Addison into the kitchen, as she’s been asking me to make homemade pretzels. It’s been a long, long time since I made them, but they remember how delicious they are, so, I took the opportunity of a somewhat miserable day to take her under my wings, and to allow her to learn the process of making pretzels herself. She is well-versed in preparing meals, baking, and making dough for bread and pizza, so this recipe won’t require anything she can’t handle.
She loved the entire experience, with the exception of the clean-up afterwards, and her twin waited quite impatiently for them to be completed. One bit of pain Addie experienced is the feeling of how everyone consumes all your hard work quickly!
to Life Lessons
But . . . overall the experience of
Learning life skills
Nurturing the desire to feel comfortable in the kitchen
Building the confidence to exploring new recipes
The enjoyment of experimenting and creating their own recipes
Looking in the pantry and creating something from ingredients found
This make me happy
This gives me hope.
My ‘hope’ for my children, is that in the springtime of their lives, I will have taught them the essentials to help them through their lives; that these lessons will take root, and give them strength and structure throughout their lives.
Sure, knowing how to make pretzels is not an essential – but learning the process, creating, and enjoying is. Finding a passion for being in the kitchen, and knowing that creating in the kitchen is essential to their wellbeing, is what is important.
I think we’re on the right track.
If you’re thinking about making pretzels, here are two recipes we often use:
