Buttery Carbs as Therapy

This morning little chef woke up at 4:30 am, and after hushing him back to sleep (because under no circumstances was I ready to start my cheerio throwing day at 4:30) I laid in bed unable to fall back asleep.  Suddenly in the dark the weight of the world came crashing down on my chest and I could not get out from under it.  As anyone who has had anxiety or a taste of it knows when you end up in a state like that it is very difficult to get out of.  As Dr. Seuss would say “When you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun.  Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.”  So I got out of bed and in to a bubble bath and tried to pull it together.  Granted it was 4:30 am and I am officially too large for my bathtub, not just lengthwise, but the belly now pops out of the water like a strange island in a sea of bubbles.  So needless to say it was an uphill battle.  But I finally felt calm enough to get out of the tub and started cleaning my house and doing laundry to pass the time until everyone else in the house got up.  I do not find cleaning particularly therapeutic, but the satisfaction of a clean house does give me some satisfaction.   Little chef woke up then and was not pleased with the selection for breakfast so I decided we should make biscuits.  Because sometimes when life is hard, and you need cheering up warm buttery carbs that remind you of your happy sweet childhood are the very best cure.  Little chef 100% agrees with me.  He stood in front of the oven doing a happy dance and squealing at the top of his lungs loud enough to wake his sleeping bear daddy.  Which was not bad because it meant we had a lovely breakfast as a family of warm biscuits topped with Peren Stroop (pear syrup) and Schokoladen Streusel (chocolate sprinkles).

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But in all seriousness, I know I am not the only one who has been feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders lately.  I would say about half of my friends and family have recently lost their jobs, had hours reduced or contracts lost.  I know far too many people who are looking at the prospect of this winter and wondering how they will heat their houses and pay their bills.  And some who will still be able to pay all expenses but suddenly not have quite as much extra cash for the luxuries in life as before.  And you know what?  It’s hard for us all.  In our own ways.  It’s far too easy to look at someone else’s situation and say “Well I would not complain if I was in their shoes.” Or “If they only knew what it was life for us.” Or “If I was in that financial trouble I would never spend money on THAT.”  But you are not in that situation, and that glimpse you have of their life is just that, a glimpse.  And maybe that one thing they spend money on that you think is frivolous is the one thing that keeps them positive.  Everyone has their own way of coping and in times like these it’s just better to not judge.

I have felt the struggle these past months in a way that I have not before.  Being constantly sick while growing a human is some days honestly too much for me.  But I had an amazing talk with my mother last week while driving with Little Chef to visit my Grandmother.  We were talking about the different struggles that our friends and family are going through.  Some are struggling financially, some are ill, others have fertility issues, some have sick children, and some are just growing old and having to realize their limitations.  And we were mulling over how it seems like some people can stand up and weather any storm, and others fall apart at much smaller issues in life.  She told me her theory that there are 3 factors that allow people to go through serious hell and emerge on the other side not unscathed, but whole.  Will, capacity, and an outside source of strength and support.  Her theory gave me hope, I think she is genius and I truly hope one day she writes a bestseller on the topic.  And I wanted to share it because I think it could give some of you who are struggling some hope too.

Maybe you don’t feel like you have much capacity to handle the difficult right now, but you do have the outside support of family or faith, and the will to continue.  Or maybe you have felt like you have lost your will, but you know you have amazing capacity and a network that will help you through.  Because I honestly know you can do it.  You can weather this storm, we all can.

And if it feels like too much and you think my theories on life are bat shit crazy, you can always make biscuits for breakfast.  That pretty much always helps.

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Grandma Judy’s Famous Biscuits: {I have been making these for 15+ years and have never once made them as well as my mother can.}

2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

¼ cup COLD butter

1 cup buttermilk, milk or half milk half sour cream

Mix the baking powder, salt and flour together.  Cut the butter in to the flour until it is pea sized.  Gently mix in the milk until the dough just holds together.  Cut in to circles (or duck shapes, Little Chef enjoys those the most) and bake for 12-13 minutes at 400 F.  Serve warm with butter and your favorite toppings.  (Ours were all of the Dutch variety because I visited the Dutch store last week with Little Chef, his Grandma and Great Grandma.)

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