Are you having trouble finding the right ingredients for some of your recipes? Perhaps you just picked up your groceries, and in the age of COVID19, think twice about going back before deciding to make-due with what’s on hand. That’s exactly what happened to me yesterday. It was my first attempt at ordering on-line at Walmart for pick-up. I’d worked on that list for several days, and by the time I put the final touches to it, realized I’d almost doubled the cost. That hurt a little less because I’d have shopped twice in the past, used twice as much gas, and by some unexplained phenomenon items like donuts or a candy bar would have make their sneaky way into my cart. But I digress.
One item I’d ordered, Frigo Shredded Paremesan Cheese, was out of stock. I’d hoped they would substitute another item, but no such luck. I’d planned to use it in meatballs, on spaghetti, and to add last minute to some sliced zucchini I would roast in olive oil and fresh garlic. So I substituted, using mozzarella instead. There is a sort of logic here. Parmesan and mozzarella are both cheese, work with Italian cuisine, both are savory, not sweet, and are the same color. That got me to thinking about my mom, bless her dear heart.
My mother would have been proud of me. I learned substitution cooking from her. But then…there was the time she was preparing a dessert that involved Jello, whipped cream, fruit cocktail and Maraschino cherries. She didn’t have any of the later on hand, so searched through her pantry for an appropriate substitute. Using the color substitution guideline, she discovered a jar of pimentos, red and already cut into small bites, and threw them in. She served it up hoping it would be wonderful. Instead, it was a fearful combination!
Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” I’m thankful for my mom for so many things, including her sense of freedom to experiment. I am more thankful for God who “knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our…condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (Romans 8:28, The Message)
Cook up something tasty. Enjoy your weekend! ~ Anne
Wayfinding 