Ever searched for recipes on the Internet? I have! We are always looking for new food items to add to the camp menu. You know, to change things up every once in awhile. Don't get me wrong, our camp food is wonderful, (That's why I am an official member of Weight Watchers!) but it gets old when you eat it week after week. Can I get an "AMEN" from the summer missionaries and volunteers out there?
Usually, I try the recipe out at home before cooking it for a group. Not really sure why I didn't do that with the banana pudding recipe?!? I've made banana pudding before, but never for 50-75 people with one recipe. The recipe looked easy enough. Sure, I could do this...with no problems. RIGHT!
The day began as most days go in the camp kitchen. Breakfast was prepared, served, and cleaned up without a hitch. Now it was time to start preparing the final meal of the retreat. Walter's pot of vegetable beef soup simmered on the stove as I began gathering ingredients for the banana pudding. Everything was measured and neatly organized on the prep table, and the vanilla wafers and bananas were anxiously awaiting for the yummy pudding to be prepared and poured over them.
The recipe called for 12 egg yolks. I had a bit of a problem separating the yolks and whites and finally decided to just put the entire egg in the recipe...all 12 eggs minus the shells! Okay, the really good cooks reading this are already shaking their head. 12 eggs, a gallon of milk, butter, sugar and flour in the specified amounts were placed on low heat. The recipe instructions were to stir constantly until thickened. An hour later, I'm still stirring and this stuff is not thickening. Actually, it looks like it's separating! OH No! Do I have enough eggs and milk to do this over again? More importantly, do I have enough time with lunch set for 12:30...being that it is 11:30 now? The panic begins, the sweat starts to bead up, and the grey hairs begin to multiply! And then Walter walks in to the kitchen...
He noticed my stress monitor escalating and stepped in to help. We rounded up another dozen eggs and gallon of milk, and began the process all over again. This time I only used the egg yolks! I followed the recipe to the T. 12:15 and I'm still stirring. This stuff is not getting thick. 12:25 and Walter is already bringing in the canned pudding to pour over the vanilla wafers and bananas that have been sitting in that pan for a long time. 12:30, the leader of the men's retreat checks in and asks if lunch is still on for 1 pm. Can you say relief? Can you say answered prayer? We decided to hold off on the canned pudding and continue our journey with this concoction on the stove. At 12:45, we decided to pour the mixture over the wafers and bananas and take our chances. Praise God, the pudding immediately started to thicken and the men loved it!
So, what did I learn from this experience?
1) Never use a recipe for a group that you haven't tested in your kitchen first. Okay, I'm going to say this again.... never use a recipe for a group until you've tested it first!
2) Always have enough ingredients to prepare the recipe twice.
3) Be grateful for Walter and Pam and remember that they are the official camp cooks!
4) Serving others with love may sometimes mean panic and a few more grey hairs.
5) Sticking to something I know a little more about (cleaning) and letting the professionals run the kitchen make me very happy and less stressed!
Can't let you leave without a bathroom project update! The dining room table is now our medicine cabinet, and we are all using the same bathroom... one-at-a-time, mind you! The sheet rock mud has been applied, dried, sanded, and the paint has been purchased. Yes, that event took a trip to Home Depot, then to Lowe's, and back to Home Depot...and we're still not sure the paint is exactly the color we asked for. May have to make another trip to Home Depot tomorrow to fix that problem! Thanks to those who've made suggestions on colors/decor for the remodeling job. I even have a contractor/friend on speed dial in case we need him to rush over and either save my marriage or referee the fight-in-progress. Good news, we haven't even had harsh words over this... yet!
Hope you have a great week!
I shared this recipe mishape with my Aunt Alice, and she laughed so hard! She was definitely one of those cooks shaking her head at your recipe disaster. Glad everything worked out though! Sounds like a winner of a recipe for the menu! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it is never dull at your house. Loved the story.
ReplyDelete