As my new friend drove up to our house for our first playdate, I was tempted to throw the crumbly failure into the compost bucket and let the chickens enjoy it. What started as a simple attempt to do something kind for a friend that suspected gluten sensitivities threatened to turn into a humiliating moment for me. I am not a master chef or anything, but I consider myself a decent baker (let's not talk about the time I made the healthiest pumpkin pie ever--I forgot the sugar). I LOVE baking! Just take one look at my flourless chocolate cake, and you can see it was a flop. My nursing-room buddy from church was coming over to our house and had let me know that her daughter was celebrating a birthday. She also shared that they were looking at going gluten-free because of some health issues with her kids.
I thought this would be the perfect chance to try a recipe for "Flourless Chocolate Cake". She told me not to go to any trouble; but since Mr. Blue Eyes woke up when it was time to run that morning, I decided to try. The recipe called for a spring-form pan, but I don't have one. I was inspired in the middle of the night to use my flan pans, and I decided it would be perfect! Surely, it was God who brought this to mind, so I could make the perfect cake to go along with the perfect friendship. I could fill the little well on top with freshly whipped cream and maybe use a cherry or strawberry for garnish. As I scraped the cake out of the cooled flan pan, I remembered something about parchment paper...apparantly it was more important than I remembered.
Little Carrie let out an empathetic "Aww!" when she saw how disappointed I was. Then, I took a deep breath, said a prayer, and did something I never do...I tasted my flopped cake attempt. My mom is forever telling me not to worry about what something looks like. She says, "If it tastes good, who cares?" Well, things like my pride do. I tasted a crumb and then another. It tasted really good. Even Carrie and Grace were asking for more. I decided to serve it despite the appearances.
I am forever struggling with remembering that my worth is not defined by my performance or my appearnce, but only by what God thinks of me. If I learned anything from Jill Savage's book "No More Perfect Moms", it was that being real and flawed was the way to a more authentic and happy existence. It paves the way for others to relax and let go of their "perfection infection" as Jill puts it. (Did you know she is coming out with a new book called "No More Perfect Kids" co-authored by Kathy Koch? Guess who's on the launch team, reading a sneak preview right now??) I'd thought of the book a lot and it's advice on choosing to take the first step towards other moms and being a "there you are person" instead of waiting for someone else to make the first step. Last week, I copied and put all my favorite gluten-free recipes in a binder for my new friend. I've had dear friends in the past who've changed their lifestyles for allergies and sensitivities, and I've seen how overwhelming it can be to get started. I thought this could help my new friend, but maybe I'd look a little over eager for friendship. I took a chance at looking dumb, and she said she really liked it. She asked Mary if she knew "How cool your mom is?" Thankfully, Mary just smiled instead of contradicting her.
We had an awesome playdate. Everyone really liked the cake, including the birthday girl (who talked her reluctant little sister into trying some). Click here for the recipe in case you want to try it (and own a spring-form pan). I thought my friend would leave around eleven thirty, but instead we chatted so much that they stayed well past one. I found out that we have lots to talk about, like essential oils and homeschooling.
Maybe God had given me the idea for the flan pan...to give me a slice of humble pie (cake)...and the gift of an authentic friendship.
What's your favorite gluten-free recipe or web-site? I'd love to pass it on to my friend!
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