Holidays are definitely the Superbowl for the aspiring home baker. As soon as the air gets crisp in fall the wheels start turning with grand plans for all the lovely delights which will be baked and distributed over the next few months. This year has been no different....
On a visit to Williams Sonoma i noticed a very cute and yummy looking package of homemade marshmallows. They were, get this, almost $15! The Martha and Alton Brown in me immediately called "I can do that."
So, a few hours Internet research and a quick trip to the store later, i began my homemade marshmallow adventure. Not one flavor...that's for novelist, TWO flavors were in the works.
I began with original vanilla. Which, just so you know, is the flavor of all standard mallows. What a process...softening gelatin in just the right temperature and amount of water. Boiling sugar and syrup to the exact degree. Stirring a little but not too much. Nervously babysitting the candy thermometer until the sugar had boiled to a nice "soft ball" stage. Then, the big show...incorporating at precisely the right speed the boiling sugar to the softened gelatin. The Kitchen Aid mixer set to low and gradually being worked to high over the course of 15 minutes. At this point i waited, holding my breath, fingers crossed....would it work?
You can imagine the accomplished smirk on my face when after 10 minutes of whipping i checked the bowl and a beautiful white cloud of fluff was emerging! Once done mixing i carefully spread the oober sticky mix into a heavily sugared pan and then waited. and waited. and waited.
The mallows take a minimum 3-4 hours to set up in the pan. So, while vanilla batch #1 processed i started the whole game over again, this time making peppermint.
Somewhere in the region of 2 am i finally began to cut the perfect white and pink fluff. Not easy, however not as difficult as i had imagined. Once the cute cubes were cut they rolled in confectioners sugar and were laid to rest for yet another hour.
Around 3am i began the... bag em, bow em, and tag em process. They were as i had dreamed. A lovely replica of an overpriced bag of fluff at one of my most revered stores. I slipped into bed close to 4 with a very satisfied feeling of accomplishment.
Now, you can imagine my excitement to distribute my culinary wonders the next morning. Without hesitation i began "blessing" willing patrons with my creations. Bows were untied, hands slid into the clear treat bags, and mouths were filled with mallow. I was ecstatic to see smiles come across the faces of my friends, even happier to receive compliments such as;
"You made these from scratch, NO WAY!"
"Oh my goodness, these are awesome"
"These definitely are the best marshmallows i have ever tasted"
"This must have taken forever?"
and indeed, it had been a long and involved labor of love.
Just as i was about to mark this one down in the books of "Melodys Moments of Success"....a friend (who shall remain nameless out of the kindness of my heart) was offered a marshmallow by his wife.
He took a mallow, tried a bite, and preceded to say "What's the big deal? Can't you just buy marshmallows at the store?"
SERIOUSLY...are you KIDDING me?
Now, my anonymous friend is a button pusher. I do believe he especially enjoys dialing my number. I was not completely crushed, just un-saddled briefly.
I quickly replied with a sarcastic "whatever!" ....knowing that the treats were good, and yummy, and cute.....how could they not be, i invested so much!
As i sat looking at a bag of pink and white marshmallow remnants in my kitchen this morning, i recalled the words of my button pushing friend and shook my head grinning.
It was at that moment I felt God speaking to me, deep down, a heart message to bring reflection and change.
Is my relationship with God store bought?
When i am having a craving do i go to the cabinet and pull out the bag of devotion e-mails, 10 minutes with God books, a Sunday night in the pew, or a last minute bedtime prayer.
Am i really investing in getting to know my Creator?
I was immediately convicted. I certainly have all the ingredients to make an authentic, original, fresh and new walk with God. Yet, so many times i find myself, for convenience sake, reaching for the store bought God. Munching on what He has revealed to someone else, digesting just enough to calm my hunger.
What a reminder that what God desires of me is dedication. So many times He is approached with a hurried hand in the bag grabbing for whatever I need at the time. And i think sometimes He must want to say...
"SERIOUSLY....are you KIDDING me?"
Instead he chooses to gently use a marshmallow remind me what commitment means.
Hebrews 6:12 "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised"
