While The Kitchen has a multitude of traditions that simply cannot be skipped lest the world come to an abrupt end it is also open to changes and learning the many lessons that life seems to throw its way.
One Christmas traditional must is a thorough cleaning of the closet when the less is more mantra is chanted repeatedly. “Less is more. Toss.” Followed by, “Less, toss, is more. Toss!” Such is a woman’s problem when her closet is outrageously over-sized compared to her delightfully small house. The closet begs to be filled; then it must be emptied in June and December. Less is more. I get that. Or do I?
As the Christmas season approached and the days began to be scheduled and filled to overflowing the reigning queen of The Kitchen was stricken with a severe case of analysis paralysis. What should I bake next? My days are jam packed. My bake time is limited, and I could not seem to figure out which baking tins to pull out. How much flour should I measure? Sugar? Butter? Delightful spices and candied fruits? What to do? What to do?
I had a stack of 18 baking books from my local library strewn about my living room floor. Can’t I find something new in this large assortment of lovely bakes? I could make something with cardamom! Something infused with tea! Cookies! Candies! A Christmas sweet loaf! The possibilities are endless. Why am I paralyzed?
Then it struck me. Less is more. I have overwhelmed my little pea brain. It conjugates and declines with the day job Latin students and comes home needing a rest. It needs to sift and cream and sprinkle; nothing more. My poor brain was overwhelmed with so many options. Fortunately, the solution was easy. I promptly schlepped the stack of 18 lovelies back to my local library and thus freed myself to enjoy the less as I baked the more.
Now I need to get busy and empty that silly closet.
“Less, toss, is more. Toss!”