Sunday, September 11, 2011

Sunday Afternoon in Pleasantville

The house has this rare "perfect mom" feel to it today. Clean wood floors and newly vacuumed rugs (clearly someone needed a little alone time), a running dishwasher, the hushed sounds of a snoozing baby playing over the monitor and the smell of baked oatmeal with raspberry and walnut wafting into the playroom.
Clean floors! Rejoice! Perfect for a game of Boggle...or, to stare in confusion at this thing that your parents call a game, but doesn't seem to be a game at all...

I love that moment when batter becomes baked good. You mix your eggs, milk, flour, sugar etc. grease the 9x13 and place this promising pan of gloppy goop into a preheated oven. I am so impatient in those first few minutes (this is why I do best with cookies--10 minutes to bliss), but I find, each time, that the wait is SO worth it. As soon as I catch the first tantalizing whiff of my baking treasure, I shift into relax.
Fresh out of the oven. Baked Oatmeal with Raspberry and Walnuts

Right now, the aroma of cinnamon, brown sugar and raspberry is making a lovely introduction. With it comes the giddy excitement of a three-year-old who was promised sweet things if listening ears proved to be "on" and the contentment of a mom who rarely gets to make such promises--not because of poor behavior, but because of limited time to do things that moms are supposed to do.

Soon the dishwasher will need to be emptied, the rug will be a less than chic dog hair shag, the baby will cry and the oatmeal will be gone, but, for now, I'll just enjoy the perfection.
Baked oatmeal, will you marry me?