Creative Takes Work

Happy Thanksgiving!

In a few minutes, I have to start a variety of Thanksgiving dinner preparations. I'm going to bake pumpkin pies, roast a turkey. create a apple, cranberry, grape salad, boil some potatoes--you know, the list goes on. All the while, I'm going to try not to eat very much. I don't want to gain weight between now and Christmas. Practicing self-discipline and thanksgiving is my goal for today.

Before I start my kitchen tasks, I thought I'd report in on my attempt to be more creative. Last week I told you I'd let you know how I did.

Earlier this week, I was looking for something that didn't include turkey to make for my extended family who were coming to dinner the evening before Thanksgiving (yesterday).

A friend suggested, "You could use my pasta making machine and make your own pasta. It's messy but creative."

Perfect, I thought. You may recall that my goal for the week was to try something creative regardless of the mess.

So yesterday, I made pasta for 13. The process is time consuming. It includes mixing and kneading the dough. Kneading is hard work. I was sweating (honestly) as I kneaded each batch for 12 minutes. Of course, that could be because our wood stove was burning on high (the temperature outside was 29).

The kneaded dough must sit for 30 minutes and then you put it through a roller multiple times before you put it through the pasta cutter. I thought my kids and nieces and nephews (and one soon to be nephew-in-law) would want to watch and help. They watched a moment and then disappeared.

Every one commented again and again, "That looks like so much work. Why are you doing it? Why not just get pasta from the box?"

Which made me think that our fast-food, everything-available-in-a -box culture inhibits creativity. I was (honestly) having fun. The pasta was so scrumptious. No one asked for boxed pasta when it came time to eat.

While I was rolling pasta, my husband was outside making a snow-sculpture. (The kids wouldn't help him either. A few years ago they would've begged and begged to help.) My brother-in-law said, "Steve's so creative."

Remember, Steve's the one who thinks he's not creative!

Well, I've gotta go start those pies.