Comforting Routine
I wind my lemon-studded apron around me and tie it off with a behind-the-back-bow.
I let the air escape my lungs as I spread my apron out, ready for action.
I approach the cabinets, ready to disperse their contents and make them into something new.
I remove the flours, many now, after gluten has been kicked out of my diet. Quinoa, almond, and tapioca flours, assembled in a row…and don’t forget the xantham gum, or it will be too crumbly. I measure the flour one by one, and drop them into the clear glass container. Spoon at the ready, I swirl them together. Baking soda, baking powder, and salt next. Stir again.
Next bowl please. Time for the “wet” ingredients. Three bananas: peel and plop, peel and plop, peel and plop. Mash, mash, mash, and mash some more. Time for the eggs. Crack, splat, crack, splat. Then whisk to perfection. Now, do I go with the more delectable brown sugar, or the more glycemic-friendly maple syrup today? Maple it is. Still a delicious decision. I pour it in slowly and watch the amber liquid ooze out among the chamomile-colored ingredients. A dash of vanilla, and a good stir with the spoon, and this bowl is done. Time to combine.
I softly sift the flour into the bowl, cup by cup, stirring carefully and methodically so flour doesn’t fluff out of the bowl. At last, the dry and wet ingredients are one, laying silky smooth in the bowl. I spray a loaf pan, and set it down. Then, slowly transfer the silky substance into the pan. I add a generous sprinkling of chocolate morsels. And clang it into the oven, closing the door with a thud. Click, click, click, I set the timer, and sit down with a plop, needing a minute to sit before I begin the cleanup. In a moment of breaths, I am ready for action again. As I wash the counter and put away the ingredient containers, I smell the warm scent of banana bread wafting to my nose. And I feel at home and at peace.
What routines or activities are calming and grounding for you? Cooking, gardening, writing, and paddleboarding are a few of my favorites. How about you?