A Dinner Fit for a Hard-Working Elitist

[Ellen Forradalom]

It's my kinda-sorta-ex-husband's birthday. I am making dinner with the theme "Hard-Working Elitists" (to bridge the political divide.) I am preparing a rack of lamb (for the boys; I'm staying vegetarian), pilaf and arugula salad, with Syrah wine from the central coast of California.

Our son and I are baking a chocolate Bundt cake from a Good Housekeeping recipe. Baking is a terrific thing to do with school age kids. He got to practice reading directions, figuring fractions, finding all the verbs in the recipe, as well as see some techniques like separating eggs.

Should be a very pleasant dinner.

[DarkTirade]

1. My parents taught us how to bake a little bit when I was a kid.

Served me well then, and served me well when I went off to college too.

Also served my parents well, because with a little bit of work, they could let us make dinner now and then and save themselves a lot of work in the long run. :)

[Ellen Forradalom]

2. My mother called these "survival skills."

Fixing a meal, baking, laundry, typing, and more. She made damn sure we learned 'em.

My mother got me started on baking and sewing young and I took off from there. Produced lots of cookies, cakes and pies which were much appreciated by the family. I remember in particular one evening in high school when I made a huge batch of chocolate-chip cookies which my brothers chomped down all evening while working on their senior skit. Nothing left in the morning, not even crumbs. Damn. Teenage boys ;-)

[DarkTirade]

3. I wish I'd learned to sew earlier. :)

Had to teach myself once I got off to college. As soon as we were able to reach the top of the washer we had to do our own laundry though. And I was typing 90 WPM or so back in middle school. :)