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- The Broiled Zucchini Cake and Other Adventures
The Broiled Zucchini Cake and Other Adventures
- By April Perry
- Published 06/18/2007
- Helpful Hints on How to Think
My Aunt Mary taught me to make the most delicious chocolate zucchini cake I have ever tasted. I could eat it for every meal…every day…for weeks. My self-control is in jeopardy when the cake and I are in the same room, so I only make it for special occasions when I am sure someone else will help me to devour it. A birthday celebration for my nephew provided the perfect opportunity to whip together this treasured treat, so I spent the morning of the party stealing licks of the batter before gently setting the cake into the oven.
Packing the diaper bag and tidying the kitchen kept me occupied while my three preschoolers played in the backyard. They would occasionally come into the kitchen for a drink of water or an opportunity to smear mud on the floor, but overall the morning sailed by smoothly.
Twenty-five minutes into the baking process, I sensed the potent smell of burning zucchini. “That can not be my cake.” I thought. “It still has 35 minutes to go, and I am sure I set the temperature to 400.” In spite of my hope that some other zucchini in our neighborhood had caught fire, the smell indeed came from my cake, and the oven knob clearly read “Broil.”
Over the next few weeks, I discovered that although my one-year-old could not turn the oven on, he could turn the temperature up--to broil. Everything got broiled if my little guy was not strapped tightly into his high chair. I could rest easy if fries were in the oven, but other than that, I became our family oven guard.
Yes, my son finally learned not to touch the oven, but more important, I learned that if you are a mother, you must be ready for the unexpected. If you want to be a sane mother, you must learn to enjoy the unexpected (in a twisted sort of way). This article is my way to ensure that my zucchini cake did not die in vain. If I can help even one mother become better at “rolling with the punches” of child-rearing, it will be worth the cost of our unintended burnt offering.
Packing the diaper bag and tidying the kitchen kept me occupied while my three preschoolers played in the backyard. They would occasionally come into the kitchen for a drink of water or an opportunity to smear mud on the floor, but overall the morning sailed by smoothly.
Twenty-five minutes into the baking process, I sensed the potent smell of burning zucchini. “That can not be my cake.” I thought. “It still has 35 minutes to go, and I am sure I set the temperature to 400.” In spite of my hope that some other zucchini in our neighborhood had caught fire, the smell indeed came from my cake, and the oven knob clearly read “Broil.”
Over the next few weeks, I discovered that although my one-year-old could not turn the oven on, he could turn the temperature up--to broil. Everything got broiled if my little guy was not strapped tightly into his high chair. I could rest easy if fries were in the oven, but other than that, I became our family oven guard.
Yes, my son finally learned not to touch the oven, but more important, I learned that if you are a mother, you must be ready for the unexpected. If you want to be a sane mother, you must learn to enjoy the unexpected (in a twisted sort of way). This article is my way to ensure that my zucchini cake did not die in vain. If I can help even one mother become better at “rolling with the punches” of child-rearing, it will be worth the cost of our unintended burnt offering.
Comments
Comment #1 (Posted by Debbie Sanders)
I have not yet learned to laugh at the little surprises my children throw at me. I try everyday and hopefully I will get it soon for the sake of everyone's sanity. Cute story. Thanks.