Savoring the Old Ways

Sometimes the old ways are the best.

Younger folks might disagree, and claim that my old-school ways are too outdated. But I don't care.

I recently decided to make some beef stew. Although I seldom eat red meat, the cloudy and cold day made me yearn for some hearty beef stew. I gathered a few ingredients, and then I realized that I should probably refer to a recipe to make sure I did everything correctly and didn't forget anything important.

There is a limitless number of beef stew recipes online, but I reached for my old, tattered and stained Betty Crocker cookbook, something I have had for close to 50 years. A previous dog ripped the spine, but the contents are still in one piece.

There is something comforting in referring to an old standby rather than following a recipe on my tablet, although it's a lot easier to read on the tablet. My eyes aren't what they used to be, but I muddled through reading the smaller font in the book. 

The book is like an old friend, familiar and comforting. The tablet is more like a newer, younger friend. Both are valuable, but for different reasons. Whichever recipe I follow will be seasoned with my experience and preferences. The recipe is like a roadmap to my destination. Although I might take a different route to get there, the destination is the same.

I don't remember who gave me the Betty Crocker cookbook so many years ago. It may have been a wedding gift from someone long forgotten, as is the marriage.

Regardless, it brings me comfort and warmth on a very cold and windy winter day.