Getting It Right...Occasionally: Cooking With Kalisha

When I use the words 'cooking' and Kalisha in the same sentence, it is a bit of a stretch. She is totally afraid of anything hot; REALLY HOT.
Her idea of cooking is making a baloney sandwich or ordering at a fast food restaurant, bringing the food home and putting it on a plate.
She will drink hot chocolate but doesn't want to hold the cup in her hands. She will let it set until it cools.
I had tried, over the years, to have her help with some little things when I was preparing a meal, but usually to no avail. She makes a great salad and her sandwiches are good, if you like an ample amount of mayo or mustard. :)
One of the goals set for her was to make a menu for one meal, purchase the necessary food and then prepare it, with help. She gets the menu part right and she does pretty well at selecting the food, but just can't quite bring herself to turn the burner on.

I tried to help by purchasing oven mitts that came almost to her elbows. Of course they were hard for her to put on and once they were on, she looked like a person with her arms in casts. We laughed a lot and decided that they would be better used as puppets. We could paint a face on them and the black rubberized part would be the mouth.

I thought perhaps a little toaster oven would be just the thing! It wouldn't have any flame and it is small. What was I thinking!?! It still gets hot and Kalisha was afraid of it.

This, I decided, was one of those hills that I was not going to climb. Microwaves are wonderful inventions and Kalisha knows how to work the microwave just fine. I have had well-meaning people tell me, "Well, you surely don't want her to eat out of a microwave for the rest of her life, do you?" You know what? It is fine with me (and with Kalisha).

Now, here is a strange thing. My very good Amish friend, Rosemary, had baked an angel food cake when we were at her house for a meal. Kalisha loved it and kept asking Rosemary, "When can I make one?"

Rosemary told her that she would help her make it if she really wanted to do it.

I didn't think it was possible to make an angel food cake in a microwave, so I wasn't sure how this was going to play out, but Rosemary knew all about Kalisha and her 'cooking issues' and if she was game, so was I.

She and her husband, Noah, came on a Saturday and while Noah was fixing our deck, Rosemary told Kalisha, "Okay, let's get it done."

She guided her every step of the way and just kept talking. Kalisha whipped the egg whites, added sugar, etc. Rosemary did put it in the oven. It turned out absolutely beautiful!! It was higher than any angel food cake that I ever baked. Kalisha was so proud of it she almost didn't want to eat it. Almost!

I thought we were on a new cooking roll, but she only did it for Rosemary. She never wanted to make another one.

This post is dedicated to our very good friend, Rosemary, who went home to her Lord in 2010, due to cancer. I know she would be happy to share her angel food cake recipe with all of you.

ROSEMARY'S ANGEL FOOD CAKE

BEAT together until soft peaks form:

2 c. egg whites

1 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

ADD by beating into egg white mixture:

1 1/3 c. sugar

(3oz. box of dry gelatin if you want a colored cake) OPTIONAL

FOLD IN:

1 1/4 c cake flour

1/2 c. sugar