> If someone needs to see a marriage counselor over a stupid bag of flour
> then they definitely have problems.

You are so right. While visiting grandparents years ago, ran out of
disposable diapers. It seemed so simple, I went with Grandpa to check
the cattle, Grandma stayed with great grand daughter during nap, Dad
went to get more diapers. He asked me what brand, my answer "Anything
"EXCEPT" Pampers. Guess what I found on daughter when I returned?

As far as flour goes, attitude makes the results different. Some
observations regarding therapeutic cooking from my mother's kitchen:

Yeast breads and noodles are better made when angry. You are more
likely to mix the dough more and knead it harder, maybe even get to
puch it down and let it rise again. It takes a lot of energy rolling
out noodles. By the time they are ready to cut, you have either calmed
down a lot, or you will really enjoy cutting them up into noodles. (If
Mom was really on a roll, she'd cut the noodles vigorously with one of
her longest sharpest knives. They'd be crooked and irregular lengths,
but would taste great.)

Pie crust and cookie dough will be tough for the same reason. Best
made when you really want to do something "special", but don't think
you have time. Cut the flour into the shortening, oil, butter or
lard, or cream the eggs, butter, and sugar, but be gentle when mixing
flour with liquid. Handle it lightly and quickly, no more than
necessary to get it to stick together to roll.

Mom made the best cream pies and custards. Beautiful meringues, were a
work of art. I always thought they were time consuming, fussy, and
messy. I still hate double boilers and separating eggs. It took years
for me to figure out that Mom made cream pies on Dad's days off from
work.

Nancy G.