Reflections from my small kitchen..

Something about the onset of winter has me baking and cooking in the kitchen. I love to cook but I love it even more when the wind is blowing and it is rainy or snowing out. It just makes me feel all snug and cozy and warm. 

I have to tell you too, I have the world's smallest kitchen. Seriously. It is a very small counter and the kitchen can fit two people in it at once, if they squeeze tight. But it doesn't stop me. And it didn't stop my grandma either. This kitchen may be small, but it produced our family's Thanksgiving dinner every year when I was kid, forever and ever. My grandma made it all too~ turkey, mashed potatoes, green veggies, pies of all kinds, and my very favorite, Yorkshire Pudding. Just thinking about that Yorkshire Pudding brings tears to my eyes, with missing her. It was always made last, and we all anxiously awaited its arrival at the table, fresh from the oven. My uncle and I are both end piece lovers, and I remember being very little and hoping that when it made its way to me, there was an end piece left. 

So now, when I bake in the very same kitchen, I think of my grandma, and I feel so connected to her and those family holidays.

One thing I made recently is this Challah bread.

 Raspberry-Sea Salt Challah from Girl Versus Dough. 

She made hers with fig as well, but I don't care for fig so I left it out. It turned out so good! The process for me was messy and slow going ~ it took me five hours as I am not an experienced challah maker at all! But the end results were pretty and tasty, and I was pretty darn proud of myself. I think my grandma would have been too. 

I've also been churning out my own version of Spicy Vegetable soup by the potful, and assorted pastas, including the Pioneer Woman's Mac and Cheese. I love that stuff and could eat it every day! My husband was even hit by the baking bug, and made the most delicious Madeline's, so light and lemony, that I enjoyed one morning for breakfast. 

Of course, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving as well. I plan to make Nantucket Cranberry Pie, which I made last year, and it seemed like people liked it. 

Baking pie was a specialty of my grandma's. She always made her own pie crust by hand, and I loved to sneak the scraps of dough to eat. People say there isn't a difference between homemade and frozen crust, but maybe that is because they haven't had quality homemade crust, like my grandma used to make. 

Food is memory, is sensory. Food is family, and love. I think of all those memories of my grandma, of baking shortbread with my mother, of baking now in my little kitchen that has seen so many meals, the kitchen I will bake in for my own child one day soon, and there is something soothing and wonderful about it all. 

All Hallows Eve - Past, Present, Future

 

 

 

It's Halloween! I love Halloween, it's my favorite holiday of the year. I love the costumes, the creativity, the scary stories, and of course, the candy. When I was a kid I had to miss a lot of Halloweens because I was always sick this time of year, but I would remember the excitement of trick-or-treaters coming to the door. I also remember my own mad dashes around the neighborhood, with my full pillowcase thumping against my legs, usually on a wet or chilly night. Streets were lit up with porch lights, as everyone had them turned on, and the sidewalks were so crowded that you often had to wait your turn to get up on a porch, as there would always be a group ahead of you and one behind you as well. Trick-or-treating seemed to last forever, until you finally couldn't carry anymore (or your parents were tired of traipsing around), and you went home to dump your booty all over the living room floor. When I was a kid there were these stories of poison candy or razor blades stuck inside, so police stations would scan your candy, or your parents would just go through your stash with a fine tooth comb, and if anything looked slightly sketchy it went right into the garbage.

 

 

Now, I love handing out candy. I love seeing all the kids in their costumes, and you can sense their joy, and sometimes shyness, with this holiday. I always overbuy candy, in hopes that the huge crowds of yesteryear find their way to my doorstep, but for some reason, they don't come in droves, but in trickles. I am not sure why this has changed, as it is my generation, the generation who grew up owning the streets on Halloween, parading their kids around. I am already looking forward to next year, when my little guy will have his first Halloween. He will not be a year old yet, more like 6 months so I am sure we won't trick-or-treat, but a costume will still happen. I already have one in my mind, but that is subject to change, a million times I am sure.

 

I think when passing out candy though, there are a few things to remember. First, not every kid is the same. Some have special needs that change their Halloween - my nephew is one of these children. He is nonverbal although gaining more words everyday, and has a difficult time saying Trick-or-treat. And he is not the only one. I found this graphic that I always like to pass on every year.

 

 

I also read an article earlier this year, and thought what a great perspective about those older kids who come to our doors, half dressed in costume, half not. Check it out here. One last thing - this is a time of year when many pets get lost or injured, So keep them safe as well this year. Here are a few tips to keep them safe and sound.

 

So while I wait for the time I can take my son trick-or-treating, I will keep on passing out candy to all comers, big or small, one and all. This is a holiday for everyone, a time for imagination, creativity - a time to dream and pretend, and most of all, a time for fun.