Happy Birthday, SHELLA

Springtime, for me always includes thoughts of you, Shell, for this is the time of year when you arrived on this earth. Along with the promise of fresh air, lovely flowers and sweet, warm days, your smile and sweetness have always been easy to love.
Like a rainbow, you brought color to our family as you grew from that tiny baby into the beautiful woman you are today.

Uniquely Shell:
Instead of a blanket, you preferred to pinch my elbow as you nursed.

You could say your ABC's as easily backwards as forward. This, before you were three years old.

You frightened me and always got my attention when, as a baby,you seemed to pass out by crying and holding your breath.

You were eager to go to school before you were four, willing to take your brother's place in kindergarten (even as he was determined to drop out).

You visited each family on the block, giving them updates on neighborhood news (mostly stuff about us, since, at age 4, that's really all you knew about).

You eagerly played the part of student while your older sister conducted her version of school..all in her pretend classroom.

Always curious, your school years resulted in consistently high marks.

On your 8th birthday we awoke to 8 inches of fresh snow...the bicycle you got as a birthday gift had to be set aside for a while.

You were always the peacemaker, smoothing out disputes between your sister and brother.

You blew up our water bed...Ooohhh that's a story for another post!

As a co-owner in our restaurant, I discovered what a fantastic manager and communicator you are and how much the younger employees looked to you as a role model.

You have become such a beautiful, gracious, loving adult....someone I am proud to know.


There's so much more to say.....but really, mostly, I want to say happy, happy birthday, SHELLA!

Food Memories

Greetings and Happy New Year from Ter.  I was thinking this morning, while preparing a big Sunday brunch, about how food has shaped my life and created many memories.  Like most families, ours has been shaped by food and drink.  Just like G blogged about Grandma Kate teaching her to bake bread, my G has done the same for me.  I remember being a little girl, Grandma's "Petite Little Flower" as she so affectionaltely called my sister and myself, and experiencing so many cool food-related things with her.

I remember the picnics on Grandma's living room floor and that drool-worthy homemade cheese sauce she made to top our pasta (that I have NEVER been able to accurately duplicate.).  I remember the Christmas Crepes that were tradition for so many years.  I recall the Cinnamon toast, the monkey bread, the snow ice cream.  I remember getting into her magical car (named Bermelda Lou) once a week and trekking around Northern Wisconsin in search of the best pie.  I remember traveling to Minnesota with Grandma and Grandpa and ordering a hamburger at the Vietnamese restaurant we stopped at.  Yes, you read that correctly.   Although I was too little to remember it, story goes that Grandma and Aunt Shell took me to a Chinese restaurant when I was tiny.  Something about me spitting an almond across the room, or squeezing coffee creamers until they exploded.  They would need to clarify that one...:)  Either way, my point is = family + food = stories. 

The power of food tradition is so strong.  I am enjoying forming new food traditions with my husband.  We go for our clam chowder every other week, which I have already written about... but one of my favorite new things is the mystery of my Friday night drives home from work --wondering what toppings Andy has developed for the pizza this week.  Sometimes it's cilantro, tomato and onion pizza fries -- another time kalamata olives, grape leaves and crispy ham, or crab and spices.  I love Friday mystery pizza night. It's always so good.



Golden funnel cake goodness

As I write this, I am preparing our latest once-in-a-while indulgence- funnel cakes.  This time around the funnel cakes have a bit of cinnamon and rum in them (We tend to rumify everything we can).  I just snuck a piece and it's quite good.   -->

husband's cup and thick "grogg"

<-- Coupled with our spiced Vermont Country Blend Coffee, this is shaping up to be a tasty day.  Another one of husband's newest concoctions is a grogg for his coffee.  It's a thick mixture of raw honey, molasses, cinnamon, fresh ground nutmeg, maple syrup, vanilla and ginger.  We didn't use a recipe - we just hit the pantry and started throwing things into the jug.  It's pretty sweet, but a little goes a long way, making for an earthy, spicy cup that you could never buy in a coffee shop.


Last week we experienced our first Nor'easter (which was easy-peasy compared to the blinstering WI winters we are accustomed to) and were blanket with beautiful, fluffy -glittery snow, perfect for making some of that snow ice cream that G taught me as a kiddo.  A huge, mounded bowl of fresh *WHITE* snow, when mixed with some simple staples, becomes an incredible delicacy.  We took some culinary liberties this time around and added maple syrup - and yes, spiced rum.  Very good!  Below you will find the recipe from the cookbook G wrote... another wonderful memory is trying out all of the foods as she wrote the book...and what a super special thing for a little girl to have a recipe named after her and published?    G's the coolest.

The recipe from G's cookbook...

       

Our 2013 Maple and Spiced Rum Snow Ice Cream

I will leave you with one more memory - that I am reminded of often.  Below is a photo of my cubicle at work... the framed item was given to me by G in a card for my birthday a few years ago.  I believe it sums this post up better than I could ever hope to.  

"The most important things to do are to get something to eat, something to drink, and somebody to love you." - Brenda Ueland.

Happy feasting -- with family.  A lesson I have learned - family is what [and who] you make it.

What are your favorite food memories? Please comment below and share!

-Kate's Granddaughter