Cooking Up Memories
I love breakfast food.
Oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, spun honey, orange slices, Cream of Wheat, abelskievers, German pancakes, melon, bacon, Christmas Strata, sausage, omelets, fresh berries, orange juice, French Toast, crepes, hot chocolate, homemade jam and butter on everything.
Breakfast is delicious. Breakfast is my comfort food. Pure love!
Breakfast reminds me of being at the cabin. The fire burning in the wood stove and my Grammy making her famous pancakes that no one can seem to replicate. It reminds me of growing up and my mom making a big pot of Cream of Wheat before school. We’d sweeten our steaming bowls with honey and milk then scoop up the cereal with toast instead of spoons. It reminds me of eating millions of ableskievers topped with homemade buttermilk syrup at the New Years Day breakfast at my Nana’s house. It reminds me of Saturday mornings when my dad made waffles and spun honey to top them with. Or birthday breakfasts with friends over and everyone still wearing pajamas. Or the camping trip when Jason and I ruined scrambled eggs and then ate them anyway, laughing the whole time.
Now, I cook breakfast just about everyday for my family. For sure every weekend. Sometimes for dinner during the week! Something about cooking this simple meal stirs up good memories and love. Sometimes cooking does that to me. Helps me realize that I’m not just nourishing their bodies with this food- but really showing them how much they mean to me, how much I love them. Sharing something I love with people I love! It’s amazing how food does this. How it can stir up memories or help you recall old times- or make a new memory. Of course, no post of mine would be complete without a list…so here are a few other favorite foodie memories of mine:
- Having root-beer floats always remind me of my Great-Grandma Foulger. I was lucky enough to grow up with this great woman, and cook. She made all sorts of fabulous dishes and desserts. But one of the things I remember most was going to her house and she’d always have the fixings for a root-beer float. And my mom would always let us have one- no matter how close to dinner!
- My mom’s “specialty dinner” is pork chops and rice. It is divine! I know she says that the recipe is easy, but somehow mine never turn out quite as moist or delicious as hers. This simple meal reminds me of Thanksgiving- when my mom hosts the Gratitude Dinner with all my siblings and we talk about all the things we’re grateful for. It’s this grand display of my mother’s love for parties and family all mixed-up in one.
- Peanut butter bars make me think of connecting with other women and becoming friends. The “no-matter-what” kind that you don’t feel embarrassed to come over in your pajamas or cry in front of. And I think that is the best kind.
- Meatloaf has always been on my top ten list of favorite foods. But one meatloaf, in particular, reminds me of Jason. He made this for me on one of our earlier dates as well as several special occasions in our marriage. (Do Friday nights count as “special occasions”?) He has two specialties: meatloaf with Jones Special Sauce and Chicken Enchiladas. Whenever it’s his turn to cook, I’m treated to one of these delicious and satisfying meals. As both are fairly labor intensive, I know I’m loved!
Smells, tastes, sounds…they all can remind us of a spark of memory or a flash of a loved one.
So really it’s not just breakfast.
It’s love.
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Cooking Up Memories
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