A HOUSE FULL OF LOVE

There are three people in my life whose handwriting I recognize without fail: my mum’s, my grandma’s, and my great-grandmother’s.

I never met my great-grandmother. She passed away fifty years ago, long before I was born. Her meticulous handwriting, though, is instantly recognizable because of the many recipes she compiled on index cards throughout her life. Those cards eventually made their way to the little yellow and red tin box that sits on the ledge of my mum’s kitchen stove, recipes handed down from mother to daughter, generation to generation.

With recipes from this box, my mum filled my childhood meals with many different stews, salads, and breads. She filled our house with scents that reminded her of the grandmother she grew up missing. She shared with me her love of baking, the same love her mother passed down to her.

I’ve been lucky enough to have my grandma in my life and the opportunity to explore this joy of baking with her. I always know there is a holiday, bake sale, or special event around the corner when I enter my grandma’s kitchen and find her cutting board and counters stained hot pink from maraschino cherries. They seem to be a staple in most of her baking, adding a sweet, candy-like filling to her cherry loaves, and a pretty topper to the centre of her shortbread cookies.

For Christmas one year, my grandma gave me the Betty Crocker Cookbook, and it soon became my go-to source for recipes. By far, my favourite recipe is for their gingersnaps: soft, chewy cookies with just a little bit of crackle. Nothing seems to ease the transition from summer to fall quite like a house filled with the rich aroma of molasses, cinnamon, and ginger.

To me, the smell of baking reminds me of coming in from the cold, and the anticipation of special events and get-togethers. For Aurie Hargrove, the protagonist in my novel, Somewhere Picking Dandelions, the smell of gingerbread cookies reminds her that she comes from a loving home. When her Momma unexpectedly leaves to stay in the hospital, the comfort of her mother’s ever present love is quickly torn away. Despite the sudden absence of her mother, the smell of gingerbread brings a positive memory for Aurie, one of being loved, cared for, and wanted.

I write because I have stories inside me that need to be told. I share these stories with others who will hopefully find some sense of joy within their pages. I bake for the same reason, to share something with others to let them know that I am thinking of them, that I want them to feel loved, just as the women in my family did before me. So, in the spirit of sharing warmth and love, I would like to pass along my favourite gingerbread recipe, the one from the Betty Crocker cookbook that my family and I have enjoyed for many years. I invite you to make these cookies, indulge in them with your loved ones, and let them know you’re thinking of them too.

#writinginspiration #gingerbreadcookies