Christmas Kitchen

Here’s this week’s reflection. I hope it resonates with you and ask that, if you enjoyed, please comment and share on your social media. Heartfelt thanks for all your support!

Keeping the light on for you,

Carol

The pilot light’s whiff of natural gas readies twin caverns in the behemoth 1940s Chambers Range. High octane coffee in avocado green melamine cups jump starts the holiday baking marathon for a well-seasoned 10-year-old and her favorite grandmother. It’s the early 70’s and caffeinated coffee (yes, even for the younger set) is the elixir of inspiration as pans clang and beaters whirl. Como, Crosby, Martin, and Sinatra croon while the official Blue Bowl of Goodness makes its way to the counter. 

A delicate rose border inside the familiar stoneware vessel belies the brawn that will be measured, scooped, poured, and folded into the sweet perpetuity of family history. Its deep, straight sides and satisfying heft have stood the test of time in a kitchen of sugar-junkies. This crock, along with lovingly stained handwritten recipe cards, has been part and parcel of every yuletide I’ve known since birth. A few minor chips attest to the patina of years spent nourishing generations and sharing delicious history. The soft blue of the bowl mirrors my grandmother’s eyes, ones that have witnessed both joy and trial. But it is Christmas, and all tribulation has been relegated to a back burner.    

Food is love, so too this annual ritual. Conversation flows between child and elder. What Santa may bring, where lights twinkle in town, and how many types of cookies to bake are the essential topics of the morning. Without fail there will be crispy sugar cookies, rolled thin and topped with cinnamon, sugar, and chopped nuts – a recipe from my great aunt. Also on the Nice List are Noel Balls – small spheres of buttery pecan shortbread rolled in powdered sugar to resemble the snowy outdoors. The wild cards for the season will undoubtedly contain chocolate; the most decadent option on the Naughty List.   

Carbohydrate production soars full speed ahead, just like a certain sleigh leaving the North Pole. Dough is rolled, cut and frequently tasted for quality assurance; it would be blasphemous to serve treats not officially inspected and approved by the bakers.  

The day begins with warm beverages and ends with warm hugs and full bellies. A comfy recline with Grandma to watch The Carol Burnet Show or Lawrence Welk is the perfect wind down from a day making memories and deeper connection. My smooth young hand rests securely in the grasp of one shaped and stiffened by toil and arthritis, both warm, in love entwined. 

Fifty years later these are my most coveted memories as tree lights twinkle and my grandmother’s Shiny Brite ornaments now grace our current Christmas tree. Those same recipe cards, now faded, will again make their way to my counter, along with Grandma’s aluminum measuring spoons. My daughters and I will sip coffee while smartphones, Pinterest, and TikTok supply inspiration. But this year there will be another serendipitous guest in the kitchen.

A light blue “Hall’s Superior Quality Kitchenware” bowl with an inner rose border will be in our mix – an exact replica of the one Grandmother had that was lost in the slurry of time and an eventual move south. I happened upon it while wandering a favorite antique mall; it took my breath away when I spied it and quickly retrieved it as mine. The cost was insignificant compared to the value it held for my personal history. Once home, I placed it in a secure cabinet, away from the traffic of frequently used cookware.

The “Rose Parade” patterned bowl will debut this week and next, as I bake tried and true (and a few new) selections of holiday goodies for gift-giving. Thankfully, one of my daughters loves to bake; little does she know this bowl may one day reside in one of her cupboards, placed there when least expected, in the hope that a smile will cross her face when she discovers it.

I wish you all the happiest of holidays! And with them, the many gifts of connection, the patina of time, and the desire to share the stories of your heritage. May you dust off and use those special generational accoutrements to add a seasoning that recalls the very best of holidays past. And somewhere, from a starry night, may your relatives be smiling.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!