A birthday salute!

Yesterday would have been my beloved Grandma's 124th birthday. So....I baked a cake!

(Using her recipe, of course!)

Grandma and me in 1967.

Born in Norre Farup, Denmark (near Ribe on the western coast of Jutland) in 1885, she emigrated to America twice (long story), before finally marrying my Danish Grandpa in 1913 and successfully raising my mom and her 6 brothers and sisters. I was lucky enough to know her briefly, in the sense that a much-loved grandchild is loved by her favorite Grandma. She died when I was in 2nd grade. A few years ago, my Uncle sent me a DVD of his old home movies. When I played it, suddenly Grandma was on the screen, smiling and turning a bit away from the camera, embarrassed no doubt. Instantly, tears welled in my eyes....such a whirl of emotion I felt upon "seeing" this person who I hadn't seen in such a very, very long time. It feels good to remember her. I hope I have a Granddaughter of my own someday!

Grandma making a pie in 1960. Pie baking runs in the family!

For certain is death for the born
And certain is birth for the dead;
Therefore over the inevitable
Thou shouldst not grieve.

--Bhagavad Gita (250 BC -250 AD)

Contentment

It's been a remarkable year in the garden. For whatever reason, we have no bugs! Usually we go through gnat season, followed by no-see-ums, and largely rounded out by mosquitoes. (Asian Beetles, disguised as Ladybugs, and Box-Elder bugs will join them later in the Summer and early Fall.) I cringe thinking about what I may be doing to myself when I apply anti-bug stuff; those chemicals can't be good for you--but sometimes you get desperate! However, this year is different... we can walk out our backdoor, putter around the gardens, pull a few weeds, cut a few flowers for a bouquet, sit on the patio with some chilled Chardonnay...ah, life as it should be!

"Anyone who has a book collection and a garden wants for nothing."

--Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC)

Serendipity

We've had several chilly days lately, so rather than securing a sweater around my heftier-than-I-would-like torso and heading outside for some exercise, I've found myself puttering about in the kitchen. A non-baker wouldn't understand this, but there are times when the most unsuspecting ingredients find themselves together with the perfect recipe--and the planets are in alignment and all is right with the world. This happened to me this week....

A bin of fresh apricots was calling my name at the grocery store. I've never much bothered with the fresh ones; they're so little, and the canned ones taste just fine. I'm also suspicious of them--are they often as heartbreakingly "woody" as approximately 90% of the peaches I buy? (Or formerly bought, as is the case now, after cruel experience.) I threw caution to the wind and picked out what I thought to be the 14 (!) most superior specimens, announcing that I was going to make an apricot tart. When you announce something like that, you are well and truly committed, or you will be responsible for much familial disappointment around the house.

The second cosmic ingredient? Raspberries! Later the same day, we were over to a friend's house for dinner; he gave me a quart of plump, red raspberries from his little patch that is apparently threatening to not only snare him within its confines, but to pretty much overtake the back side of his house. I was happy to assist him!

Fresh apricots and fresh raspberries....this could only mean PIE!

I've never combined the two before, but these flavors, along with a little touch of almond for good measure, were heavenly. Yes, the stars were definitely in alignment!

I will close with a quote from Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1877). I couldn't agree with him more.

“The natural term of an apple-pie is but twelve hours. It reaches its highest state about one hour after it comes from the oven, and just before its natural heat has quite departed. But every hour afterward is a declension. And after it is one day old, it is thence-forward but the ghastly corpse of apple-pie.”

This problem rarely presents itself at our house...who still has pie left after 24 hours?!