Are you able to smell freshly raked leaves without thinking of the many hours spent raking as a kid? We had locust trees which produced small leaves instead of the much easier to rake maple leaves we assumed everyone had but us. When I was a child, I complained to my dad that we were the only kids having to use a garden rake while everyone else was able was using leaf rakes. I laugh at the memory now. I may have complained as a child but the reward is the same today as then, the pleasing smell of burning leaves. What sweet memories of home and my dad accompany the sweet smell of burning leaves.
Another memory-producer is apple cake baking. I can't make an apple cake without remembering my mom peeling apples and allowing me to sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top before baking. I cannot produce an apple cake nearly as good as my memory remembers my mother’s to be, so I rely on my sister, Juanita, for that.
It seems to me, November produces more memories than any other month of the year. Years of putting up produce, jars of tomatoes, peaches and apples, have given me hundreds of memories. November finds my sister and I discussing pumpkin bread and apple cake recipes. We do this every year. We've lost our mom and older sister, but we still have their recipes, so the two of us reminisce and become nostalgic for a time. November is the memory month!
Memories are important to friends Dave and Lisa Dunbar also, particularly the making of memories on Applesauce Day. I shared a sunny October afternoon watching this family in action. For this applesauce day, four generations came together to spend the day working, laughing, eating, slicing, cooking, milling and canning over 130 quarts of applesauce.
Before the heavy work began, jokes and laughing started as Grandpa and Grandma went “hard core” with the six bushels of apples they prepped. Then things heated up as Heather and Lisa took turns at the stove cooking apples. Adam, known as the Miller, used the apple mill and Andrea was put to the grind also as she used the mill. Gabe, known as the “lord of the rings” put the lids and rings on the jars. Finally, Dave, who is always good under pressure, used his pressure cooker to process the quart jars. To quote Grandpa, he “applepreciated” the chance to be there that day. Thank you Dunbars, for letting me make a few memories of my own with you.
Another family helping to make memories is the Steve and Nancy Grinwis family, owners of Grinwis Farms. I became a customer of theirs at Montague's farmers market. As Nancy and I chatted over the tables of their homegrown veggies and fruit, I learned their son, Craig, is married to Rachel, daughter of Teresa and Dan Wackernagel in the next booth. But the family isn't done yet, because down a little further in another booth, you guessed it, is more family. This is a family making memories of their own, with the whole town using their produce, veggies and baked goods to make memories in our own families.
Memories and family are synonymous. Like salt and pepper, peanut butter and jelly, so are family and memories. God knew how important our memories would be to us. He says in Proverbs 10:7 “the memory of the righteous will be a blessing.” With this in mind, my prayer is for you and yours to share many blessed memories and enjoy making more. As always, you may contact me at loveandflours@yahoo.com.
APPLESAUCE UGLY CAKE
1 1/2 cup butter, separated
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups applesauce, warmed slightly
2 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Cloves
1 tsp. Allspice
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
3 cup flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
Beat one cup butter with sugar till creamy. Beat in eggs. Add applesauce, baking soda, baking powder, spices. Mix well. Add flour and mix well. Fold in nuts. Pour mixture into 9 x 13 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Will be done when toothpick comes out clean.
While cake is baking, bring milk, brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter to boil. As soon as cake is taken from the oven, use toothpick to poke holes randomly into cake. Slowly pour hot syrup over surface of cake. Allow to cool. Serve as is or with whipped topping. This cake is good cold or served as a snack cake.
