My Heart is Filled with Love

It’s been a long 2 months of sheltering in place, and it has been a tremendous time of transition, especially with us all at home working, schooling, and mess-making. We’ve made some new rules, and relaxed a few others (the amount of time they can spend playing video games). We’ve ‘seen’ some friends, worked on our Scouting badges and rank advancements, started virtual college visits, launched a re-designed website, built some puzzles, played family games, enjoyed family hikes, and have spent lots of time in the kitchen together.

How hard it may have been, we are truly blessed to have spent this ‘close’ time together. We’ve been given the opportunity to slow down from our usual busy lives, and in the process created more memories as a family.

A Week of Love and Sweets

The week has been filled with lots of love. But that is how it usually happens in our house during the second week in May. We’ve two birthdays and Mother’s Day to celebrate. Oftentimes Mother’s Day falls on one of the two birthdays. 

This year, we had the opportunity to pause and think about how best we could celebrate our love for each other, during these annual celebrations.  As usual, we turned to the kitchen.

The kitchen has always been the heart of our home. It’s the backdrop of our daily life, celebrations, and time spent with friends. Our children have come to understand that it is the central hub of the home. It is the place where we connect, where we nourish our bodies and our souls. 

As Mother’s Day approached, I was asked by my youngest girls, “What would you like for Mother’s Day breakfast?” I answered with something I rarely have, but truly enjoy, “Homemade cinnamon buns, please.”

They took to the task on late Saturday evening. It would be their first time making cinnamon buns from scratch, and I loved their confidence – and excitement. As they made their way through the recipe, Dad stood by ready to answer questions.

I overheard so many expressions:

 “Oh, that smells so good!” 

“Now I understand why the dough needs to be in a rectangle.”

“Look at those swirls!”

Saturday evening, the buns ready for baking, were slipped into the fridge overnight, so they could be baked fresh and served warm in the morning.

My heart filled with joy on Mother’s Day morning as the girls rose early to get the buns in the oven. Their hearts filled with pride, as their efforts came to a delicious fruition.

A mere day later I was in the trenches of baking a cake for my son’s 17^th birthday. I pulled out my trusty cake recipes and began baking. Halfway into the process, I decided that I was going to make a layered cake for him – so I continued bake, and became excited about the extra-large cake that was in our near future.

Birthday cake baking is truly a family tradition. My mother is a master at birthday cakes, and when my brother and I were young, she often fashioned ours in different shapes or themes. Regardless of whether they were fire engine shaped, decorated with perfect flower and rosettes, or simply donned with birthday candles, they were delicious. I, too, followed that traditional and always had a homemade cake ready for candles. Through the years there have been dolphins, mermaids, cars, lions, pea shooters (from plants vs zombies), a Captain Marvel shield . . . Lately, it’s less about the themed décor on top, and more about the cake. 

This one was huge, four layers — and 3 pounds of powdered sugar to make the frosting.

Following a Pesto Pasta birthday meal (requested by the birthday boy), we dove head first into the cake. We barely made a dent in it, so I suggested we wrap some up and put it in the freezer so we could enjoy it a bit down the road. (I knew that there was another birthday cake coming in 2 days).

They all laughed at my let’s-freeze-the-cake’ suggestion. 

They were right. There was no need to freeze the cake, because less than 48 hours later, the four-layer cake had disappeared. Just in time for our next birthday cake baking extravaganza!

This time around, Nicole jumped into the kitchen. She chose a delicious white cake to prepare, and all she needed was a bit of coaching on how stiff peaks of the egg whites should look before folding them into the batter. The following morning, she set to frosting the cake – which she beautifully fashioned into a heart.

Yes, my heart is full – and so is my belly.

Cake baking is a sign of love and celebration. Don’t’ wait for a birthday to create something delicious in the kitchen. Celebrate life and create the tradition of reconnecting with the food you eat and the family you love.