The Macaroon Lady...

I'm in Macaroon Hell.

No, not really.

My fourth batch of coconut macaroons is baking away.

The first two batches - chocolate covered - are setting up in the fridge.

The whole house smells of coconut and vanilla. It's rather intoxicating.

I'm not much of a cook...mainly because I've never really had the time or inclination, but I do love to bake and I have a modicum of talent with flour, butter, sugar, chocolate and the other fattening yummy ingredients that one makes into sweet treats.

My sister-in-law C put in a request for coconut macaroons for the Thanksgiving holiday. In honor of Babci (Chris' and C's maternal grandmother) who passed away in April.

Babci always made macaroons for family occasions - knowing how much I liked them. She would always grab my arm to pull me down and whisper in my ear, "I made these just for you."

Knowing how much C also loves macaroons, I can't help but wonder now if at the same family gatherings that Babci pulled C aside to tell her the very same thing.

If she did, it doesn't matter. To Babci food equaled love and I am more than happy to have shared that deep, sweet macaroon love with my sister-in-law or anyone else for that matter.

It's going to be strange to celebrate Thanksgiving this year without Babci. We're heading to a "new venue" this year...my sister-in-law's house in NY. None of us could really bear the thought of being in our usual venue at my mother-in-law's house. It would have been just too hard to see Babci's rocking chair without her in it.

She will be missed.

But we can't have Thanksgiving without her coconut macaroons.

And so I think that I may have become the family's Macaroon Lady. Certainly not a replacement for Babci. I could NEVER fill those shoes! However, I am more than happy to keep the family in macaroons and love.

Here's to you Babci. Happy Thanksgiving. We love you.

Liar, liar...

pants on fire!

I did not get out of the house today to run errands as I said I would in my last post.

I sat on the couch all day and wallowed in my grief.

Stupid.

Now am getting off my ass to clean the kitchen (which desperately needs cleaning.)

And to bake.

Years ago, when I was very depressed and when I discovered that I had some small talent with sugar, flour and butter, I would spend many of my "down days" perfecting my toll house cookies, attempting to re-create my Grandma Yetta's chocolate chip cookie recipe (never written down anywhere and yet to be re-created) or baking the infamous Flora's Apple Cake (infamous because of its amazing richness and fat content and the fact that it is humanly IMPOSSIBLE to eat just one slice.)

The problem with baking when you're depressed is that you tend to eat the fruits of your labor.

We'll see if I can manage to refrain from downing 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies later this evening.

Wish me luck.

I'm still really sad.

But I just can't sit around anymore.