The Magic Tree

Gum drop Christmas tree from Amazon.com

We don’t want to talk about how long ago! A highlight of my childhood was getting to walk from our house to my great aunt’s two city blocks away.

Times were different. Mother would stand on the porch and Aunt Sadie would meet me on the corner of her block. An incredible amount of freedom for a 5 year old child. (the earliest I remember going by myself)

Entering Aunt Sadie’s home was like Alice entering Wonderland. Especially when she was decorating for Christmas. Her big dining room table would hold boxes of glittering baubles, chains of garlands, wreathes for the doors and windows.

Before the twilight set in, she and I would have things placed here and there to her satisfaction and celebrate in the kitchen with some cookies and a cup of tea.

Then the last project of the day. From a thin little box, came a plastic tree, we had to slide the pieces together and place it in the plastic base. I was handed a bag of gum colored drops while she tidied the dining table and set out the red runner.

Careful to make sure the gumdrops were distributed well, never two of the same color together, I worked doing my childish best.

It never mattered in the long run, Aunt Sadie always encouraged and applauded the finished tree, placing it in the center of the festive dining room table.

As we began the walk to her corner on my way home I was always given a bag of Jelly beans and one of gum drops to share at home with my four siblings – except the black ones. Those were always my dad’s.

Holly’s Coffee Shop FF 11/13

The challenge from Rochelle Fields story in 100 words or less.

The prompt, a photo by Dale Rogerson, this week.

Simple? Not so much

The lights were on, silvery glow sparklng on the first snow of winter.

Holly looked up from the board, rolling what must have been the millionth ball of dough.

From the large bowl on the counter, she scoops cinnamon apple filling onto the pastry rounds.

Kel crimped the crust and slid the hand pies into the hot oil.

Toasty brown, sugar glazed into the case, time to open.

The coffee machine roared to life. A smile lit her face.

The doorway crowded with hungry people. Nothing like she’d seen before.

And so, I add the crust for my daughter, Danielle’s fried pies

It’s possible you might wish to try them. they work well fried in oil, or baked. Filling is up to you. Canned from the local store is easy, homemade is delicious

1/4 c butter (this is one time butter is better)

1 c flour

3 Tbsp hot milk

1 egg yolk

Cut butter into flour., combine egg and milk and mix together.

Roll out dough in small portions, get it pretty thin with no holes.

Use 2 tbsp of pie filling for each pie, moisten edges, seal and fry in hot deep fat until crisp and brown.

Glaze

2 Tbsp butter melted

1 Tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp Milk

Enough sifted 10X sugar to make a pourabel glaze

Drizzle over warm pies.

The Pitcher full of blessing

I am thankful for an empty pitcher. I went to fill a glass with tea, only to discover, for the how manyeth time, that it was put back in the fridge with about half an ounce left in it.

While indignantly mulling over this, it came to mind:

I have more tea

There is a clean pot to make it in

In this kitchen, a stove to heat the wonderful fresh well water we are blessed with

And the ice maker works!

On top of all that, there is much food in that refrigerator to keep us going.

So, empty pitcher, you made me consider and think of just how blessed I am with food and drink and very nicely provided for.