Dear Readers,
The holidays are fast approaching and here at Artifcts we are already thinking about our favorite “things.” High on that list are recipes. Nothing evokes memories quite like the smell, taste, and look of our favorite recipes. They may be ones made year after year or passed down for generations. “It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without....” Or maybe you have a new favorite, one that was discovered during our national COVID-induced cooking craze.
Nothing evokes memories quite like the smell, taste, and look of our favorite recipes.
For me, nothing says “holiday” quite like one of my mom’s
tea breads. These breads were always present on our holiday table, almost as important as the turkey. (Or if you were to ask some of my family members, MORE important than the turkey.) They are simple to make and present beautifully when arrayed on a platter or served warm from the oven. Sweet enough to appeal to children and children at heart, but not too sweet to be reserved for the dessert table. (Although I grew up eating tea breads in lieu of more conventional desserts.)
I am now the “keeper” of the recipes as my mother is no longer here. I can always count on a phone call or two from my aunts and brothers the week before Thanksgiving to get copies of the recipes and to double check the countless alterations my mother made to each recipe. Did she double the cranberries? Omit the orange zest? Was it two bananas or three?
I am now the “keeper” of the recipes as my mother is no longer here.
This year I have decided to Artifct the recipes and share with family and friends. No more searching through old photos, disintegrating recipe books, or recalling from memory the substitutions that my mother made. The stories, photos, and memories are all here in one place, as well as every ingredient, alteration, and the occasional quote of kitchen wisdom passed down from my mother to me.
I invite you Dear Reader to join me in Artifcting your favorite family recipes this holiday season. Keep the traditions alive and share the love (or at least the
banana bread).
Happy Artifcting,
Heather
© 2021 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
by Heather Nickerson, Artifcts
November 20, 2021
