Well, vacation is officially over and just as every year I am happy to be back in the swing of things and am looking forward to Christmas already. So many great things come up in October - the weather is cool enough to begin making chocolates again, hardier soups such as pumpkin, squash and bean soups are on the rotation, and of course comfort foods such as chicken pot pie and shepherds pie are in high demand. It is hard to believe that in a few short weeks it will be stollen season again! Lots of hard work, but oh the sweet return!
September Vacation
Each time I shut the store down I swear I won't cook or bake for three weeks until I get back but invariably the kitchen calls to me and I find myself stirring tiny little recipes with my kids for involved cakes and desserts that I could never make on a large scale for the bakery. Then I'm captured by the call of the jam...Ball jars for sale on every aisle cap, the scent of the Concord grapes in the woods every time I walk the dog drawing me to brave the poison ivy and bring home the gold, or the purple as it were. Six cases later, it's grape jelly, jam, spiced ginger grape, not to mention the spoils of summer in the freezer that I haven't gotten to with the rush of the lake, the pool, the playground, and, and , and... Blackberry, raspberry, mint, apple butter, when does it end? When I go back to work I suppose.