Dear Nana,
The other day your granddaughter found a recipe she wanted to give a try. She came to me and told me about a recipe for banana crunch muffins that she wanted to make, from scratch, on her own. My heart exploded with love and pride. I know for a fact, she got her love of baking from you. It's in her heart, it's in her bones and her being. I'm pretty sure she got your sweet tooth, also. This girl wants to do nothing but bake. I told her she needed to write down her recipe and check that we had all the ingredients. The recipe was fairly basic and we had everything on hand, even the tortured bananas she would need. We set a date to make them.
Two nights ago, we decided to make them. I stood there as a warm body to support her should she need it. I knew she wouldn't but I love watching her concentrate and work her baking magic. She remembered all the things you taught her. She cracked her eggs like a pro into a separate bowl, checked for eggshells, and poured it into her batter. She read each ingredient and measure carefully, following the recipe closely. She wanted these muffins to be perfect. She even folded in the dry ingredients into a separate wet ingredient bowl just like the recipe said. She is a stickler for following directions where it counts and she knows baking is where it counts. I learned on the counter next to her and watched on and she did her thing effortlessly.
After she finished her batter she decided on using springtime cupcake papers. She's a spring girl, just like you were. Flowers and blooms, green grass and gardens, baby birds, and cool breezes. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth, watching everything come alive again after so many long, dark months. I can't think of a better season for the two of you, like peas in a pod.
We put them in the oven and waited. The house had that telling smell of something delicious baking away. Cinnamon and sweetness floated through the entire house and it was like being back home again. Like waking up on those summer mornings and knowing you had just taken a load of banana bread or apple crisp from the oven. It smelled bittersweet and nostalgic. I said nothing but felt everything in a single smell. I know she did, too. Still, neither of us said anything for fear of breaking the magic of the moment. It was already too much.
Twenty minutes later, they were done. The moment they came out the smell intensified and we all smiled these amazing and proud smiles. She was so proud of herself, it radiated from her engulfing us all. It had been a while since we have really baked anything, I think subconsciously just not ready to face those feelings. We cut one muffin in half and shared it. It was a glorious piece of heaven. The warm cinnamony flavor and brown sugar topping just about killed us. She burst into tears. Remembering all that she had lost but also everything that she had gained in the short eleven years she had with you. We all cried happy tears, sad tears, and tears that reminded us that we had so much, that we had so many memories to hold on to and those would never be taken from us.
Our dear Nana, I know you are watching down on our kiddos, watching them, protecting them, being their guardian angel. I hope you know just how much you will always mean to them. They have taken everything you taught them and stitched it into their hearts and minds never to be forgotten. Even a smell can bring it all back for them. For all of us.
Love you always, Miss you tons
<3 p="">
The other day your granddaughter found a recipe she wanted to give a try. She came to me and told me about a recipe for banana crunch muffins that she wanted to make, from scratch, on her own. My heart exploded with love and pride. I know for a fact, she got her love of baking from you. It's in her heart, it's in her bones and her being. I'm pretty sure she got your sweet tooth, also. This girl wants to do nothing but bake. I told her she needed to write down her recipe and check that we had all the ingredients. The recipe was fairly basic and we had everything on hand, even the tortured bananas she would need. We set a date to make them.
Two nights ago, we decided to make them. I stood there as a warm body to support her should she need it. I knew she wouldn't but I love watching her concentrate and work her baking magic. She remembered all the things you taught her. She cracked her eggs like a pro into a separate bowl, checked for eggshells, and poured it into her batter. She read each ingredient and measure carefully, following the recipe closely. She wanted these muffins to be perfect. She even folded in the dry ingredients into a separate wet ingredient bowl just like the recipe said. She is a stickler for following directions where it counts and she knows baking is where it counts. I learned on the counter next to her and watched on and she did her thing effortlessly.
After she finished her batter she decided on using springtime cupcake papers. She's a spring girl, just like you were. Flowers and blooms, green grass and gardens, baby birds, and cool breezes. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth, watching everything come alive again after so many long, dark months. I can't think of a better season for the two of you, like peas in a pod.
We put them in the oven and waited. The house had that telling smell of something delicious baking away. Cinnamon and sweetness floated through the entire house and it was like being back home again. Like waking up on those summer mornings and knowing you had just taken a load of banana bread or apple crisp from the oven. It smelled bittersweet and nostalgic. I said nothing but felt everything in a single smell. I know she did, too. Still, neither of us said anything for fear of breaking the magic of the moment. It was already too much.
Twenty minutes later, they were done. The moment they came out the smell intensified and we all smiled these amazing and proud smiles. She was so proud of herself, it radiated from her engulfing us all. It had been a while since we have really baked anything, I think subconsciously just not ready to face those feelings. We cut one muffin in half and shared it. It was a glorious piece of heaven. The warm cinnamony flavor and brown sugar topping just about killed us. She burst into tears. Remembering all that she had lost but also everything that she had gained in the short eleven years she had with you. We all cried happy tears, sad tears, and tears that reminded us that we had so much, that we had so many memories to hold on to and those would never be taken from us.
Our dear Nana, I know you are watching down on our kiddos, watching them, protecting them, being their guardian angel. I hope you know just how much you will always mean to them. They have taken everything you taught them and stitched it into their hearts and minds never to be forgotten. Even a smell can bring it all back for them. For all of us.
Love you always, Miss you tons
<3 p="">
Comments