African Vanielje on Nov 11 2007 at 7:55 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
Every day or so I get an email from my mom. I speak to her regularly on skype, but I also get these additional little snippets, like notes in my lunchbox, or a bunch of fresh picked garden flowers in an antique vase on my bedside table. Because that’s what my mom does. She finds simple little ways to let you know she loves you and to remind you that you are constantly in her thoughts. These little touches, this simple abundance, is something you expect if you know Kas, but not something you ever take for granted. It’s too special.
Sometimes it’s a two line description of the sunrise over the bay, sometimes it’s a funny story about a troop of rogue baboons. Often it’s just a photograph, maybe with a few words of reference or a comment. Other times, like today, the photograph (above) says it all. I know my mom will have bought this when she saw it because of its similarity to my blogname. It would have made her smile, as it has made me smile.
And still smiling, I open the next email, first in a series it turns out, with a few succinct words from my 13 year old nephew : ‘Just so you know we can cook and take photographs too!’
That’s all, but I don’t need anymore. I can picture Ren in my mom’s kitchen, beating the batter for her drop scones, slicing precious fresh strawberries from the pot on the veranda (you have to be quick to get to them or Diesel the German Shepherd snaffles them first). I can feel the warmth of Kassie’s approval and encouragement as Ren plops a brimming spoonful into a hot buttered pan, topping it with strawberry (see as he sneaks one delicious slice and licks the juicy evidence from his lips?) and a little more batter. I feel his impatience as he prods the drop scone, hear his humph! as my mom reminds him to wait for the bubbles before flipping the patty. I can smell the vanilla syrup and the years roll back like magic. It’s my sister standing at the stove sneaking strawberries and learning to make one of her all time favourite treats that my mom has made for her a hundred times. Just because it’s her favourite.
I’m still smiling because my mom knows. She doesn’t need to write all this, she just needs to send a picture and she knows. Like I said, a note in my lunchbox….and tomorrow Dakota wants to make scones.
For this, and all my recipes go to Vanielje Kitchen Cook Book
or go directly to Kassie’s Dropscones with Strawberries and Vanielje SyrupÂ
Those sound wonderful! I love how you can recall all of this so easily from your memory!
Such a delightful memory! I have a similar memory of making chocolate pie for Thanksgiving with my son when he was young. I can still see the smear of chocolate batter on his upper lip and on his finger…her thought I wouldn’t notice the taste. Maybe one day there will be another little one in the kitchen. You really have a way with words and your love for your Mom equals hers for you it seems.
So, are drop scone similar to what we call pancakes? They look wonderful..and the idea of fresh
strawberries right now is delightful.
Every time I drop by, you take me back to some wonderful smells and memories and sounds and tastes of my own! I always leave here with a smile…
ronell
Jenn, I don’t know what it is but memories linked with food are always in technicolor for me
Sweet memories, Elle. It’s good to know the next generation is getting the same love and learning from my mom’s kitchen and that my daughter is starting to really want to learn to cook with me.
Marye, that’s exactly right. We call a crepe a pancake.
Thanks for those kind words ronell.
Lovely post, and what a loving, inclusive family you have, even over a distance.
The african vanilla made me smile too, especially the dash of your own ingenuity – so perfectly apt.
I remember making drop scones as a child too, being very proud to make them for a room full of grown ups next door. With those strawberries inside them they look like a whole new experience – I’m going to have to try them Like that too.
Another lovely batch of memories. I love your narrative tone.
Sweet memories, and a lovely post full of warmth and understanding. You’ve made me smile
annemarie, I think when you live so far away you really learn how much you appreciate your family
Kit, we normally put strawberries, berries, grated apple & spiced sugar – whatever is going really.
Thanks Ann and Baking Soda. A little smile goes a long way
And if your mom had raised the camera half an inch higher, you would have had your blog name and my blog name side by side! I recognise that as being from the Cooksister range of products
Their stuff really is great.
You are so lucky having your mom around to send you little reminders that she loves you. I remember my mom and I having daily e-mail conversations when I first came to the UK – I have reams and reams of them printed out somewhere. Even if she just sent me a line from a poem or something, I knew she thought of me every day. When she passed away, I started more than one e-mail to her before realising that this particular address was no longer in use.
A beautiful post, and what great drop scones!