Awhile ago, a friend went through a difficult time acting as a caregiver to a dying relative. She told me she felt like a fish out of water since she’d had no training at being a caregiver. I told her that her presence and her patience were the best gifts she could give and to leave the other “tasks” to the many professional people who were there to help her. When I got home, I made a batch of bumblebee cookies and sent them to her with a note of encouragement.
I’ve always had a connection to the ocean and everything associated with it. I love walking on the beach looking for shells. I love the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea. I especially love looking at the endless ebb and flow of the ocean and can sit on the beach watching it for hours. This love stretches out to include all things associated with the sea. This year, lighthouses were the theme for my summer cookie baking.
“Be a lighthouse for someone to find a safe way home.” Anonymous
Several years ago I visited a Butterfly Garden near Charlotte, SC. It was the most amazing experience. When you enter into the garden, which is an enclosed space, you can actually feel the silence. The butterflies glide through the air gracefully and if you’re very still they will land on you as if you’re a natural part of their world. There are no words to describe the peace and wonder that surrounded me as these magnificent and beautiful creatures went about their business.
Some of the people I love the most live too far away for frequent visits. My favorite way to connect with them — besides phone calls and Zoom sessions — is to bake for them. These sweet Deep Blue Sea cookies carried my hugs and kisses far and wide.
Do you have a special person in your life...someone who knows you and loves you anyway? If you can sit with that person for hours and not have to say a single word, if that person just “gets” you and you “get” him/her, well, that’s your lobster. With the amount of time I spend baking and decorating cookies, I’m always happy to find one that makes me smile and these quirky lobster cookies did that for me.
“You’re my lobster, sugar cookie.” Kasha
Summer always means a day (or longer) at the beach for me. This year all things Under the Sea tickled my fancy and the adorable clownfish inspired my cookie-baking tribute to ocean-dwelling creatures. These cute and colorful cookies were fun to make and delicious to eat. Don’t worry, I strictly limit my clownfish eating to the cookie variety so no clownfish were harmed during the making of these tasty bites. By chance I happened to find a clownfish cookie cutter, so I set out to populate my own underwater world with a nod to the most famous clownfish in history, Nemo.
The liquid amber trees in our yard are starting to drop leaves and I find great satisfaction in raking them up ... at least at the beginning of the season. I know I’ll grow weary of it in a week or two, but the first signs of autumn always give me joy. These beautiful, messy trees also inspired me to create cutout cookies and multi-colored Autumn Leaves are the result. I had so much fun making them and decorating them. I must admit that when it comes to leaves...baking them is more satisfying than raking them.
Lemon is one of my favorite summertime flavors. The bright, tangy taste makes me forget all about rainy days and cold weather. I’m a huge fan of lemon in most any form: lemon curd, lemon meringue pie (without the meringue), lemon bars (o-o-o-oh, that buttery crust), but unfortunately these lemon desserts are difficult to take along on a hike or to a picnic. Enter the Lemon Pie Cookie. It satisfies my desire for something lemony without the need for a spoon or fork.
I’m dreaming of the sea...the sand...the waves...the gulls... the shells. I don't think I can stay away much longer. Even a drive-by encounter might be enough to restore my sense of belonging to a world where nothing is more important than a cool breeze and the endless blue sea. Oh for the joys of finding a sand dollar that the tide has tumbled and tossed at my feet. A beach cookie might be a nice substitute for the real thing until the beach is open for visitors.
I had so much fun decorating Easter sugar cookies a few weeks ago that I decided that it was time to bring out the spring cookie cutters and make a few dozen edible flowers and butterflies. What better way to bring Mother Nature’s exuberance inside than to bake cookies in shapes inspired by her and decorate them to pay homage to her designs.
“Be honest, be nice, be a flower not a weed.” Aaron Neville
