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Country Kitchen: A Kitchen Window To the World
By Mary Emma Allen
My mom enjoyed gazing out a window while washing dishes and recalled the
window of her childhood above the pantry sink. For years she bemoaned
the fact that, in
our farmhouse kitchen, she only had a wall to stare at.
So one day my dad hauled saw and other tools into the kitchen, bought a
window
with four panes, and installed it above our kitchen sink. It did
brighten the large kitchen
and helped make washing the dishes for six family members and hired man
an easier
task...for Mother, and for Sister and me.
Window to the World
That became Mother’s "window to the world". It looked out to the brook
that ran
between the house and barn. Beyond the barn were a corn field, pasture,
and woodland.
The scenery was ever changing, depending on the time of day and year.
Glimpsing deer at late afternoon grazing in that pasture adjacent to the
woodland
was a time of excitement for us children. This almost became a daily
ritual looking for
the white tailed deer moving slowly across the pasture as they grazed.
Windows in Later Years
Even after she developed Alzheimer's, Mother looked out the window of
the
house where she then lived and went back in time to the scene from her
farmhouse
kitchen, even though she was no longer there.
It took me awhile to figure out what she was talking about when Mother
told me
she saw the cows coming to the barn or the deer near the woods when
neither were outside this kitchen window. Then I realized she was
talking about the
window of my childhood and we both reminisced over a cup of tea,
providing us a happy
occasion.
My Kitchen Window
Wherever my husband live, even though we have a dishwasher and I don’t
spend
so much time at the kitchen sink, I still want a window. I like to gaze
at the
woods around my home, see my grandchildren playing in the yard, watch the
birds
flitting around, or look at trees budding in spring and changing color in
autumn.
A window above the sink becomes the heritage of women who spend time in
their
kitchen. Mine encompasses memories of my childhood and of my mother who
wanted
her window to the world.
Family Recipes
As I think about the window of my childhood, I also reminisce about
recipes.
Try this QUICK FRUIT BREAD - Mix together 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1
1/4
cups milk, 3 cups biscuit mix; beat for 30 seconds. You’ll have a
slightly lumpy batter.
Blend in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup mixed candied fruit, 1/4 cup
raisins or
currants.
Pour into well-greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F.
for about
45 minutes until inserted toothpick comes clean. Turn out on rack to
cool.
(You can substitute other fruit and nuts for variation.)
WALDORF SALAD was a favorite of my childhood. Combine 3 cups unpeeled
diced apples, 1 cup finely sliced celery, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup
chopped nuts, 1/3 cup
mayonnaise or salad dressing. Toss lightly. Serve on bed of lettuce.
(C) 2002 Mary Emma Allen
About the Author
Mary Emma Allen has been writing her "Cooking Column" for newspapers
and online publications for 30 years and
has compiled a family cookbook. She’s currently compiling a
cookbook/story book,
"Tales From a Country Kitchen." Visit her web site for more cooking
articles. Contact her at me.allen@juno.com
The Country Kitchen Series
Window to the World
Mud Season Means Spring!
Memories at the Kitchen Table
The Pioneer Kitchen
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