Haiku Close Up

Not just almonds and
cocoa and egg and flour:
this is alchemy.

For years my Oma spent these early days of December up to her elbows in flour, making almond cookies and her famous German Stollen for everyone in our extended family.

Which was great. Except I never really liked Stollen.

When I started to feel bad about all the time and energy Oma was putting into my annual holiday care package, I floated the idea of telling her. My immediate family members' reactions ran the gamut from aghast to horrified. "You can't TELL her!" my sister yelped.

But I did. As nicely as I possibly could.

There was a brief pause.

And then my Oma kindly said, "Ja? Vell zen, vat shouldt I make for you?"

So, as the next generation holiday baker in our family, I make something I DO enjoy (aided by an annual visit from D's Aunt Chelle, who comes and scoops him up and takes him on all kinds of adventures so that I can stay in the kitchen for hours on end). Biscotti.

And my only request to my family members is that they TELL me if they'd prefer something else.

Which they do.

(Thanks to the women of One Deep Breath
for their continuing inspiration.)