My Christmas Village: Day Three

 

Today's part of the village is a tribute to my mom and dad. My dad had a huge collection of antique clocks and when I was growing up he kept them all running. For a few minutes around the turn of every hour, the house would be filled with the sound of chiming clocks of every kind. At the half hour, they would strike a solitary note, and some of them also chimed the quarter hours. We were so used to it, the sound never bothered us, but he would have to stop them when we had overnight guests! The clock shop is the first thing I stitched after he passed. I added his birth year to the building. 

For my mom, I renamed the grocery store "Mom's Market." I don't really remember her teaching me to cook; I think I absorbed most of her knowledge through just watching her in the kitchen. And I have so many of her handwritten recipes that I will never, ever convert to digital. The recipes my female relatives have written down for me are among my treasures. Their handwriting brings them to mind almost more vividly than a photograph. 

Speaking of my mom's recipes, here's one I grew up on. I've always loved the name, as it reminds me of the titles of recipes in vintage cookbooks, especially ones that have a "sick room" section. I have no idea how old it is, but I'm 52 and it's been in her recipe box all my life. Is this a scientifically proven, doctor-approved recipe? Nope. But it sure was comforting to a little kid who was feeling poorly... and a big kid, too, for that matter. Sometimes you just need to get some fluids, and sugar, and vitamin C into a cranky munchkin.

Mom's Hot Drink for the Sick (I love this!)

1 c. boiling water

1 box cherry Jell-O

1 c. chilled pineapple juice

*Don't put this in the fridge or it will set!

Gift bag/basket idea: keep the Jell-O and pineapple juice on hand through the holidays so you can fly to the rescue of anyone who gets sick (or yourself), because it always happens!

*****

Back tomorrow with my part of town!