Mint
Mint. It’s one of those annoying flavors one can’t do with out sometimes. In and off itself, I’ve never been crazy about mint. Mint comes in a wide variety of forms and graduations of flavors from soft mint wafers, to Girl Scout Cookies, to hard spearmint candies, to truffles. All of which have had their moments in my life, and now their taste is tied to my memories of people, events, and times of the year.
Christmas is a mint time of year. Christmas is a time for candy canes in hot chocolate. Every Christmas since I can remember (except for last year) I used to bake cookies upon cookies and make simple sweet candies for my family. I remember one year in high school, I couldn’t afford Christmas present for my friends so I made them packages of cookies and candies. I was currently working a part-time job, in a play, and editing a yearbook so that meant the only time I had to bake was when I got home at 10 pm. One of the things I made them was white chocolate peppermint bark. It was my way of showing that I cared and I was thankful for their friendship. I miss being able to bake for people. Baking for me is like making a wish, I wish for you to be happy.
That’s what Christmas was all about, the intent, the wishing for others happiness, and being able to share their joy. I remember growing up we didn’t have a lot of money. One thing I do remember is that as kids we were allowed to spend one dollar on each member of the family to buy a present. There wasn’t a lot you could do with a dollar, even back then, but it didn’t matter. You usually knew what you were going to get, but I still remember being excited about these simple presents wrapped in red tissue paper. Dad usually got a box of either Butterfinger bites or Baby Ruth bites. Mom would get chocolate covered mint wafers, the ones with the soft white filling(not the Andies candies one because they were too expensive). Josh always got the hugest candy cane you could buy for a dollar. He loved those things. I think some of us got tired of getting them so Josh would usually end up with more than one. Now, what wouldn’t I give for a candy cane and maybe some eggnog.
Some times it’s the simplest things that trigger old memories, good memories, like the simple sight of seeing Andies candies in Wal-mart half a world and half a life time way. I now have a box of Andies candies sitting in my fridge waiting for Christmas Eve, to be eaten with a cup of hot chocolate sans candy cane. It’s not the candy cane I miss, it’s the people who I used to sit and have that cup of chocolate and candy cane with. One of these days though we’ll be together again. The house will be filled with people. I’ll have made every kind of cookie or candy I had time to make. Mom will have made her hot apple cider. Grandma’s quilt will be under the Christmas tree with a cat sitting on it behind the presents. I’ll be home.
Christmas is a mint time of year. Christmas is a time for candy canes in hot chocolate. Every Christmas since I can remember (except for last year) I used to bake cookies upon cookies and make simple sweet candies for my family. I remember one year in high school, I couldn’t afford Christmas present for my friends so I made them packages of cookies and candies. I was currently working a part-time job, in a play, and editing a yearbook so that meant the only time I had to bake was when I got home at 10 pm. One of the things I made them was white chocolate peppermint bark. It was my way of showing that I cared and I was thankful for their friendship. I miss being able to bake for people. Baking for me is like making a wish, I wish for you to be happy.
That’s what Christmas was all about, the intent, the wishing for others happiness, and being able to share their joy. I remember growing up we didn’t have a lot of money. One thing I do remember is that as kids we were allowed to spend one dollar on each member of the family to buy a present. There wasn’t a lot you could do with a dollar, even back then, but it didn’t matter. You usually knew what you were going to get, but I still remember being excited about these simple presents wrapped in red tissue paper. Dad usually got a box of either Butterfinger bites or Baby Ruth bites. Mom would get chocolate covered mint wafers, the ones with the soft white filling(not the Andies candies one because they were too expensive). Josh always got the hugest candy cane you could buy for a dollar. He loved those things. I think some of us got tired of getting them so Josh would usually end up with more than one. Now, what wouldn’t I give for a candy cane and maybe some eggnog.
Some times it’s the simplest things that trigger old memories, good memories, like the simple sight of seeing Andies candies in Wal-mart half a world and half a life time way. I now have a box of Andies candies sitting in my fridge waiting for Christmas Eve, to be eaten with a cup of hot chocolate sans candy cane. It’s not the candy cane I miss, it’s the people who I used to sit and have that cup of chocolate and candy cane with. One of these days though we’ll be together again. The house will be filled with people. I’ll have made every kind of cookie or candy I had time to make. Mom will have made her hot apple cider. Grandma’s quilt will be under the Christmas tree with a cat sitting on it behind the presents. I’ll be home.
posted by PolskaMando | 11:07 AM
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