November 6, 2023
By Casey Hoskins
It is officially baking season in my home! This is literally the only time of year where I enjoy being in my kitchen. I feel like that admission just landed me in a very small group of moms, or I just know a LOT of moms that live in their kitchen. I’m getting off topic. The point is that November officially kicks off my need to bake things.
My absolute favorite cookie is a soft ginger cookie. I got my favorite recipe for it from a mystery novel of all places. This is back when I read more than I watched t.v., again, off topic. These cookies are super easy to make and the whole house enjoys them. I associate ginger, cinnamon, and cloves with fall/winter seasons and like to find different ways to incorporate them in my home. (Oh, and I will attach my fav cookie recipe at the bottom in case you’re wanting to try it.)
As I type this I am enjoying the wonderful aroma of cinnamon bark and cloves wafting in from my kitchen. There was a time when we couldn’t afford much and buying a candle warmer, or even a nice candle, wasn’t in the budget. I could, however, pop a few cinnamon sticks, apple peels and some whole cloves in some boiling water on the stove and let it simmer. Wa-la, a cozy smelling home for pennies. I have the candles now, and the wax warmers, but I still put on a simmering pot of cinnamon and cloves when November hits. I enjoy the memories it brings back and it just puts me at ease. That is no small feat these days.
It is incredibly easy to get overwhelmed, anxious, and perpetually worried this time of year. Believe me, I know, it has already begun for me. The weight of the holiday season is not a light one and we all know it. Yet, we still get that giddy anticipation when November 1st hits as if the weight will not come. As a shop owner this is not easy because I very much want to wait a couple more weeks before putting Christmas up but, in this one area, society dictates what I do.
The best thing I can do to help combat the overwhelm is to continue the small traditions that made our home, and my life, a little happier during this time of year. Ginger cookies, peppermint creamer (I am usually a black coffee girl), yummy scents from the stove, and a warm fire are really all I need. The rest will, inevitably, take care of itself. I know the Lord has me, that my path is straight, if not a little bumpy, and that December 26th will arrive with me mostly unscathed. So, have a go at the recipe below, put out your favorite fall scent, and do one small thing that brings you more joy than it seems it should.
