On the Grab it List

 It's that time of year - when I start thinking about how thankful I am... and when I pulled out this book a couple weeks ago I realized there were a few things I wanted to mention before the actual Thanksgiving holiday post... 

This book was started waaayyy back in 2002 (almost 20 years ago!!) the first year Jen and I did our cookie/candy boxes for clients and kids teachers. We did it all in one day - 40 boxes worth - 5 items each. The following years we started making notes: how many batches, how many each batch made, if we liked them, what day we did them, how many bags we had left for next year, who came to visit and hang out with us and of course a reminder to take the time to have a glass of wine.

The only year we did a smaller version was 2010 - the year we were packing to move to Healdsburg. 

Besides the great cheat sheet this created for the next year - we also started keeping the recipes here.

Every year around mid November I go to my bookshelf and pull out this precious binder. I look at prior years. We decide when and where and what we are going to make. We have gotten more agile over the years - we don't do it in one day anymore - generally 1 person tackles peanut brittle and the other does the saltine toffee or fudge- then we get together on a day and mix and bake off all the cookies and package them up - counting the bags over and over to make sure we have the correct amount to fill all the boxes. For 17 years we managed with our busy lives to carve out time and space to make this happen. Then 2020 happened and we decided we had to do it without each other. It was sad - I at least had my helper Sarah - but it wasn't the same. 

 

SO now- 2021and vaccines happened! I remember this summer Jen and I planned a day to get lunch exactly 2 weeks after getting our 2nd dose - and it was so great to hug my best friend again. I'm so grateful that we are not where we were last year - having to stay apart and having to worry about being in each others house or not being able to hug each other. AND - no big fires near us this year!!! My title and intent for this post got lost a little in this long winded memory lane of holiday baking - but it was supposed to be about this little book that in the past 3 years has been packed up and evacuated as one of my most prized possessions. It's irreplaceable. But really it's our connections to our dear friends and family that are irreplaceable. 

So here's to all our dearest friends - hug them close while you can as you never know what's around the next corner in this crazy life we live. I love you dearly Jen - and may we have 20 more years of baking together!