I ate the last slice of her final cheese cake after her funeral. I'd lucked out on the timing - if any luck was possible in that misery - since she'd baked a couple of cheese cakes for Easter, but ended up not sharing one with its intended recipients. She'd eaten about half of it in the few days between Easter and her death. I ate the rest.
And as I stood in the kitchen, sharing that last slice with a good friend, I wondered about the future of her recipe. I've got it, and I can recreate it pretty exactly, but I only have a hand mixer, and the cheese cake requires a standing mixer. I was supposed to get a standing mixer for my birthday one year, but the execution of that gift fell through.
I was supposed to inherit my grandma's stand mixer, but a family friend in need wound up with it instead.
I was supposed to get a stand mixer for my birthday on two more occasions, and that never worked out.
I could have demanded my mom's mixer, but it seems fair that my brother keep it. And I wasn't sure how I'd transport it across the country.
And besides, none of those mixers were in the color I wanted. But this one is.
The leftover cheesecake is a weird timing thing (not weird, but not sure what other word to use - ironic? crazy? sad? but a little comforting?). I think that the stand mixer is an excellent gift to yourself. My FIL was known for his breakfast oatmeal pies. The scent of cinnamon and the boiling oats touches the piece of our hearts where we hold him. I'm so glad you're writing about this too - and honestly. Not many people our age are going through it, much less writing about it. Enjoy your cheesecake!
ReplyDeleteThe timing is really bizarre. I've thought about that a lot. Thanks for that. I'm writing about it (at the risk of alienation some people) because nobody I know has gone through it, and now I feel a little less alone. I just bought a load of cinnamon. I'll think of your FIL when I use it.
ReplyDeleteOooh, that is beeyootiful! What a pretty yellow! I have the Kitchenaid in pink and just love it! May you make many a sweet cheesecake with your new mixer and may you enjoy many a sweet memory of your mother while doing so.
ReplyDeleteDo you need my address? I always accept cheesecake at my house!
ReplyDeleteI hope my mom leaves her turkey dinner for me when it's finally her time. I will never get another like hers!
I don't know that the results of cheese cake in the mail will be all that spectacular, but I'm happy to try.
ReplyDeleteGet your mom to write it all down. It's way easier to duplicate with instructions.