MY ACCOUNT

September 27

Hi mum,
 

It’s the end of September already. Nora leaves in less than a week. How has the time gone so fast?

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She’s all packed up, and I’m sure she’s excited, but I think she’s been keeping it contained for my sake. Normally, I would have expected her to be worrying about me, waffling on her decision to go because she’d be concerned about me being on my own for so long. But things here are far from what used to be our normal.

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Because we’ve been here for Nora’s whole life, and because Nora is Nora, she’s always been part of the community here; she’s always found friends, whether they were kids from school or people in our neighborhood. And I don’t know if it was just because of my reticence or if it was compounded by my hours at work, but that part of Nora’s life was always outside the house. Until the potluck, that is.

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Since then, as you know, people have been stopping by to bring me salts or other ingredients or recipes. But for the last couple weeks, people have been coming by… for Nora. They know she’s leaving soon, and everyone seems to want to contribute something to her new life - just to have some way to be part of it - and it’s incredible to see. Not just to see what a wonderful community of people Nora has created for herself, but to see her bask in it. To experience her joy in these interactions, in these connections she fostered, and to see how wholly she enjoys it. I don’t know where or when she learned this way of being, but I’m so glad she did.

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Lou has become especially attached to Nora. She dotes on her. She’s been coming by pretty much every day for the last week or so, and sometimes brings company with her – often another friend or acquaintance of Nora’s – and always with a gift for Nora. Yesterday Lou heard Nora ask me to make my Lemon Twist pound cake, and today Lou was on our doorstep with Peggy (remember Peggy? I met her at the carnival?) and a basket of fresh lemons. Peggy came with a bouquet of edible flowers for me.

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They came in for tea, but on their condition that they be allowed to help with the cake. Lou put on a pot of tea to start, while Nora got to work on creaming the sugar and butter, and Peggy zested the lemons with me. She got very excited when I told her we could actually candy the petals of the flowers she’d brought over, and sprinkle some on the icing… which I’m now realizing we forgot to do in the hubbub that followed.

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We were so busy in the kitchen that we didn’t hear a knock at the door announcing another visitor until a booming voice burst in, “Wow, it smells GOOD in here!”

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We all looked up to see Jerry standing by the kitchen door, a smile on his face as he looked at all of us and then around the room for Jenna. But he wasn’t alone – Ben, one of his friends that had attended the potluck, stood just behind him.

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“Sorry!” Ben called out. “We did knock, but when no one answered, Jerry said it would be ok to just come in.” He looked embarrassed at the intrusion.

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“Jenna’s not here?” Jerry asked with surprise as he walked into the kitchen with Ben.

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“No, she must still be at work,” I told him, eyeing a large, covered box in Ben’s hands.

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“Well, we come bearing gifts!” Jerry announced, as he poured tea for him and Ben.

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“It’s not ice cream,” Ben joked as he set the box on the counter. We all gathered around as he lifted the lid to reveal a huge assortment of cheeses. “Fresh from the farm just outside town,” Ben declared proudly.

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“Oh mum this will be great with the cake!” Nora squealed.

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“Cake? There’s cake?” Jerry asked.

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“Cake and cheese, Nora? Are you ill?” Lou looked at Nora like she was worried for her sanity.

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“Did I hear ‘cake and cheese’?” said another voice from the front of the house. We all whipped our heads around to see Jenna walking in. “That’s a great combo – sweet and salty. Oh! Seems I arrived just in time,” she added as the oven timer announced the cake’s completion.

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“I think we’ll need some more tea,” Peggy added as she put another kettle on to boil.

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And so all seven of us squeezed in around the small kitchen table to enjoy tea and cake – with cheese. And let me tell you, it was actually really very tasty! I especially enjoyed it with the sharp cheddar.

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Next time we’ll have to properly ice the cake and try it with candied petals. But for now, I’ve added the recipe below.

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Love,

Beatrix

 

 

Lemon Twist Pound Cake

 

1 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

2 + 1/8 cups blanched almond flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon oil (optional)

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs one a time, beating well after each.

3. In a separate bowl, mix almond flour with baking powder, and then add to egg mixture a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.

4. Add vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon oil, if using. Mix in.

5. Pour into greased bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool, then slice and eat with cheese and tea!