Linderhof


Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas


Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

O Tannenbaum . . . and "French" Cookies


For years and years, we had a "faux" tree
a big nine footer
But I yearned for the smells of childhood
And so three years ago we began the tradition
of
a real tree

Alas, not many tree lots or even grocery stores
in our little town sell
real trees
(Our little town on the prairie obviously is a
faux Christmas tree kind of town!)

And so we go South
to the little town once described
by a Tourism Committee member
as "Mount Pilot"
(to our "Mayberry")

It's become a ritual
A Tradition!




Once home, it spends the night on the porch
"relaxing" it's branches.

But with the trip to "Mount Pilot",
we always stop in the little "Italian" town just north of there.
A tiny town, a mining town
where Italian ancestors came to work.

The Italian grocery in that town is but a
shadow of it's former self
But it still sells its sausages, it "gravy", and other Italian delicacies
And the best panini I've ever eaten.
So big that the two of us share one!

And always
(or at least always the last three years)
We also buy to take home


what is known in this area as
"French Cookies"

They're really Italian pizzelles
but there, they call them "French"!

By whatever name they're called
they're delicious
A taste of the Christmas season
and we always bring a bag home with us.

For once home,
we're cold and tired
(tree picking is hard work!)
and a mug of tea and some "French" cookies
revive our spirit.


The mug (one of a pair -- the other is red)
is our favorite big tea or hot cocoa mug in December.
(And a years ago Christmas gift from dear Friend Carolyn)
And a steaming big mug of Harney's Hot Cinnamon Tea
warms us from head to toe.

Tomorrow . . . we decorate the tree!

And with all the ado of unloading the tree,


Doogie retired to a wing chair
Keeping his eye on what is going on
But, alas, pretending that none of it interests him!

Dolly 
She just takes things in stride and is out chasing squirrels.


4 comments:

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Can't wait to see your tree all decked out!
Cute santa mug. Adorable.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Sometimes I'd like to go back to a real tree, I miss the outdoorsy scent.
I haven't had pizzelles for a long time but agree they're good with a cup of tea.

Canadian Chickadee said...

Just got back from walking the dog, and the idea of a mug of cocoa and a cookie or slice of fruit cake sounds perfect. Can't do any baking today -- the stove blew up last week, and the replacement which was delivered yesterday won't fit in the space, even though the specs say it should! So it'll be take out food or microwaved stuff for at least another day! xoxo

GardenOfDaisies said...

You must be referring to Pittsburg and Frontenac. My husbands Italian great-grandfather settled there, and later moved with his two youngest children to KC.