November 12, 2020

My Mom’s Cranberry Bread

The SEA SALT Bakes, Recipes cranberry bread recipe, The Sea Salt 0 Comments

I haven’t posted on here since my Mom died. It seems only fitting that my first post back would be her cranberry bread. 

And when I say “her” cranberry bread I mean her cranberry bread. She made it every Thanksgiving, and she even sent it to  me in California one year when I wasn’t going to be home for Thanksgiving. That was two years ago when she had just started chemo treatments.

I had written a letter to my Mom that I was going to read to her when I got to the hospital. I wanted to make sure that I could say everything that I wanted to say (I even mention this cranberry bread). It is amazing how much of my letter was about the food that she made, especially because she really wasn’t that great of a cook. During a layover I sent it to my sister in case I didn’t make it in time to read it to her personally, and she read it to my mom three times. Here’s a little bit of it:

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Mom

So much of my childhood was me just being a happy kid. I remember spending whole days playing at Dickinson, and selling lemonade at the farmers market.  I remember dance practice and trips to the General store, Summers at Keswick and Cape Cod, and Labor Day parades. 

I remember one birthday party in the backyard when you made tacos for everyone because it was my favorite food, and I remember one Halloween when you made me an epic Wizard cape. I remember homemade biscuits, chicken pot pie and hot lemonade when you just mixed Country Time with hot water. 

I remember going to lots of soccer games when I sometimes played and sometimes didn’t (it didn’t matter to you- you were just glad I had fun), and when I brought home my JV jersey and you were so happy for me. 

I remember prom dress shopping, swimming laps, and trips to the bethel food market. I remember you crying when you left me in my dorm room at college. I knew that you went back to work to pay for me to go, but I don’t think I ever said thank you. 

I remember all the care packages, ALL the care packages even when I moved to California and was in my 30’s. Homemade cranberry bread and molasses cookies, Necco hearts for Valentines Day and fake Fall leaves at Halloween. 

I have so many good memories from being a kid. I have some memories of other things that I held on to for too long, and I shouldn’t have. You were a little overbearing at times but I think it was because you knew me too well, because I’m just like you. 

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I’ve never had to deal with death, and it is super hard especially when you feel like there are things that you wished you had gotten to say or do with that person. My mom drove me nuts but man, she loved me. In my room at home she left me two of her sweaters that she knew I would want. She saved all the things that I probably would’ve thrown away like old pictures and prom corsages and put them in a hat box in my closet. There are so many things she did that annoyed me, but they are some of the things that I miss the most. 

My sisters and I are making her cranberry bread this year even thought we won’t be together. My Dad said he might even make it to carry on the tradition (I have never seen him bake). She had written the recipe down for my sister and slipped it in her recipe box along with her recipe for apple pie which she always made for my Dad on his birthday. 

I hope that reading this doesn’t make you sad, although that’s just the nature of it. Everything is still fresh and it’s hard to see the upside to any of it. I do want to offer you some advice. Try to love your people like they won’t live forever (they won’t). Watch your mom make her signature dish at Thanksgiving and take some notes, maybe even pictures. Those things that annoy you about the people that are closest to you? Laugh about them and try to find them endearing instead. 

Have a great holiday season, 

Mary