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| Aren't the shapes just Art? Great if you like your bread cut in triangles like me :P |
We all have that distinct smell in our homes of a Saturday morning, when most
parents are at home having a well deserved sleep in and the kids open one eye
to catch the sunlight dancing on their bed, snuggling further into the recesses
of their pillows and blankets. The house is serene, basking in the early sun
almost like a lazing lizard on a spot of rock on this great earth. Paint begins
to peel and flake on its exterior, signs of the Australian sun at work. For now
the sun is modest, it rises above the trees to warm the leaves the pavement.
For me, sunlight would explode into the bedroom and I would lie awake for a
while watching the rays catch the dust swirling stealthily about the room. An
occasional magpie would venture to perch on the window sill crooning over its
shoulder into the rows of roses and pumpkins that was our garden below. The
parents are already out of bed and that is when the first sounds are heard from
the kitchen.
The time had come and was marked by the sweet smell of butter instilled in the air. The ingredients in their isolation smell of nothing until layered into the jaffle hot plate to pop out as crisp, golden sandwiches that break effortlessly to form triangle slices. The machine even imprinted neat lines on each triangle and you would know when it was ready by the flick of the green light and the sizzle as the edges finally gave way to the cheese.
Its contents ooze a little though the sealed edges, cheese comes first and maybe some toasted sliced tomato. We used to make ours with ham, cheese and tomato – simple yet it endured every Saturday, a welcoming change from porridge in winter and cereal in summers before school. It transcended all seasons and my sister and I would pick them up with little fingers and nibble cautiously in case the goodness scolded our tongues (yes too much goodness can harm you :P). You simply could not leave it on the bench to cool!
The time had come and was marked by the sweet smell of butter instilled in the air. The ingredients in their isolation smell of nothing until layered into the jaffle hot plate to pop out as crisp, golden sandwiches that break effortlessly to form triangle slices. The machine even imprinted neat lines on each triangle and you would know when it was ready by the flick of the green light and the sizzle as the edges finally gave way to the cheese.
Its contents ooze a little though the sealed edges, cheese comes first and maybe some toasted sliced tomato. We used to make ours with ham, cheese and tomato – simple yet it endured every Saturday, a welcoming change from porridge in winter and cereal in summers before school. It transcended all seasons and my sister and I would pick them up with little fingers and nibble cautiously in case the goodness scolded our tongues (yes too much goodness can harm you :P). You simply could not leave it on the bench to cool!
I know what you’re thinking. It’s a jaffle maker, it makes jaffles (duh) and so
what? Do we not link smells to a time in the past, an exact place and location?
A place that may not be present or standing anymore as in my case? How times
have changed when you look back and see how our breakfasts have evolved (just
an odd thought), often the first smells and sounds of the morning amidst the
rush to start the day. The fact is childhood memories manifest in different
ways that we often don’t realise and recognise. Little does that magpie know
that it is instilled in a childhood memory, wherever it may be now.
Nowadays I make the jaffles for the household. We used to call it “Breville” after the brand of our jaffle maker. “Breville” itself sounds kind of snug and homey just like the sandwich itself. Now in our teens we promoted ourselves to adding a little salami too but the classic from the past always has a place on the hot plates. I thought it was important to put this simple memory into writing – in a few decades it may be a lasting memory to sustain us all!
I’ll leave you with some thoughts for jaffle toppings I’ve tried in the past. You may soon realise the jaffle maker is one of the best kitchen investments you’ve made (no exaggeration here :P )
No more boring sandwiches and toast!!
Just top up one slice with either (you choose the ingredient portions):
- a few spoons of canned baked beans and some cheese :P
- a few twirls of canned spaghetti
- Tomato, diced (or slice of) ham and cheese (any cheese!)
- Avocado, tomato, ham and cheese
- leftover macaroni cheese (dare I say- which some like but I still can’t warm up to after trying!)
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| Nothing beats the "Big Cheese" everrrrrr!! |
Well I hope the above won’t be the first quirky thought you’ve
encountered today but I think its nice thinking about our childhood every now
and then (even though I’m not that old yet!). Some we can recall with
remarkable clarity – a chain of thoughts and senses that string together – and I
love the excitement as you and your friends/family can fill in the details
together and remember the exact same memory as it happened J
See if you can recall something from your childhood! The trick is not to think too hard!
Toodles for now!
Mimi
See if you can recall something from your childhood! The trick is not to think too hard!
Toodles for now!
Mimi
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