The word fundamental is defined as forming a necessary base or core; of central importance. My aunt Joanne was exactly this, her memory is at the very core of me.
I am sure many can relate to this, in some way we all have a person. The one who has had such a profound impact on your life that you really don't think you would be who you are today with out their influence.
My parents were and still are extremely loving and supportive. I lacked nothing as a child. Who I am is a reflection of that love and support, I just hope that I am able to make them proud. My father and mother actually met because of my Aunt Jo.
My Aunt did not have children of her own, but I can tell you that she loved her nieces and nephews fiercely. She also loved her step grand children as if they were her own flesh and blood.
Aunt would spoil us the way aunties do. She always had some activity planned for us. I can't remember her letting anything take away from that time. It was as if she had cleared her schedule to be with me. We would bake glorious cookies, the ones that were frosted or had sprinkles on them.
She would take us on adventures to quaint little Tea Shops and for fancy Ice Cream she called Gelato. ~ how fancy does that sound to a 6 year old kid who is used to Pink, Orange or Purple popsicles with 2 sticks?
My Aunt Jo had plastic kids plates at her home but I really don't remember ever eating off of them. She would serve us on Crystal and China the same as the adults. I remember being so proud drinking my milk at the table in a pinwheel crystal glass, that sort of thing stays with you .
She always set the table, we used cloth napkins and they all were neatly fastened with a napkin ring. And in my mind this was so much more fancy than using a paper serviette. I still use her napkin rings to this day.
She had the time to slow down, she was not in any rush, she just spent the time with me. I actually felt important or like I had value when I was with her, I was not just a kid. I can remember her teaching me how to use a piping bag or to show me some sort of little kitchen tip. She loved to cook. She always had such glorious cook books. Each one with a small inscription on the inside cover.
And she had that folder .. you know the one that all foodie people have that contains ripped out magazine recipes, scraps of papers with small notes on it referencing some meal of dish she had tried at some exotic restaurant.
My Aunt Jo always sent me a magazine subscription since I was a child, I can remember my Chickadee magazine or Owl .. then as I got older and my interest shifted to the kitchen she would get me Martha Stewart or Bon Appetite
Aunt Jo lived on the Manitoulin Island in Gore Bay when I was a child and into my my teens. As a child making the 8+h trip to go see her felt like an eternity, but I loved being there. It was a small town and we got to explore and have fun as long as we did not get into any trouble. One of the big highlights was being given some cash and asked to run to pick up something at the store. Some days she would send me to get some smoked fish, there was a truck from the Purvis family that would be in the parking lot close to her house. I felt like such a responsible grown girl those days.
I am not sure now looking back if aunt Jo actually needed the items or if she just needed a break ( I was quite the chatter box as a kid )
I loved to see the way that Aunt Jo was with my own daughter, to see my girl playing with the same toys I had loved as a child. I got to see her baking with Aunt Jo wearing the same child sized apron that I had worn decades earlier. These memories will stay permanently etched in my mind.
The first time I went to High Tea at The Fairmount Chateau Laurier was with my Aunt, to me it was a fairytale. The big high backed chairs the fancy plates, it was dreamy. Aunt Jo would take me and also make sure that my daughter would come along as well. She wanted to give her that experience as well. My daughter sure felt like a Princess, and it was not hard for her to feel that way Aunt Jo called her Princess from the beginning.
When we got the call that Aunt Jo was not well, nothing could have prepared us for the results of the tests. Aunt Jo had leukaemia. Hearing that diagnosis felt surreal. She was a very young at heart and vibrant 71 year old woman. She was not ready to die that was for sure, she told me this many times.
Aunt Jo never wanted to be in the hospital and when it became clear that she was not going to be able to continue much longer, we made arrangements to have a hospital bed set up in her room at home. She had nursing care for her and we spent every possible moment with her. I was working full time and could not spend my days with her. But every Wednesday I would pack my pyjamas and a clean clothes for work the next day and spend the night at my Aunts bed side. She did not want to be alone. She needed someone familiar and I was happy to be there. I would help her to get sips of water, we would have little conversations and reminisced. But the most treasured memory was just holding her hand. I made sure she knew even as she would drift in and out of consciousness that she was not alone and she was loved.
My aunt Jo took her last breath October 19th 2012. And it hurts today as much as it did that evening.
This post is not about being sad or hurting it is about honouring the ones we love and making sure that you cherish every single moment you have with them. My aunt would bake a chocolate cake and bring it to most occasions. She LOVED chocolate.
So today in honour of her memory I am sharing the recipe. I am sure it was cut out of a magazine and would gladly link to it but she never shared its origins.
Aunt Jo's Chocolate Cake
Preheat Oven to 350
Grease and flour a bunt pan/tube pan
In a bowl whisk together the following ingredients
1 3/4 cups AP flour *
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
In a separate bowl mix together the following ingredients with a hand mixer
2 eggs
1 cup milk **
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp instant coffee ( optional)
Slowly add 1 cup of boiling water to the liquid ingredients.
Next fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Combine well
Bake for 40-45 mins
Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
* works well with Gluten free flour ( 1 for 1 style)
** I have used almond milk or water to make this cake dairy free
This cake is lovely sprinkled with icing sugar or chocolate ganache.
Chocolate Icing
3 cups Icing Sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup butter
3/4 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
Sift icing sugar and cocoa to make sure there are no lumps
Mix in Butter and add milk/ cream with a hand mixer
beat until nice and fluffy
Frost cooled Chocolate Cake and enjoy