Stepping Up as a Parent and Finding Joy in Baking
Since the death of my husband, I’ve had to step up my game as a parent. I’m home more, I quit my job, I stayed home so much that after 2 years my daughter urged me to go out and even to date. I did listen to her, and I’m glad I did. My children are still my focus, of course. During lockdown learning, I started making baked goods for them to enjoy during their online learning sessions. On the last day of online school, Mark was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. He was gone in 9 days. After Mark passed away, my job required a lot of travel, so I left it after a few months to fully support our children, who were 12 and 15 at the time. Each child needed something different.
Baked Goods for my Boy
On Monday morning, I love to have a freshly baked good to start my son’s week. It’s my way of saying that I so admire how you carry on and continue to make us proud when fate has dealt you such a huge loss so early in your life. I am here for you, and I see you. That’s a lot to bake into a muffin, I know. I like to change it up and I wanted something that had a little heft to it.
I found inspiration in the cookbook “A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes” by David Tanis for this Almond Plum Cake . Tanis, along with Jean-Pierre Moullé, was a head chef at Chez Panisse for decades. Mark was an assistant pastry chef at Chez Panisse before he led the kitchen at the newly opened Spago. Yes, the rest is history.
One recipe that has become a favorite in our house is Italian Plum Cake by David Tanis. I was drawn to it because it is full of ground almonds, which means it has protein and a great texture. Also, it’s not sweet. I’m not anti-sugar, but I’m anti too much sugar. I don’t like the taste or how it harms our bodies. While I don’t have Italian plums, I do now have an Italian boyfriend, Gio, and both he and my son, Rex, loved this cake when I first made it. I’ve made it several times, always with slight variations, which I explain in the video. This cake will also keep for days! Day-old birthday cake is a doorstop, but this cake has heft.
I highly recommend getting your own glass dome to keep pastries fresh. This means this cake, and others can have a longer life. It extends the life of the baked goods we work so hard on and looks beautiful too, making me feel like I have my own little bakeshop. Here’s a link to one similar to mine: Glass Dome on Amazon. I couldn’t find the exact one I have, but several good options are available, and they’re much more affordable than the one my kids bought me. (as an Amazon affiliate I can earn a small commission from sales from links on my site)
Since setting aside my professional pursuits after losing Mark, I take extra pride in making my kitchen look good. I’ve also found that one of the best ways to show love for those with us and for those who are not is to cook and bake.