By Peggy Goodrich, commentary
Enid News and Eagle
ENID — What gives you comfort? Think about it.
When we are sick, nothing makes us feel better than buttered toast cut into little triangles with a cup of sweetened hot tea or 7-Up. Maybe it is the way it is presented, but it always sooths us and makes us feel comfortable and cozy.
When I think of comfort, I re-member my old blue pillow. Jamie must have been about 4 years old and still drug around her old worn blanket. It always had been her close companion and comfort. We decided she would get rid of her blanket when I got rid of my pillow. That pillow had traveled many places. It was lumpy but all in the right places and slept just right.
When we finally decided the time had come, we took Jamie’s blanket and my pillow and put them in the trash. We went on about our business. I knew I could sneak back and recover my pillow and she would never know. How-ever, those trash people came be-fore I had a chance to recover the pillow. It was gone forever. Jamie seemingly never missed her blanket, but I have never gotten over that pillow. It was my comfort.
Isn’t it strange how we put so much emphasis on a little thing like a pillow or a blanket when we are surrounded by people who are a great comfort to us. Now, I do not rely on a pillow, but I do love our home for comfort and relaxation. It has all the things that mean so much to us. Every-thing in it has a story or an interesting origin. We just love to share our home with our friends and family. I hope they feel the comfort and love that surrounds them when they are here.
There is nothing as comfortable as our own bed with fresh sheets or our own kitchen to putter around in. Nothing says home like a cozy corner where we can spend quiet time. No matter how much we love to travel, nothing feels or smells as good as home. Nothing says welcome like the comforts of home.
Jim and I both have “nests” where we feel relaxed and surrounded by our stuff. He has reading material and, of course, the remote control. I have books, writing materials and something to cross stitch.
When I was a little girl, my favorite spot was sitting on the well curbing. That well curb was about 10 inches high and just right for relaxing. I did most of my best thinking there. I spent hours on that well curb playing with dolls, writing or studying. It was the place I felt the best and was the happiest. If you don’t have such a place, then get one. We need to learn to enjoy our own company before we can share with others.
Food brings such comfort when one needs a lift. There is nothing that compares to the foods we were served at Grandma’s house or Mother’s table. Just thinking about those tasty meals and aromas brings nostalgia. A pot of beans, a beef roast or sausage stirs memories for me. So do doughnuts. Every cookie recipe has a special story attached. So does candy ... remember taffy? And spice cake!
This coffee cake is delicious and will bring back memories of comfort food.
Cream-Filled Coffee Cake
Cake:
11⁄4 cup milk
1⁄3 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 package yeast
1⁄4 cup lukewarm water
3 eggs
51⁄2 cups flour
In sauce pan, heat milk, sugar, butter, salt. Stir in sugar and allow to cool. Dissolve yeast in water five minutes. Stir into milk mixture. Stir in flour. Knead on floured surface until smooth. Place dough in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about one hour).
Topping:
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1⁄4 cup butter
Cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles course crumbs. Punch down cake dough and divide in half. Pat or roll each portion to fit a greased nine inch round baking pan. Pierce top with a fork and sprinkle with topping. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350ºF about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.
Cream filling:
1⁄4 cup flour
3⁄4 cup milk
3⁄4 cup butter, softened
3⁄4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons confectioners’sugar
Combine flour, milk and cook two minutes stirring constantly. Cool. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Stir in cooked milk/flour mixture and beat until fluffy. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Spread each with half the filling. Refrigerate until serving.
Send your comments to: Peggy Goodrich, Food For Thought, P.O. Box 1192, Enid, OK 73702.
