Sorry about the recent silence on this blog, but my life has somehow gotten away from me. And when I am stressed I do one of two things: cook or clean. Crying or worrying is not an option, so I turn to something more productive.
This past week I spent a few of the nights making fresh strawberry tarts to bake away my worries and stress. Just like gardening, there is something therapeutic in working with your hands to create something. My mother was right when she said it builds character.
I grew up making tarts with my mom. We don't make them much anymore, but I can remember making the dough and then pressing it into the little tins with my mom asking if I was doing it correctly. I started baking at an early age, mainly because it was a great way to spend time with my mom and I knew that she loved having me join her in the kitchen. Sometimes we talked, and sometimes we would just enjoy each other's company as we made oil buns late at night or stirred pots waiting for dinner to finish. I was her one kid that loved cooking with her.
So Sunday night I pulled out our family recipe for tart shells and made the dough. My roommate Kim watched as I made the shells and then we called over a few friends to help us consume the enormous volume of tarts, strawberries, whipping cream, and citrus glaze that I made. It was wonderful to sit with some of the most lovely women I know and feast on one of summer's truly best desserts (no offense to you, rhubarb pie). Tarts eating tarts is one of my favorite Sunday activities.
Any other suggestions on the best way you craft, cook, or clean your way out of stress?
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