Nostalgia Is A Good Thing

When watching "CBS Sunday Morning" on December 27th, I was intrigued by the story about the power of nostalgia. Lemoyne College psychology professor Krystine Batcho, who studies nostalgia, talked about using nostalgia as a coping mechanism during difficult times. As Batcho stated, "you can't go back and do it again, but you can relive it in memory. And that's why I think nostalgia actually exists; to enable us to relive the good times."

I listened intently to the discussion of how smells can make people nostalgic for their childhoods. They said we grownups are nostalgic for the simple things we remember, as in dinners at Grandma's house, or a just having a meal together. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Whether it's your favorite smell in the kitchen, on the grill, or when you first open the window to welcome spring, or even something you haven't thought of in years, that's what this blog will be about. Remembering the traditions, and making new ones. Stirring forgotten memories by simply smelling a simmering pot on the stove or by smelling a fresh loaf of bread in the oven are just how traditions are revived or newly created!

About four years ago, I started thinking of how I could help the children (and adults) in our neighborhood create memories to last a lifetime. "Doughnuts in the Snow" began in my Kelso kitchen in 2006 and continues today. The only criterion is at least two inches of snow on the ground!

I usually make five or six dozen doughnuts with lots of doughnuts holes. The neighbors and relatives all know the drill by now! They wait for the anticipated phone call and come over with their plates ready to fill!

This year, we've had "Doughnuts in the Snow" four times since the first January snow in 2010. I'll include the doughnut recipe soon, but do hope you would think of something you haven't made for awhile, or so wish you could taste again just one more time. Relive the memory, relive the good times, and give someone a priceless gift...something from your kitchen; something from your heart.