Baklava

Growing up, I could always recall my favorite days were when my dad would pull out a box of phillo dough from the fridge, grab a large baking sheet, and start layering out the dough. I knew it would be another day until it was finished, but that was a day the entire family looked forward to - the day the baklava was finished.

Baklava has been something of a tradition at my home for many years. My father has always been the principle maker of it, often sending small boxes of it out to relatives who lived far away. I'll admit to being a little selfish and not wanting him to send so much, but there was always more than enough to go around.

Fresh-made baklava, done right, is without a doubt one of the most amazing treats ever invented. Of course, I may also be partial to it because my dad makes such a great batch of it. I've tried some others that I didn't care for quite as much, but even so, it still stands miles above other desserts. Yes, even above brownies and chocolate chip cookies (gasp! - anyone who knows me knows I LOVE those, so for me to claim this is better is HUGE).

I recently completely what I believe to be my best batch of baklava yet. After burning the syrup for it twice and forgetting to cut it into diamonds until 15 minutes into baking, it turned out remarkably well - amazing, if I dare to say so. Part of me really wonders if it truly is the difference of using pecans instead of walnuts. I know there is a huge flavor difference, but that much? Either way, I think that I've sworn off using walnuts in my baklava forever. Sadly, it will make it an even rarer dessert, but I think I can continue to afford my semester tradition of baklava for some time to come.

I won't claim to be nearly as good as my dad at this - after all, he does have almost 30 years on me for experience. But you know what, I'm hoping that as I keep going, I can someday hopefully match him. I know you never get quite as good as the old man, but it can't hurt to try.

So, to round this out, I want to give a shout out to my dad, an amazing man who has passed on a wonderful tradition, filled not only with yummy sweetness, but with love.

Forgotten

I wish I could show you a picture of my inspiration. An old, tired, used up tube of chapstick, lying on the ground in a crack on the sidewalk. The label faded and worn, scraped and ripped from being kicked around the sidewalk. Something once used and needed by someone, serving a purpose. Now lost, discarded, and forgotten, stepped on and over by strangers passing heedlessly. Alone in a world that no longer needs it.

Far too often we view others as that expired tube of chapstick - worn out, old, and finished. We discard them without a second thought, their usefulness forgotten in a heartbeat as we go to find someone or something new in life, something more exciting. Too often we simply forget those who have helped us along the way, those who were so important to us at one point, now become simply waste.

We too easily forget just how much people mean to us. We cast them away without that second thought, and there may be no one left for them in the world at that point. We use and lose. Can there be a more insensitive thing, to leave someone, forgotten to the world? I don't think there is, but it happens all the time. I've done it myself. I've been forgotten myself. I think at some time or another, we have all been on both sides of this coin. The question is, when do we break the cycle? When do we stop to pick up that chapstick that we discarded, or another discarded? When do we stop to lose those we once held close and dear, no matter how tired or beat or worn? So I take a moment to encourage you to stop, think, look around. Who is in your life who means a lot to you, who has helped you through the hard times? Who maybe did you once know that you no longer talk to, who has fallen by the wayside in your journey of life? Take a moment, reach out, say hello. Remind someone that they're important to you, that they make a difference in your life. Don't let them become that forgotten chapstick. Don't let them be forgotten.