Baking gingerbread
Raindrops on roses
And whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
Nonna made this recipe often and it never ever last long. Dada insisted that it was because it was super easy to make and had lots of molasses, which was really slow, but tasted really good.
Papa said that it always came good no matter what.
So every fall, from his understanding at least, Nonna would come from her house in Soho for a weekend to their home in Brooklyn and bake lots of things. Including gingerbread.
Vincent never had gingerbread before, but apparently you had to use unsulphured molasses, whatever that meant. Nonna was very anal about it being unsulphered.
Cream-colored lambs and crisp pumpkin strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells
And stroganoff with noodles
Pretty angels that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things
The oven was hot and he knew he wasn't allowed to touch it, but that didn't stop him from sitting in front of it. It smelled yummy and he was waiting patiently.
Boys in white pampers with pink satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver-white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
Gingerbread tasted good. It was moist and melted in his mouth.
Nonna insisted that he tried some while it was still warm because when it was cold, although still yummy, wasn't nearly as good.
She topped it with whipped cream and ice cream, making it super yummy.
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad