Dear ,
What priceless memories have you been "leaving on the table"? Many of our most meaningful, happiest, and / or funniest stories -- the ones we'd most like to pass down to our children, the ones that make for wonderful writing material -- revolve around food. After all, food not only nurtures and sustains us, it's a rich source of metaphor and memory. And your food stories deserve to be told. (See below for a bonus writing prompt to get started.0
And if you'd like to learn -- and practice -- some easy tools and techniques to get your best food memories down on paper, come to WordPlay's "Delicious Memories" Food Writing Workshop. We'll explore our connections with food as we write of when, where, what, with whom, how - and even why -- we ate! You can use your food writings to create memoir, essays. fiction, poetry, a food blog, family cookbook -- or just for your own pleasure. The cost is $37, and you'll receive writing samples, information about what makes food writing successful, methods you can use over and over again to capture your memories, and an audio recording of the workshop.
WHERE:
Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead St., Charlotte, 28204.
WHEN: This Thursday, September 20, 10 am to noon
TO REGISTER:
Email info@wordplaynow.com for a confirmation and pay in class with a check or credit card.
Or register online via PayPal or with a credit card by clicking this link (or pasting it into a browser):
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=67DGPD5W83ADY WANT TO ATTEND BUT CAN'T BECAUSE OF TIME OR DISTANCE? You can receive this workshop in a self-study format for $27. You'll receive the audio and handouts so that you can capture your food memories in the comfort of your own home (or wherever you are).
Register online for "Virtual Delicious Memories" via PayPal or with a credit card by clicking this link (or pasting it into a browser):
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=RVARE2F25R37A
This smiling woman is my mother, Pat Ryan, in 1957, the year after I was born. She loved to cook, and many of my delicious memories revolve around her meals. I've written many of them down in a foodoir (yep, this is a real word, you can look it up) I'm now in the process of editing. Whether or not your mother has (or had) higher standards in the kitchen than you, I hope you'll enjoy the excerpt below, along with a prompt for you.
Bon appetit!
Maureen
WordPlay Now! Bonus "Delicious Memories" Writing Prompt
Read this excerpt from my upcoming "foodoir", How She Fed Us -- along with a quick recipe for comfort food, 1970's style. Then write about one of the comfort foods from your childhood.
Easy Cheesy Hot Dogs
Mother, while fairly tolerant of clutter, particularly if it was food-related (grocery store ads, coupons and the like), was meticulous when it came to kitchen cleanliness. She did her best to instill her standards in me. Disappointed as she must have been when it dawned on her, once I had a home and family of my own, that my standards weren't quite, as she would say "up to snuff," she tried hard not to criticize my housekeeping when she came to visit. However, she almost always slipped and made a comment about the condition of my burner rings and drip pans. I knew she couldn't help herself. After all, she washed hers daily. It became one of my rituals to prepare for Mother's coming by thoroughly cleaning my stove top and oven.
On one particular visit, my basking in Mother's praise of my sparkling clean oven came to an abrupt end when Mother went to put a slice of bread in the toaster oven. "Look at all these crumbs," she commented. "I make it a habit to clean out my crumb tray every time I use my toaster. Why don't you try it, dear? It saves time - the job only takes a minute that way." Much as I wanted my mother to be proud of my kitchen management skills, a small chuckle slipped out when my husband Richard jumped in to reply, "Thanks for the tip, Mom, but you know, we save even more time by never cleaning ours. Eventually the crumbs just burn off. You should try it."
My poor Mother was scandalized. I consoled her by making this old family favorite for dinner. It's so quick and easy you'll have plenty of time afterwards to clean your crumb tray.
- 6 hot dogs
- 3 slices American cheese
- 6 slices of bacon
-
6 hot dog buns
Boil hot dogs. Make a slit down the side of each. Cut slices of cheese into thin strips. Insert cheese into the slits of each hot dog, dividing evenly. Meanwhile, cook bacon lightly (it should still be limp); wrap a slice around each hot dog. Secure with toothpick. Broil one or two minutes, until bacon is completely cooked. Serve in buns. Serves 6. |
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and
When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn -- and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! 
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