Perhaps you can imagine yourself, when you were young, coming home from school. Tired and hungry, you were wondering what you could possibly find to eat in the fridge. Stepping into the kitchen, you find your mom (or grandma) taking a pan of freshly baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies out of the oven.

I have a recipe.

You may have heard of it. You might already have it! You might have even used it. It’s been around for a while.

My Aunt Alice’s Oatmeal Roll recipe has a story that I’d love for you to know. It is more than just a recipe. There’s something deeper than words and measurements on a card. But we’ll get to that part in a bit.

I marvel at the power of a bowl of homemade soup, especially when the weather is cold. I try to keep my latest soup-creation in our refrigerator, always ready to be warmed up for lunch or a quick dinner. My mother made a delicious vegetable beef soup which was always ready for us when we walked in the door after our long drive to see her. Even when they were in their eighties, Brian’s parents used to stir up the same Lipton Noodle Soup almost every day for lunch. I guess we come by our love of soup naturally.

Some days the box contained large round golden melons, the kind that just melt in your mouth with a sweetness not found anywhere but straight from the garden. Being a summer joy, we’d eat them for breakfast everyday for weeks.