Debby Does…

As a kid, I was a voracious reader and some books caught my fancy in ways that made me reach for them again and again. I can think of two, in particular, this sunny morning—The Boxcar Children and a fairly unknown book called, The Holiday Shop.

The Boxcar Children is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a special edition book release, and I’m celebrating its anniversary with a trip down memory lane.

The New York Times had a piece up last month, honoring the book and specifically highlighting its special relationship with food. As soon as I realized that the article’s focus was on how they ate and what they ate, I was transported to my childhood bedroom, my backyard, and my overflowing imagination. I wanted to eat every meal with them. I tried to create my own version of that boxcar and their way of life in our shed. My mouth watered for those eggs, the blueberries, that cold milk, and the fresh butter. It was presented so charmingly, so viscerally, that I could almost taste their hard earned food gains and, despite not wanting to be an orphan, their life seemed idyllic.

I adored Jessie’s outdoor refrigerator, made from a small pool of water, keeping their milk and butter fresh and cold. It made me wonder why we even had a refrigerator or a stove at our house. It made my mother shake her head at me, as I slammed the screen door and wandered back into the yard, imagining play spaces that took me into their world.

Now that I am embarking on my, hopefully, final kitchen renovation, I had high hopes of a very fancy, Sub Zero refrigerator. Then, I looked at the prices.

Nope. And, while I won’t be refrigerating my goods in a pool of water or icy stream, I will remember that the best things are simply made and simply done, and, in the end, simply delicious.

If you haven’t read The Boxcar Children, please do! And, if you have, you’ll love this NYT piece!