Where do the raindrops go?

Now where could she have gone?
I looked for her in the bedroom
and I called out loud from the kitchen door.
I thought I saw her hiding
behind my mother's aparador.

Where are you sister dear?
The rain has stopped pouring
and there're lots we could be doing.
The wet lawn beacons our feet be bare
to feel the mud ooze through toes it dares.

Finally from behind me
My sister’s laughter tingles with glee.
She said she had gone where the raindrops go.
Falling from heaven she told me so
Every ripple in the puddle, a happy entry into fairyland.

The onset of the rainy season has inspired me to put into rhyme an incident told to me by my sisters (6th and 7th in line-- Family planning was unheard of then).



When they were about 7 & 8 years old, M, the older of the two, related that she would hide from V whenever it rained hard. M would not come out of her hiding place no matter how loud V would call for her. When the rain stopped, M would suddenly reappear. When asked by V where she had been, M would then bring V to a puddle that had resulted from the rain.



M would explain to the wide-eyed V that the ripple produced by the rain in the puddle was a signal that the raindrop had entered an enchanted fairyland. M continues that she had just come back from this fairyland. So whenever V calls out to her, Maria is not around to hear her.

Maria and Vanessa now hold important jobs that they seriously pursue with intense passion. But I can assure you that this does not mean they have forgotten where the raindrops go.

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The following signature recipes of my sisters are real and family taste-tested. One bite and you will be transported to fairyland.

M’s No-fuss Zuchini Bread



You will need:
3 C Flour
1 tsp salt, baking soda, baking powder
3 tsps cinnamon
3 eggs
1 C canola oil
2 1/4 C white sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 C grated zucchini

Mix wet ingredients (except the zucchini) and then add the dry ingredients. Add in zucchini.

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 pans. Preheat oven to 325. Bake for 40-60 minutes. Stick fork thru center and if it comes out clean then it is ready. Cool for twenty minutes.


V’s Luxurious Pancakes (adoptation of Chef Wolfgang's recipe)



You will need:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
11/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup unbleached AP flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, whipping cream and melted butter, vanilla.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center, pour the egg-milk mixture into the well, and whisk just enough to incorporate into the dry ingredients.
Heat the griddle and butter lightly. Over medium heat, using a 1/4-cup measure, pour the batter onto the griddle. When each pancake is golden brown on one side, and small bubbles appear on the surface, turn with a wide spatula and brown the other side. As the pancakes are cooked, transfer to a tray lined with a clean towel and keep warm in a low oven.

Note: Makes 12 3 1/2-inch (petite) pancakes

Presentation:

Arrange 3 or 4 pancakes on a warm plate. Serve with warmed pure maple syrup or fruit syrup. Garnish with a few slices of seasonal fruit and serve immediately. To make fruit syrup, combine 1 part fruit (blueberries, sliced strawberries, or any other berry, sliced peaches, or plums) with 3 parts maple syrup and a little grated orange rind. The fruit can be pureed, if desired. Serve warm.