The fan ticks in such a way that I am already annoyed. It is my first night home after three months of university. My bed is too soft. I can smell meat fat throughout the house. I lay awake. It's too quiet.
The wooden floorboards creek as my brother walks up and down the hallway. I moan and realise I was just complaining about the silence of the house. Everything gets louder and the meat fat smell becomes a faint memory as I hear him vomiting. I moan again and realise that I am being selfish, but nothing seems to drown out the sound.
I hear footsteps up the hallway again. It's my other brother. I hear double the sound of throat noises. Brilliant. What a glorious first night. Welcome home Emily.
Beside from my fear of vomiting, I'm home. I mean I'm living in my old house. No, I mean my home. My house? My home?
Returning home
Every year when I return to my hometown for uni holidays I find myself in a debacle. I never know whether to call Melbourne, or my hometown, 'home'.
In both places I walk into the living room and sigh, often unconsciously. I smell that unidentifiable smell wafting from people's room. I share my Oreo chocolate in both places. I hear people walking down hallways loudly.
I smell meat fat in places 300kms away from each other. And ignoring the meat smell, I sit and eat with people around a table which varies in size. I also smell really good smells in case anyone was wondering why I always smell bad smells.
Both places are in an essence 'homes'.
Sometimes this makes me anxious. I am leaving behind my old 'home' and creating a new one. At times I am not sure I have a home. But amidst this confusion, I am reminded that Jesus is not anxious about a home.
He never has been. He is making heaven all lovely and spacious for you, for me. John chapter 14, verse 3 says, 'When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.' Home sounds pretty good to me.
My Mum's heaven-blessed smells-absolutely-divine Christmas pudding
On a lighter, but super delicious, note, there is something about my Mum's Christmas pudding that smells like home. Even though I can't eat it (thanks food allergies) it is a really nice pudding to stare at longingly. I thought I would share it with you, because there is nothing like food to make you feel at home, right?
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 4 ½ hours
Serves: 8-10
- 1.5kg mixed dried fruit
- 100g glace cherries
- ½ cup rum (or liquid of your choice)
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 250g butter melted
- 1 ½ cups plain flour
- ½ cup self-raising flour
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- extra, melted butter for greasing
- Place mixed fruit in a large mixing bowl. Add cherries and rum. Stir in golden syrup, brown sugar and eggs. Add melted and cooled butter. Stir in sifted flours, mixed spice, ginger and nutmeg. Mix well.
- Spoon pudding mixture into a greased and base-lined 10-cup pudding basin. Cut a large circle each of baking paper and cooking foil. Brush one side of the baking paper with melted butter, place the foil on top, making a pleat in the centre. Place on top of the pudding basin. Secure with wetted string.
- Place a heatproof saucer in the base of a very large saucepan or boiler, Place pudding on saucer. Add enough boiling water to come one third up the sides of the pudding basin.
- Cover the saucepan and bring water to the boil. Reduce heat and allow to boil gently for 4 ½ hours. Check water level every half-hour. Top up with boiling water when the level drops. After 4 ½ hours remove the pudding basin from the saucepan. Cool slightly before turning out.
TIP: Make pudding a couple of weeks before Christmas. If serving hot, simply microwave or steam on Christmas Day.
Come home
In a world where we are unsure of our earthly 'home,' when recipes remind us of homes that once stood, may you be reassured this season that Jesus was born (WOO!!) and has gone to prepare a heavenly home for us.
Come home for Christmas. And eat pudding. Or smell it, I don't mind.
Emily Black is passionate about writing and seeks to write raw, authentic and timely pieces that disturb and comfort, engage justice and fundamentally empower. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts at The University of Melbourne and actively desires to pursue a life of untainted freedom through Jesus Christ.
Emily Black'sprevious articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/emily-black.html