13. june: the empire strikes back

When I was a little girl trips to the family cottage up in the Haliburton Highlands were looked forward to with great fervor. The packing of the car, the all-important decision of which bathing suit to take (I usually took all of them and lived in them for the entire duration), helping my mom make up shopping and meal lists. The longer the better as far as I was concerned...because that meant we were staying up there for an extended period of time.

Once the car was full: of children, a dog, sometimes a few cats, bathing suits, coolers, sun screen and parents we were off -- and the road trip was part of the fun for us as well. My father knew (and still knows!) every back road between Toronto and Salmon Lake andwould not set foot (or wheel) on the 401 in order to get there. He could probably do that trip blind folded, he knows it so well. He'd better, since he's been driving up there since he and his father built the cottage back in 1952.

The stops along the way were what I enjoyed most; I still do today...not sure if the shopping and planning are the part I like best or the actual cottage-time...both are wonderful for me. We'd stop and get groceries, usually in the small town just north of Peterborough called Fenlon Falls. At last check I believe it had an official population of about 1800. It boasts (I think), two bars, a few restaurants, a couple of grocery stores, a bakery, a Canadian Tire, a Beer Store, an LCBO, a church, a veterinarian and Locks. You've never heard of the Trent-Severn Locks? Quite magnificent, to be honest.

The bakery I remember most of all from when I was little is now gone, much to my dismay. Fatheringham's was a little piece of heaven on the way to Salmon Lake that we never did without as far as I can recall. Bread, biscuits, meat pies and the gorgeous, not-too-sweet princess of all cookies, the Empire Cookie. Silky and white on top with icing and usually decorated with a small chunk of candied cherry, tart and sweet with raspberry jam in the middle and a soft, unobtrusive cookie holding it all together. Delicious...and not indulged in (by me) since the bakery disappeared at some point in the 1980's. Until today, since I finally came across the coveted recipe in my mom's ancient recipe binder.