Amy E. Reichert > Quotes

“Delight is indeed born in the heart. It sometimes also depends on its surroundings.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“Never love anyone who treats you like you're ordinary.
-Oscar Wilde”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

“I think careful cooking is love, don’t you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give. —JULIA CHILD”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“I refuse to be linguistically constrained by dictionary writers.”
― Amy E. Reichert, Luck, Love & Lemon Pie

“When love is real, even when you can't find it under mountains of hurt feelings and shuttered emotions, it's not really gone. All it takes is finding one new reason to fall in love. Just one, and all the other reasons become clear again.”
― Amy E. Reichert, Luck, Love & Lemon Pie

“Luella had been Lou's favorite grandma. Some grandmas took their grandchildren to parks, or bought them books and dolls, or shared their special stories. Her grandma shared her recipes. She taught Lou how to check when a roast turkey was done, chop veggies without cutting off a finger, and bake a coconut cake grown men swooned over. A fog of comforting smells had perpetually blanketed her kitchen- an expression of her love so strong you could taste it. Lou caught the culinary bug during those early days and loved that she was named after her grandma, even if Lou believed she'd never make food quite as delicious.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“Lou took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of just-cut flowers, fresh tamales from the food stands, and sunshine. She preferred the West Allis farmers' market to all others in the area, with its open sides, wide walkways, and rows of stalls. More recently, small tents serving hot sandwiches and fresh Mexican food had popped up outside the brick walls. It all looked so good, she'd learned long ago to come with limited funds or she would buy more produce than she could possibly use. She relished talking to the farmers, learning about what they grew and where. She liked to search for farmers growing something new and interesting she could use at Luella's.
But today's visit was personal, not business. Sue had dragged her out to West Allis for a little lunch and some girl time with fall squash and Honeycrisp apples.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. —Amelia Earhart”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

“When you love someone, Schätzchen, you are never alone.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“You don't have to like me, but I'd like to make working with me less difficult for you. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it. But I'm not going anywhere."
Sanna watched him say these words, giving her permission to set the rules- yet she could really only focus on his soft pink lips and how she wanted a cider that was precisely that color. It would be sweet and crisp and bubbly. Something you could drink and drink and never get enough of- each sip would reveal a different shade to the flavor, from a lush rose to a pale blush.
She had to know what lips that color tasted like, so she leaned forward and kissed him. Barely a whisper, the briefest of touches on his fascinating lips, with a hint of the toasty cider they'd had with dinner. Her senses lit up like Christmas lights. She pulled back even faster than she'd leaned in. The surprise she saw on his face matched her own.
"I don't know why I..." Her voice trailed off. Colors still crackled around her.
Isaac moved an inch closer, leaning in to inhale near her ear, but he didn't touch her, didn't push her any further. His face was so close she could count the silver flecks in his beard.
"I'm glad you did. I like you. You're interesting, smell unexpectedly like roses, and are obviously gifted." He waved a hand at the cidery as he took a shaky breath. "The few times I've made you laugh have made my days, and I hope to succeed at it again. If that will be a problem, let me know. And, Sanna, I give you permission to kiss me whenever you want.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider

“All too often, she felt like an actor in a play, performing only actions outlined in the script. She needed her apartment as a place to spill food, be loud, break things, be herself.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“Best to keep it friendly and light, like a frothy meringue for dessert—enough sweet to end the meal on a happy note, without the substance to make you feel stuffed.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“She took a deep breath and turned her face to the sky, where large white flakes drifted down, landing in her auburn hair, winter blooms on a field of red. She closed her eyes and let the flakes kiss her cheeks, eyelids, lips.
Never before in his life had he been jealous of snowflakes.”
― Amy E. Reichert, Once Upon a December

“They stepped out of the trees, which opened onto a large meadow that appeared to be in the middle of a mountain range, large boulders scattered around like a giant had dropped them like seeds. Bernie dashed between them, kicking up snow and leaving a twisty trail of tracks. The nearest boulder stood right next to them, taller than Jack. Most of the sides were straight, but the one facing the mountains had a seat carved out of it. Astra imagined some ancestor had created it as a convenient place to rest. On the horizon, the sun glowed orange in the space between the low-hanging clouds and the mountaintops, covered in snow-topped pines. Astra was stunned into silence. There was no explanation for this. The faintest breeze kissed her cheek, the air scented with pine and newly fallen snow. Jack set his hands on her shoulders behind her, and she melted into him, sharing this moment. A sight he had surely seen a thousand times, but could it ever get old?
"This is the most beautiful..." She couldn't find the words.
"I know."
They stood in silence until the sun completely disappeared and the night sky turned from orange and red to purple to a deep black only broken by more stars than Astra had ever seen.”
― Amy E. Reichert, Once Upon a December

“"Epic drama, with a lot of love that withstands it all." She leaned in closer and whispered, "And great steamy scenes, if that's your thing."
Jack laughed. Now he knew he'd be reading it. Who didn't love a little steam?”
― Amy E. Reichert, Once Upon a December

“think careful cooking is love, don’t you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give. —JULIA CHILD”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“The two together seemed unbeatable, impervious to the ups and downs of life. For them, it was only ups as long as they were together; they made sense. As a model of marital harmony, he could think of no better.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“In a few moments, pale yellow-green dots flashed all around them. The longer they waited, the more dots appeared, little stars twinkling just for them.
"Are these fireflies?"
Sanna nodded. "There are always more of them here than in any other part of the orchard. It's better than fireworks."
"We don't have fireflies in California."
Sanna looked around her and gently cupped her hands around a bug that had flown close to them.
"Look inside." She held her hands out to Bass, who peeked between her fingers at the creature who flashed in her makeshift cage.
"Can I try?"
"I insist. We can't go back until you catch your first firefly."
Sanna let hers go and it flew straight for Bass's white T-shirt. He gently cupped it and peeked inside. Watching his eyes widen in amazement, Sanna understood something she'd always missed. While kids were messy, distracting, and obviously a ton of work, they also opened a path to the past. Through Bass's wonder, she felt ten years old again- catching her first fireflies and discovering the magic of the Looms.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider

“He touched the dangling branches, the spring bright leaves hiding baby green apples, a first glimpse at the harvest to come. Everything around him was new and fresh with so much growing left to do. Yet with all the new growth, the trees had aged bark, wrinkled and scarred where branches had been trimmed off. He could almost feel the roots winding deeper into the earth, stretching themselves ever farther while their crowns reached to the sun.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider

“That’s the secret, isn’t it? When the love is real, even when you can’t find it under mountains of hurt feelings and shuttered emotions, it’s not really gone. All it takes is finding one new reason to fall in love. Just one, and all the other reasons become clear again.”
― Amy E. Reichert, Luck, Love & Lemon Pie

“It hurts more to see those we love sad about something inevitable. We are born, we live, if we are lucky we love, then we die. That is the way, not something to mourn. Only mourn those who haven’t lived, who haven’t found love. They deserve your sadness, not us.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“Yes, she’s not crazy. She has never done anything crazy.” “Until now. That’s how the really crazy ones work. You go along, everything’s all smiles and sunshine, then bam! You’re tied up in a gas station bathroom being fed Cheez Whiz through a funnel.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“She slapped a few slices of bacon on the heated griddle. Sizzling started immediately and the scent of rising coconut cake mingled with the smoky salt of bacon. "Heaven." She buttered day-old baguettes to toast, then cracked a few eggs for breakfast sandwiches. "Now some cheese. Brie? Emmental? Mmm, smoky onion cheddar.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“Barf . . . if you got any sappier it’d smell like a Pine-Sol commercial in here.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“You say hope leads to disaster, but I say from disaster comes hope. You were married and I thought I'd never learn your name. Now I know you love sea turtles and snorkeling, you're fiercely devoted to your friends, and you take your coffee with a lot of cream but will add sugar when the mood strikes. Before you, I didn't think life could get better; a great family, the best home, and so much time to enjoy my life. What more could I want? You've upended my world and become woven into every part of it. I can't carve a nisse without thinking about what might amuse you. Every time I make a kringle, I wonder if you'll like it. I never want to look at the stars again without you to guide my gaze.”
― Amy E. Reichert, Once Upon a December

“Happiness is always worth remembering, even when it was temporary.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider

“We are born, we live, if we are lucky we love, then we die. That is the way, not something to mourn. Only mourn those who haven’t lived, who haven’t found love. They deserve your sadness, not us.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“Do not hide who you are. These are a nurturer's hands. Cooking is hard and sometimes painful work, but you do it to share your gift with us. Your cooking improves our lives. Don't ever be ashamed of who you are.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“I like a girl who knows what she wants and asks for it." Jack's eyes glazed as he remembered last night when Astra had done just that. Her cheeks heated at her boldness, but she maintained eye contact.
"Knowledge is power."
"I'm yours to teach for as long as you'll have me.”
― Amy E. Reichert, Once Upon a December

“Isaac took a long swig from the unmarked bottle. He'd tasted her cider before, but this bottle was completely different, yet just as wonderful. The apple was more prominent, yet not sweet, almost funky but in a good, blue-cheese way. He held the bottle up to the light and could see the sediment swirling in the bottom.
"This is amazing- so different from the other one."
Sanna grinned.
"You really like Olive? I wasn't sure when I blended it. Not everyone likes the murkiness."
"Olive?"
Sanna leaned against the counter, putting her weight on her wrist as she studied him for a long moment, her eyes squinting. She took a long drink from her own bottle.
"I see colors when I make ciders. I can't explain it. Each juice has its own hue. That's what those paintings represent."
She pointed at the watercolors over the fireplace. "A new color comes to me, and I blend the juices until I can re-create it in the flavor. And this one is Olive."
"You color-code your ciders?" He struggled to understand what she was telling him.
"No." She reached across the counter and pulled her journal toward her. She opened it and handed it to Isaac. As she sipped her cider, he studied the page, then the next page, then the next. On each was a swatch of layered color, all wildly different from one another- reds, greens, teals, colors he didn't really have names for. Next to the colors were measurements, apple varieties, percentages, and flavor notes. Scribbles filled the margins and equations contained both numbers and words. Things like sugars and acidity were measured and tested. It was part recipe book, part coloring book, and part wine label, with a hint of spell book. Looking at it was like opening a tiny door into the back of her head. She saw things that no one else did, an imaginary world of cider only she could see.
"You can see the color in your head?"
"It's the easiest way to explain it. A color pops into my head, and I know what it will taste like. When I blend the different raw ciders together, I know I have it right when it matches what I've imagined.”
― Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider