Lemon Sponge Pudding

My wife and I love to entertain. It's a great excuse to have friends over and steal memories from one another. I used to believe it was the food that made the night but I now know differently, it's all about the people you surround yourself with. Great individuals from different backgrounds with equally important voices to be heard. All of us unique as much as we are similar.

Last night we had a couple of friends arriving from Germany and spending the night with us. For them it was just their first stop on a two week vacation, but for us it was more than that. It was an opportunity to establish new beginnings and set them up for a trip they'll never forget. Whenever we have friends staying with us we like to give them some love and hospitality.

They were due to land around 8pm in Toronto and by the time they cleared customs, grabbed a rental car and made their way to our house it was after 10pm. We invited some friends and neighbours over for some food and cocktails so we could properly greet them. This was going to be a 12 hour visit, but it was going to feel a lot more than that. It was going to feel like home on the other side of the world.

They finally arrived to a welcome fit for a king. Lots of smiling faces and cocktails welcoming them home, if only for a moment. We stayed up and visited and talked for hours. There were great stories exchanged and conversations about our different customs, sometimes better customs. After a few hours it felt like the room was full of people that had known each other all their lives. Some of us had just met our new German friends but they felt like family. They were family.

It was well into the early morning before we called it a night. The food was gone, the liquor cabinet almost emptied and our old but new-again friends were on their way to bed. It had been a long day with travel and it was 9am back home so they needed the rest. We all needed the rest.

This morning came quicker than expected. I guess heading to be after 3am does that to you. My wife put on a big pot of coffee and I got to work preparing the food. In a few short hours they would be on their to Michigan so they needed the fuel, and we needed more time together. We sat around the table lost in the moment and eating up the last of our time together.

It's a cliche but time does fly by when you're having fun. We shared experiences and life-bonding stories that will hold up for a few more years until we see each other again. We noshed on the food in front of us which helps nourish the conversation. I set up a full brunch and finished it with these lovely Lemon Curd Puddings. The perfect ending to an amazing visit.

I know we won't see our friends again soon but it feels like they're always with us now. Every once in a while I can flip through the images in my mind and remember just how nice it was to see them again.

From my house to yours, happy eating!