When my friend author Kathleen Kohler told me she was going to bake a peach cobbler my taste buds went on high alert and my mind somersaulted to my past as I recalled the succulent fragrance of my mother canning peaches from our tree.
I imagined my friend Kathleen later extracting her steamy cobbler from her oven: the aroma of bubbling peaches and warm dough filling her kitchen. Peach pies I’d eaten decades ago danced through my mind and my mouth salivated.
Photo and mouth-watering peach cobbler by Kathleen Kohler.
The sense of smell is closely linked with memory, perhaps more so than any of our other senses, such as sight and touch. This phenomenon happens spontaneously, with a smell often acting as a trigger in recalling a long-forgotten experience or event.
In addition to being the sense most closely linked to memory, smell is also highly individual. Studies have confirmed that women have a superior sense of smell.
There are certain odors that all humans find offensive, fortunately, because they warn us of danger, such as smoke or of rotten food. My husband hates mothballs, but they remind me of my grandma’s attic in CT. Yet since they are reportedly bad for the health I use cedar spray. Ah, another scent that reminds me of Christmas and my parents’ cabin in the forest.
Do you love the smell of used books? When you walk into a library or a secondhand bookstore, do you enjoy that unique aroma so loved that many avid readers still prefer physical books over the convenience of their digital versions?
A whiff of coffee wakes me up faster than an alarm clock & puts me in a better mood.
Barbecued burgers on the grill might conjure up recollections of childhood picnics. Cinnamon toast reminds me of my mother as I walked into the kitchen door after school. Tea and cinnamon toast every day.
Most writers are keenly aware of the sense of smell and use it to their advantage when creating a scene. When an author fails to include scent the writing feels flat.
One of my favorite perfumes is the aftermath of rainfall. Or the back of a baby’s neck. Buttered popcorn might remind me of a movie I haven’t seen for twenty years — or the emotions I felt from the film or of the person I was with.
Can you think of fragrances that spiral you back to your childhood? What do you think of when you smell roses or lilies? Or freshly baked chocolate chip cookies? When you inhale a trace of your grandmother’s perfume, how do you feel? If you could only pick a favorite scent what would it be?
Amish-made Tea Towel & Potholder from Lancaster County.
Leave a comment and enter to win this Amish-made tea towel and potholder, plus a copy of one signed novel from The Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy: CBA bestseller Leaving Lancaster, Pennsylvania Patchwork, or Forever Amish. Winner has three days to respond. USA and Canada.
PS: Kathleen’s cobbler recipe comes from Betty Crocker, however Kathleen uses twice the amount of fruit and one-third less sugar, and says it tastes delicious with vanilla bean ice cream.
Homemade bread always reminds me of Sunday dinners at my grandparents .
What a lovely memory, Sparkle, and a divine aroma! I can practically see the butter melting … Thanks for writing and entering the giveaway. Good luck!
Kate
i would love to win this
i love homemade bread biscuits
Thanks for entering to giveaway, Wanda! Homemade biscuits sound delicious.
Kate
Coming from an Italian background, the smell of pasta sauce cooking always brings me back to Sunday dinners.
Italian pasta sauce makes my mouth water, Rachel! Although not Italian, my mother used to make big vats of it. Yummy. Thanks for entering the giveaway and good luck!
Kate
Homemade bread, biscuits, and snicker doodle cookies bring back fond memories of standing on a chair helping my mama.
Thanks for writing, Lucy! I’ll bet your kitchen smelled heavenly! Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
going into a store where there making Spanish food brings it back!
I wish that store were down the street, Wilma! Wish I could meet you there for lunch. Thanks for writing and entering the give away!
Kate
When I smell bread baking it takes me back to being a teenager and baking bread cinnamon rolls and butterscotch rolls while stuck at home during the snow storm of ’78 in MI.
What a yummy and very specific memory, Leslie! I imagine your home was filled with sweet aromas that have stayed in the back of your mind all this time. How wonderful. Thanks for your terrific comment!
Kate
My grandma’s meatballs cooking always makes me think of her and the times we spent together making them. Also Apple Butter.
I suddenly have a craving for your grandma’s meatballs, Andrea! I’m sure the time you spent with her was priceless. Thanks for writing and entering to giveaway!
Kate
The new apples in the store brings back fond memories as well as the Blackberries as I use to go down the lane to pick them and just enjoyed my Mom making goodies with them.
New apples carry with them a distinct fragrance, Joyce, as do blackberries! I wish I could have tasted some of your mom’s goodies! Thanks for writing and entering the giveaway!
Kate
Fried potatoes and biscuits were a staple at most every meal!! 🙂
They sound terrific, Sheri! I can see why they would bring back fond childhood memories. Thanks for leaving your comment. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
i love reading about the amish, i respect them so much, my husband and i are planning a trip to ohio, to see amish country, i am excited to go
I hope your trip to Ohio is splendid, Rosemary! Thanks for leaving a comment and entering the giveaway!
Kate
Ohhhh the smell of fresh homemade pumpkin pies!!!! Also, my mom’s fresh baked apple cake. Waiting the 24 hr rule, before cutting into it was murder!!!
I hadn’t thought of homemade pumpkin pies, Sharon! The aroma would bring back a myriad of fond memories. I’ve never heard of the 24 hour rule, which sounds like punishment, but is probably worth it. Thanks for leaving your scrumptious comment and entering the giveaway!
Kate
Fresh baked corn bread always reminds me off Sunday dinners at my grandparents house
Sunday dinners at your grandparents house is a memory I would cherish, Reba! Thanks for entering the giveaway and for reminding me I haven’t made cornbread for ages. Yum!
Kate
i would love to win this!!!! I love reading about the Amish, I have become friends of an Amish lady and she had to me a lot of recipes they make and I tell her some of mine? I would love to spend a weekend with them just to see how they do everything
Spending a week in an Amish home would be fascinating and fun, Joni! Thanks for leaving a comment in entering the giveaway!
Kate
The smell of evergreens or baked turkey make me think of Christmas at Grandma’s surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Christmas at your grandmothers’, surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins, is a delightful memory to carry with you, Jennifer! I wouldn’t mind savoring a piece of that turkey … Makes me want to jump the gun and roast one. Thanks for sharing your lovely comment and entering the giveaway!
Kate
The smell of apple butter reminds me of my mom teaching me to make it for the first time. My daughter was an infant and we hung her swing in the apple tree while we picked the apples. Then we set our chairs under its shade while we washed, then peeled, cored and sliced them. To keep from heating up the house my dad set up his fish cooker and we cooked it outside, then canned it.
What a lovely scenario you’ve painted, Donna! Touching and delightful. Thanks for entering the giveaway and good luck!
Kate
My favorite smell is during the holiday season, my mom would make all sorts of cookies. She had raised 7 kids, 6 girls and one boy. She would make dozen and dozen of cookies. The smell brings and makes me wish to have my child hood days back.
Thanks for sharing your memories, Melissa! If you can remember that aroma now, it’s instilled within you. A wonderful reminder. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
I am 54 years old and can still remember the smell of the homemade rolls in my elementary school cafeteria. I remember walking thru the doors and the aroma of the homemade rolls making my mouth water. They were delicious rolls and the hands that made them were very special.
Those homemade rolls sound delicious, Melissa! You must have attended a school with a caring staff I’m not sure many of us enjoyed. Thanks for leaving your mouthwatering comment and entering the giveaway!
Kate
Oh gosh! lots of smells trigger memories for me. One being my dear
G-Mom’s Peach Cobbler as well as her Chicken N Dumplings which
I have tried to make over the years but none taste as good as hers.
My Mom’s fried taters and onions. Would love to win this.
Thanks for the chance and good luck to all
Thanks for leaving your favorite aromas, Patti, that connect you to the past and make me hungry!
Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
I always loved smelling my Mother’s hot dog chili cooking! She didn’t go by a recipe …. just a little of this and that. She has tried recreating it, but it’s never as good as what I remember as a child. Thank you for the opportunity to win some gifts!! Blessings!
Thanks for leaving a comment, Susan! Your mother must have been a splendid cook. Judging from what you’ve written, she’s still alive, a blessing better than practically anything. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
Oh how I love smelling homemade bread baking.
Yummy, it’s hard to beat the smell of homemade bread baking, Kathy! Makes me want to run for the butter. Thanks for entering the giveaway and good luck!
Kate
Hi Kate! My favorite smell is of burning leaves & wood! I think it reminds me of Fall when I was growing up in Indiana- and why Fall is still my favorite season! Is it any surprise that I’ll be getting married sometime next Fall? Really hope I can win & God bless!
I didn’t realize you grew up in Indiana, Mallory! Getting married in the fall sounds fabulous. Do you mean one year from now? In any case, I’m requesting photos on FB, please. Thanks for entering the giveaway and good luck!
Kate
Bacon smells brings back a visual of my dad cooking bacon with a fork in one hand, the other hand warning off early munchers…yet with a smile turning head long enough for the bacon bandit to grab a slice!
You described your father in a lovely way, Virginia! He must have been a generous and terrific dad. Not to mention a good cook. Thanks for leaving this charming comment and entering the giveaway!
Kate
Oh that peach cobbler looks so good. My father would make egg and canadian bacon sandwiches for brunch on Sundays.
Your fathers egg and Canadian bacon sandwich sounds like the perfect Sunday brunch meal, Kim! I’m sure you have many fond memories. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
The smell of Honeysuckle. It grew along the front of my favorite grandfather’s front porch. I love the farm and being there with my grandfather. It a special place and when I smell Honeysuckle I’m there. As children we loved to take a flower and break the back of the flower and pull the back off and suck in the drop of sweet water.
I love that fragrance too, Jenny! How wonderful that it reminds you of your grandfather and that you can still taste the drop of sweetness in your mind. Thanks for leaving your comment and good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
The aroma of freshly baked apple pie reminds me of Autumn dinners my mom made. We rarely had dessert at dinner time so when she made apple pie it was a real treat. One particular memory I have of a day when we were eating her apple pie is unusual. I remember it because it was Halloween and while I was eating my pie we heard a loud crash! A neighborhood boy (who by the way was always in trouble) had tossed a pumpkin through our front door shattering the glass. Now every time I smell apple pie I am not only reminded of my childhood but also of that incident and that boy. I feel sorry for the boy because I believe that the reason he was always into mischief is because he didn’t get enough attention from his parents. He was the youngest child in a large family and it was always said that his mother put him out of the house every morning so she could get her housework done and didn’t know where he was or what he was up to until bedtime. I’m not sure that was real but I do believe he lacked for parental attention which resulted in his troubled life.
Oh, my, what memories apple pies bring to your mind, Donna! I’ve heard many stories, but never one like yours. You obviously have a kind heart to feel sorry for that boy. I hope he overcame his problems and is now an upright man. Thanks for sharing your unusual story and for entering the giveaway!
Kate
would love to win. Thanks for the chance.
Thanks for entering the giveaway, Angela!
The home baked bread smells are a good trigger for remembering wash day with beans and bread for supper.
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving your comment, Barbara! There is nothing like home-baked bread, but it triggers a different memory for each of us. Fascinating! Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
So pretty! Hope I win!
Thanks for entering the giveaway, Yolanda!
Kate
Cinnamon aroma brings me back to my childhood.
Chocolate bread pudding
Chocolate bread pudding sounds so good, Joy! I love bread pudding and chocolate, but don’t think I’ve ever had the two combined. A fabulous idea. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
My moms homemade butterscotch pies. Just smelling the pudding mixture when she is making it is so great. Thank you so much for the contest. Have a Blessed Day.
Your mom’s butterscotch pies sound superb, Deb! Thanks for entering the giveaway. I’m wishing you a blessed day too.
Kate
I just made the peach cobbler last week, Yummy. And love the tea towel and pot holder, remind me of my grandmothers. Thanks for giving me a change to win them. What a blessing that would be to put in my granddaughters hope chest. Blessings
Another peach cobbler lover, Darla! I’m glad the tea towel and potholder remind you of your grandmothers. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
The smell of sausage and chocolate gravy & biscuits cooking. My Momma cooked this for us so many mornings.
Your mother’s unique combination of sausage, chocolate gravy & biscuits is new to me, Brenda! I’d love to give it a try. Thanks for leaving your comment and entering the giveaway!
Kate
Waking up on Thanksgiving morning smelling all the food being prepared and cooked!
What a wonderful memory you’ve just given me, Jennifer! Of course, that means our parents had been up for hours preparing a sumptuous meal. Our mothers, at least. Thank you for leaving a comment in entering the giveaway!
Kate
Smelling roasted turkey always takes me back to my childhood when getting up in the middle of the night and finding my mom or an older sister up watching the turkey, as we had 9 children in our family plus aunts and uncles and cousins coming for the noon meal, it was always a big one and crowded house, such great memories.
That must have been a gigantic turkey, Ruth, to feed so many people! Makes me hungry just to think about it. What fun to have grown up in a large and loving family. Thanks for entering the giveaway. Good luck!
Kate
The smell of fresh cut wood transports me back to my grandfather’s wood shop. He was a master carpenter and allowed me to hang out with him whenever we were visiting. Oh, the memories I have of those treasured days!
When I smell roses or lilies I am reminded of afternoons spent wandering the grounds at the wastewater treatment plant my great-uncle supervised in Illinois. There were beautiful flower gardens and mazes across from his home which was located on the wastewater treatment plant property. My cousins and I spent many a happy afternoon playing while our parents visited with their uncle.
The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies reminds me of my mother. She always had fresh cookies to send home with her loved ones whenever they came to visit. Everyone loved her cookies. It wasn’t until recently, when she developed Alzheimers, that it was discovered she made her cookies from Nestlé Tollhouse prepackaged dough.
I can’t remember the smell of my grandmother’s perfume.
If I could only pick one favorite smell, it would be the smell of my grandfather’s wood shop. Oh, how I treasured those days.
The smell of your grandfathers woodshop is an excellent choice, Kathy! I imagine you shared treasured conversations. Don’t we all wish we’d spend more time with our grandparents? Thanks for entering the giveaway!
Kate
My all time favorite Sis my mom’s filled sugar cookies for the holidays. She puts cherries or pineapple or raisins in between two cookies. They ate the best.
Clever mom to fill her sugar cookies for the holidays, Cindy! They sound scrumptious. Thanks for visiting my blog and entering the giveaway!
Kate
my mawmaws carrot cake best smell in the world
I do love carrot cake, Donna, and would enjoy sampling the best in the world! Thanks for reminding me how much I like it. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
The smell of yeast rolls takes me back. My grandmother made the BEST yeast rolls ever!! I’ve never been able to match hers.
I do also love pre-loved books, especially the hardback ones from nearly 100 years ago.
Your grandmother’s rolls sound superb, Chandra! She must have had a special touch, slightly different ingredients, stove temperature, timing … hard to duplicate. Coming upon an old book is always exciting. Thanks for entering the give away. Good luck!
Kate
When I smell home made chocolate pudding I remember mom cooking it for me . She put Morang on top of the hot pudding sprinkled sugar on it & cold milk . It was so good with the hot & cold together . The smell of the rich home made chocolate pudding . So yummy .
I forgot to say Apple Butter bring made at the J M Smuckers Company across from our old foot ball field when I was a teen . We went to watch the track meets after school and always had an apple or 2 from the big bins behind the factory . The Apple Butter smelled so good . Yes it’s the same ( J M Smucker Company ) the makes all the good Jam’s & Jelly’s , you’ll see Orrville , Ohio on all their labels , even coffee & other products now . Great memories .
Your mother’s chocolate pudding sounds divine, Mary! I would happily sample some and skip lunch. She must have been a wonderful mom and cook. Thanks for entering the giveaway. Good luck!
Kate
Fresh dill! Reminds me of gardening & canning with my mom.
I also love the unique aroma of fresh dill, Jill! How wonderful that it reminds you of gardening and canning with your mother. Precious memories. Thanks for your comment and good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
I LOVE THE HOMEMADE APPLE CRISP MY MOM WOULD MAKE THIS WHEN I WAS A CHILD GROWING UP! EVERY TIME I MAKE THIS IT REMINDS ME OF MY DAYS AS A LITTLE GIRL!
A delightful memory and a scrumptious taste, Sarah! How wonderful that you have memories of your mom each time you make apple crisps. Thank you for your comment and for making my mouth salivate. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
I love the aroma of breading baking — I remember my mother kneading the dough, and fitting two balls of dough into each loaf pan. I loved having a “heel” of the bread while it was still warm and slathered with butter. I’ve found out recently that different families have different names for the ends of the loaves.
Lovely memories of your mother and of the bread baking, Kaye! No matter what it’s called, that end piece smothered in butter is to die for. Thank you for entering the giveaway. Good luck!
Kate
I don’t drink coffee, but my favorite childhood aroma is Daddy’s coffee percolating on the wood stove in the mornings. I love the smell of coffee to this day.
Your favorite aroma of your daddy’s coffee percolating is a treasure! I wonder how many people who love coffee associate it with their childhood. But unlikely that their parents’ coffee was percolating on a wood stove. A lovely combination of aromas. Thanks for writing and entering the giveaway!
Kate
Orange or orange juice, Moma always made the most wonderful fresh orange cake
Fresh orange cake may be a delicacy I’ve never tried, Pat! Sounds fantastic. Thanks for leaving your comment. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
Cinnamon, vanilla, peach cobbler, charcoal hamburgers, all of these are wonderful scents from my childhood!
Sounds as if you have a number of yummy aromas that bring you back to your childhood, Debbie! Thanks for leaving your comment and entering the giveaway!
Kate
When I smell popcorn balls it takes me back to Easter. My grandmother would make them for our prizes and I found the prize egg one time and that’s what I got—a big popcorn ball with all the goodies on it.
Sounds like you had a wonderful grandmother who would go to all that trouble to make her grandchildren happy, Kathy! Little did she know that the fun memory would be etched in your mind forever. Wonderful. Thanks for leaving your comment in entering the giveaway!
Kate
My favorite smell is apples and cinnamon. The smell of fall.
Spelled last name wrong. Sandi Coughlin
Thanks for leaving your comment, Sandi Coughlin! Apples and cinnamon do seem to be aromas associated with fall, a favorite time of the year for many. I have the feeling someone heated them together … They go hand-in-hand. Good luck in the giveaway!
Kate
Homemade bread! Whether it was at home or whether at school in the school lunchroom! Both my mother and the lady who was the school cook 10 of my 12 years in a small rural school were special woman!
Anyone who cooked me homemade bread would be special on my list, Lois! How great that you actually knew the cook at your small rural school. She must have been special, as was your mother. Thanks for entering the giveaway!
Kate
So many memories from childhood as I read the blog. One of the cherish memories is coming home from school and mother having fresh rolls and loaves of bread right out of the oven. What a great afternoon snack with homemade strawberry or blackberry jam from her hands also! Delicious and precious memories.
With an afternoon snack like that, I’d be running all the way home after school, Marilyn! My mother was a marvelous cook, but never baked bread, so I’m a little jealous. Thanks for leaving this mouthwatering comment and entering the giveaway!
Kate