This is how they (nut)rolled: Visiting nurse spends day off making Christmas nut roll with patient
Every year at Christmastime, Patricia Sasselli looks forward to making her famous nut rolls, the most anticipated sweet treat she bakes during the holiday for decades.
But poor health 鈥� including an ailing back and a recent hospital stay for double pneumonia 鈥� made it too hard for Sasselli, 80, who lives in Chartiers Bend Retirement Resort in Bridgeville, to make nut rolls on her own this year.
That蘑菇视频 when Jay Devenney, Sasselli蘑菇视频 palliative nurse 鈥� who also loves to bake 鈥� offered a helping hand.
鈥淭his year, I suddenly realized everyone蘑菇视频 getting older and all of my relatives and their recipes might soon be gone. And I was talking with Patricia, and when I mentioned baking, she lit up like a Christmas tree,鈥� recalled Devenney. 鈥淚 always ask people, 鈥榳hat are you known for,鈥� and she said hands-down, it was her nut roll and apricot rolls. She said she missed making them so much because physically she can鈥檛. That蘑菇视频 how it all started, out of a conversation we had.鈥�
So Devenney arrived at Sasselli蘑菇视频 senior living community around 9 a.m. toting a cooler filled with all the ingredients they would need 鈥� butter, flour, walnuts, and 鈥渁n unbelievable amount of sugar.鈥� They, along with Sasselli蘑菇视频 best friend Bonnie Marks, quickly got to work, rolling, filling, and baking the recipe. Hours later, Devenney pulled the classic pastry out of the oven and placed it on a rack to cool.
When the dough was made and needed time to rise, Sassellia and Marks took Devenney to the cafeteria, where they treated him to lunch and introduced their baking buddy to all of their neighbors.
Devenney said his family grew up looking forward to his mother蘑菇视频 holiday ice cream roll, and he has learned to bake a delightful pumpkin roll for the holidays, so he understands the significance of baking for the holidays.
鈥淚 told her the pumpkin rolls I make are pretty good, and I said with me helping her, we could do it.鈥�
And so they did.
For Sasselli, a nut roll is not a Christmas task to be crossed off a holiday to-do list. It is an event. It IS Christmas. And Devenney helped her continue her holiday tradition.
She has been making the same nut roll recipe that she got from a friend 50 years ago, turning out an assortment of 32 nut rolls, apricot rolls and another specialty pastry annually for family and friends to enjoy.
The three baked until 4:30 p.m. 鈥� making both nut roll and apricot roll 鈥� and had plenty of fun.
鈥淲e had Jay do most of the work, and he was willing to. We shared stories, laughed, talked about traditions and Christmases and families. It made me so happy,鈥� said Sasselli. 鈥淲e made eight rolls, nut roll and apricot roll, and my family looks forward to them each year, so at least they鈥檒l be able to get a taste of them this year.鈥�
The recipe they used was one that Sasselli had gotten from a friend 50 years ago, and has used ever since.
鈥淲e had such a good time,鈥� said Devenney. 鈥淲hile I originally wanted to do this to bring some Christmas cheer to Patricia, the day ended up meaning so much more.The best part was, when I texted her to make sure she was OK and didn鈥檛 overdo it, she said she couldn鈥檛 thank me enough for baking with her. That meant a lot to me. It turned out to be the best day for all of us.鈥�