Olive — Onion Quick Bread — The Skillet, the Honey, and a Good Week Worth Remembering

Seven months since Earl died, and the grief has changed shape. It's no longer the ocean it was — that drowning, gasping, can't-see-the-surface kind of grief. Now it's a lake. Still deep. Still cold in places. But I can see the edges. I can stand in it and keep my head above water. Some days I can even swim.

I had a good week, baby. A genuinely good week, which I feel guilty about because guilt is grief's shadow and it follows you everywhere. But I'm going to write about it anyway because good weeks deserve to be recorded. They're rarer now. They matter more.

Monday: I cooked red beans and rice and they were perfect. The beans were creamy, the sausage was crisp, the rice was fluffy. I ate a bowl and I didn't cry. That's a good Monday.

Tuesday: Kayla came over and we made hoppin' John — black-eyed peas and rice, a dish I traced all the way back to West Africa through Sapelo through Mama's kitchen to mine. Kayla's version was good. Really good. Her seasoning is developing — she's learning to taste as she goes instead of measuring everything, which is the moment a cook becomes a real cook.

Wednesday: I went to church for the mid-week Bible study. Pastor Williams talked about restoration, about the things that are rebuilt after being broken. I sat in my pew and I listened and I thought about kitchens. About how a kitchen can go dark for three months and then come back to light. About how a woman can stop cooking and then start again. About how nothing is permanently broken if someone cares enough to rebuild it. Even a heart.

Thursday: Earl Jr. called. He said Amara said "Gah-gah" while looking at a photo of me. He insists she said "Granny." She said "Gah-gah." I accept both interpretations.

Friday: I made cornbread in Hattie Pearl's skillet and I ate it with butter and honey and I sat at the table and I looked at Earl's place and I said, "Good week, baby." And I meant it. Good week.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Friday was cornbread in Hattie Pearl’s skillet — and that moment at the table, saying “Good week, baby” and meaning it, is what made me want to give you something bread-shaped to hold onto. This Olive & Onion Quick Bread isn’t cornbread, but it’s got that same spirit: a skillet soul, a savory warmth, something you pull out of the oven and eat while it’s still singing. Make it for a good week. Make it for a hard week. Make it because someone in your house deserves to be fed something honest and warm.

Olive & Onion Quick Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 cup sliced green olives (drained well)
• 3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or a well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet with butter or cooking spray.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme until evenly combined.
3. Add mix-ins. Fold the sliced olives, diced onion, and shredded cheddar into the flour mixture, tossing gently to coat them — this keeps them from sinking to the bottom.
4. Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, olive oil, and honey until smooth.
5. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. The batter will be thick and a little lumpy — that’s exactly right. Do not overmix.
6. Bake. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan or skillet and smooth the top gently. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Rest and serve. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Slice and serve warm with butter. A little honey on top never hurt anyone.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 218 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 340mg