Saturday, December 6, 2008

Mother's Recipe Box


A few weeks ago I opened my mom's recipe box for the first time since her death 2 1/2 years ago. Oh my, I was not prepared for all the memories and emotions that floated out of that box! Seeing her splotched and well-worn favorite recipes, some written in her own scrawling penmanship, some typed carefully yet splattered from many uses, some torn from magazines and newspapers - all of them took me back to the many wonderful meals and goodies that she lovingly prepared for her family. It took me back to the fun times we had in the kitchen together, making our favorite holiday treats. It reminded me of being a little girl and watching and learning and helping as she taught me with patient love how to cook. I remembered the many times that my mom, her mom and I would spend in the kitchen together making jellies and jams and Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts! It made me happy and grateful that I was raised with so much love, in the kitchen, in our hearts, in our lives.

5 comments:

Joanne Huffman said...

What a wonderful treasure. You should scan the cards with her writing on them and use themn for cards for your family - or make a recipe book for them.

Joanne

Judy Streger said...

I can so relate to this post. I have many recipes my mother wrote out for me when we got married and I still refer to them. Just this week, I made Mom's potato pancakes (latkes) to freeze and use for Chanukah later this month. It was almost as if my mother were standing besides me grating the potatoes and flipping the pancakes in the frying pan.

Karen Campbell said...

Oh these are wonderful --- and I so identify with the memories that must have come flooding back! It wid be s fab if you made color copies and did a vintage altered recipe book with these treasures!

Angela Hoffmann said...

oooh i just love this story..how sweet!!! It is amazing how something that seems so simple can generate so many wonderful and fond memories!!

Connie said...

How wonderful- nothing conjures up memories better than food! I have my mothers 200 page hand written cookbook - I was going to copy it for all my sisters - but when I started reading some of the recipes - many had parts missing....my mother had written the recipes for herself and so she only wrote down what she needed...fortunately, many of the recipes I have in complete form, ones she had given me over the years. i am making a cookbook for my sisters now - but it it so time consuming! no way it will be reasdy this year.
connie