Thanksgiving at our daughter's house reminded me of the importance of our family recipes. Her house in South Texas is a mix of new and old, with antiques she inherited from her Grandmother. The china was my also Mom's and Stephanie proudly used it on her table. Several years ago, we had a family cookbook compiled. It's a simple little book, only 82 pages, but the memories that cookbook holds are countless. We were told to submit family recipes, those that were passed down and then to share the memory along with the written recipe. It made for a cookbook that you can read and then go down memory lane to soak up the goodness of Great Aunt Walsie's Stack Cake or Daddy Joe's Dumplings.
No photos adorn the pages, but you can easily picture the recipes. There are typos galore but the text remains sacred. I pull the cookbook down from the shelf and it makes me nostalgic for a time when recipes were passed on scraps of paper and collected in spiral-bound notebooks. Families have almost given up that whole process. Instead we scavenge the Internet for recipes, digging through online sites with immense reserves of recipes, disconnected from the cooks who made them and the people who ate them.
No photos adorn the pages, but you can easily picture the recipes. There are typos galore but the text remains sacred. I pull the cookbook down from the shelf and it makes me nostalgic for a time when recipes were passed on scraps of paper and collected in spiral-bound notebooks. Families have almost given up that whole process. Instead we scavenge the Internet for recipes, digging through online sites with immense reserves of recipes, disconnected from the cooks who made them and the people who ate them.
GRANDson Gavin can't wait to eat Great~Grandma Homeier's Bis Rolls!
I am embarrassed to say this HUGE plate of food was mine! But it held more family recipes...Mom Homeier's Corn Casserole, Grandpa Risley's Dressing (click here for recipe) and Aunt Joy's Orange Dream Salad!
We have a tradition of eating too much on the holidays, stuffing ourself until we are miserable!
Gavin's 9 but we'll blink twice and he'll be grown frying a turkey for his family!
Jackson is 15 but "hangs" with us, love that!River's never far from his side...
Father in law and Son in law bond over the Turkey Ritual, discussing all that's important!Those of us who have inherited cookbooks are the lucky ones. Scrawled into the margins for safekeeping, are precious memories that can be recalled every time we gather for the holidays.
It's the traditions that season the food with love...
Oh how I love old cookbooks. whenever I go to estate sales I am the one grabbing the old recipe box and cookbooks. It is so fun to see what the favorite recipes were and I find so many great ones to try. One of my favorites is an old cookbook full of just salad recipes and there are pages and pages of homemade dressings to make. I am having a giveaway this week so be sure to enter.
ReplyDeleteThe Thanksgiving table you have pictured at the top is lovely - kind of reminds me of how my mom used to do our table up for holiday meals. Family recipes in a book or notebook is a great idea. Even without spell check! Makes it more interesting!!!
ReplyDeleteOMG, is that John Sanford in the last photo? He looks exactly like him if not, one of my all time favorite authors!
ReplyDeleteLove that you guys have a family cookbook; what a fabulous tradition.
It always comes back to family doesn't it...family is everything! (My plate looked much bigger!!!) Come say hi :D
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea.. Your plate does not look big helping.. You should have seen mine .LOl
ReplyDeleteA beautiful table and love how your family does.
It looks like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It's always nice to have the family together.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by my blog and leaving such a nice comment!
Jane
From what I've read on this Blog your daughter seems to have inherited a love for her heritage from you. The weather looks perfect and the FOOD, so YUMMY!!
ReplyDeleteFood is a great way to connect the generations!
Jane at Gaston Studio~ I looked up John Sanford, he does look like Hubby. Nope, not related...we are plain folk, interesting plain folk!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post, Joyce. It's so nice to know that you not only have the cookbook, your family actually uses it. That's a lovely tradition.
ReplyDeleteI love this blog! i have been trying to use recipes like this to start
ReplyDeletemenu planning
Anyway! thanks for all your great information
How nice is that to have a family cookbook! I think it's the best way to bring back old memories during every festive seasons.... sweet sweet memories... isn't it?
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