a quick update: five (!!!) years have passed since I posted this, and the only thing that’s changed is one of the recipes 🙂 there is never enough time, and I wish she had been around to see all of the amazing things that have happened in the last five years. I have a beautiful and amazing wife, two phenomenal kids, a dog, a house, and happiness. oh, and a cat. can’t forget him. I still miss mom every day, and cherish everything I have from her, including a big chunk of who I am.
this month marks the 13th anniversary of my mom’s passing. time is supposed to heal all, but I don’t think there’s enough time in my life for this one. there was no chance to say good-bye, and there’s very little that’s tangible I have from her.
I was going through a box that has followed me around from place to place over the years, and re-discovered the recipe box. in it is a treasure trove of memories from growing up – the meals and treats (and boy were there a _lot_ of baked treats!) from the first half of my life. most of the recipes are from the first 10 years of my parents marriage – so the late sixties through the late seventies.
potato pancakes were one of my faves, but never got made much because they were labor-intensive (no food processors, so grating of potatoes was by hand), and three active kids made any kind of lengthy prep something rare and reserved for things like Christmas dinner. however, when they were made, I savored every bite.
chocks were a christmas favorite. mom would make several dozen a few weeks before the holidays and freeze them. we’d dig through the freezer and eat them frozen, and hoped that our pinching would not be noticed. it usually was, and then there was the year I ate 6 dozen of them by myself… amazingly, I still got presents.
ahhh… play doh. what more need be said, really?
baked beans were my dad’s fave in the winter. I can’t remember hating them, but I can’t remember liking them, either. he’s been wondering if the recipe existed for a loooooong time. I’m happy to find it, and an e-mail to him is next… although sue will probably need to invest in some bean-o.
all these recipes were made multiple times, and I have lots of great memories of my fam’s time around the dinner table. I miss those dinners, but treasure the memory of them. you can see how often the cards were used, and my mom’s handwriting is also a nice memory jog.
there’s so much more than paper and ink here… it’s amazing (to me)