Life as Told by Recipes...

Going through my mother in law's recipe file boxes. Yes, boxes! I realized as I was looking that this is a little piece of her life. She always said she wasn't a good cook even though she made DELICIOUS food! The reason, she said, was she always used other people's recipes. Who doesn't?  I never considered myself a good cook, and the reason was I don't follow recipes well! She was a wonderful cook, and always had the best collection of cookies for her neighbors, grandchildren, great grandchildren-- and whoever stopped by was asked if they would like some cookies and tea, coffee, or milk. Or fruit or vegetables, but that's another story.

She was blessed with friends. Her box has recipes from Audrey, Joy, Aunt Oletha, Violet, Fran. Some are in their own handwriting, or typed on an old typewriter. Little pieces of friendships that spanned decades. She lived in the same house for more than sixty years. Some of those friends were also friends of my mother's, some became friends of mine. I also heard the old stories of the Times Gone By. When my mother in law slipped into dementia, those friends became more real to her, and she talked of them often. I even became "Audrey" one day when she thought I was her. The present faded away, but the past stayed.

Those friends are gone now, and so is my mother in law. What a treasure of friendship they had! I can't help but imagine a Heavenly place, where I can see them sitting around the kitchen table, sharing life, swapping recipes. And maybe some of that wonderful zucchini bread.


 

berries and berries and berries and cherries

I have always loved the feeling of a row of freshly canned something. It feels a bit like a squirrel hiding away nuts for winter. This year, as I am tending my mother in law's house and garden, there are oh so very many berries. I picked a gallon just this morning.

In the past, I just canned it without much thought. This year, however, Not Everything Is Going Very Well.

Canning berries and cherries. I got the first batch of berries done, then a batch of cherries. Then, halfway through the second batch of berries, the stove burner died. I Muscled the canning kettle full of water and berry jars to the other burner, thanks to the weight lifting I have been doing!! The small burner would NOT get it hot enough so I had to settle for 200 degrees. So, have to do something else with the berries-- package them and freeze them. It's a shame, they are beautiful...at least I got a couple batches done before the burner died.

But before that, must get the berry cobbler done. No cornstarch. She said, "I quit buying that because of you, you can't eat it!" True, but I can't eat the berries either so why care if it's in there? oh well, I'll use flour instead. No lemon juice. Well maybe there's a lemon still out there on the tree I can use. Whew! No baking powder. oh my, off to the store. Better see what else I am missing. That's what happens when you bake in someone else's kitchen and you depend on what you have in YOUR kitchen.

Next time I am checking things out FIRST instead of running to the store in the middle of the project.

About the cobbler. After all the fuss with having to go get a lemon, I forgot to add it. And now it's baking, and even though I used the correct pan size, it is going over the sides and dripping on to the floor of the oven. Sometimes it is as if there's really a Murphy after all. She wonders why I don't do much baking? Well then. Here's the reason.

And even though I repeatedly have said I do NOT do pies, my dear mother in law is still going through her recipe file with her magnifying glass, looking for "that good pie recipe, did you know it was Fran's?"

Well she found the recipe. Macular degeneration didn't stop her. Phooey. I must be strong and resist her!

I think I'll call Fran, and tell HER to make a pie. :)