Lovingly Made by Mom

As each of us married, our mother made photo album cookbooks filled with her favorite recipes. She typed up the recipes on yellow paper and decorated the pages with photos from our childhood. The best part of the album is her commentary about the dish. It’s like she’s in the kitchen with us.

These recipes came from many sources. Some were her favorites, personally massaged to her liking. The chicken roll-up recipe was her “gourmet” dish which she served to company. I have made her stew recipe many times, though I substitute pork shoulder for the beef.

Others came from family members. Nana’s beer pork chops were always a favorite. It’s a pretty simple recipe but very tasty. We always had it with rice. However, Nana’s meatballs were served with mashed potatoes.

In her discussion about easy chuck roast, she suggested using “cheater sauce” to make the gravy dark. This was Kitchen Bouquet and was used often in her kitchen, (but don't tell anyone!).

Casseroles were very common in the 1960s. We had one with tuna, potato chip, peas, and mushroom soup, one with tuna and noodles, one with spam and potatoes, and a family favorite, Steve’s Favorite Casserole, which was actually called enchilada casserole. This was one of the few that didn’t call for a can of cream of mushroom soup. (I wonder if these recipes came from the Campbell Soup Company?) Mom wrote that my Dad’s cousin from Montana raved over it and served it often at home.  

She also included recipes donated by my husband and me. The chocolate-coconut cookies are delicious and are made every Christmas.

This recipe book belongs to my sister, Sabrina. Though my mother had typed up the recipes, she had passed away by the time Sabrina married, so I put it together for her. My book is still intact, but the photos fell out because the magnetic album lost it stickiness. I thank my sister for allowing me to share her book in this post.

#52Ancestors-Week 13: Favorite Recipe

This is my seventh year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe.

I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

Copyright © 2024 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.