Mom’s Recipe Box

My mom’s recipe box is a tan colored box that no longer shuts and probably needs to be replaced, but there is just something special about that box. There is also something special about the handwritten recipe cards inside it, especially the ones that are worn, with food stains all over them.  To me, this symbolizes family and tradition; a beloved recipe that was passed down from generation to generation.

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Memories I’ve made cooking and baking with family

Cooking and baking has special meaning to me.  I have treasured memories of making pies with my mom.  One of the best parts, aside from just spending time with her, is the baked pie crust scraps.  They are so good. Don’t get me wrong, I like the pie too. I just know that my mom’s mom used to bake the pie scraps exactly like we do now. It is really cool to be part of that tradition and I know it always reminds my mom of her mom.

Another memory I have is baking fruitcake with my grandma.  My dad’s mom. This was maybe 10 years ago. While I was visiting one weekend I thought it would be fun for her to teach me how to make her famous fruitcake.  My dad loves it and requests it every year for Christmas. It meant so much to me to be able to spend time with my grandma and for her to teach me.  Her tips for the best fruitcake were to always put more candied fruit in it than the recipe calls for, and to put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven while baking it so it doesn’t get dry. My grandma was a wonderful cook. I sure wish I had paid more attention to her skills in the kitchen when I was younger. I could have learned so much more from her.

The meaning of someone’s handwritten recipe

The handwritten recipes in my mom’s recipe box are from many different people.  Some of them she came up with, some of them are from friends and some are from family. A lot of these are still her go to recipes.  For years, she has talked about typing them all up and getting rid of the recipe box, but I think those recipes lose something by doing that.  Yes, it’s still the same recipe, but, to me, it doesn’t have quite the same meaning anymore. I like to see the handwriting, the torn corner and the stains on the recipe card.  It means it was a well loved recipe that was used a lot.

Going through mom’s recipe box

When I decided to start this blog I asked my mom if I could go through her recipe box.  Of course she said yes.  I went through it at her house just because I knew she would be able to tell me a story about each recipe. There were some recipes that were nicely written on a pretty recipe card, but there were also some written on random pieces of paper that were falling apart. There was one on a piece of paper, with a picture of a random HER employee on it. HER was a realty company in Ohio where we lived when I was little. I have never understood why they used to take pictures of people gazing off into the distance. Not sure why I find this hilarious but I do.

It was so much fun going through mom’s recipes and asking her all kinds of questions.  Finding the recipes written in my grandma’s handwriting was probably the most fun. She is so funny.  Here is a little excerpt from her hot salsa recipe; “mix all together- simmer until you get tired of stirring it – (ha!), seal and process.  I almost never process mine- just seal and turn the jars upside down.” She actually wrote “ha!”. I would love to go through her recipe box, and would be unbelievably honored if she would go through it with me.

Mom’s recipe box is extremely valuable to me

Some day, when my grandma and my mom are gone, I will cherish their recipes much more because they are written in their handwriting. Maybe I need to make sure to have mom and dad put it in their will that I get mom’s recipe box. I am only kidding, but I do feel that mom’s recipe box is far more valuable to me than anything else I could inherit.