Mama cooked. She was the oldest of seven... and then ten. She learned how to cook early, as Grandpa was over the road with Allied Van Lines and Grandma had to work to help feed the family. She enjoyed preparing meals and sharing.
I recently brought her recipe box home. Inside it were mostly clippings and shared recipes from friends and family members. I love seeing the handwritten recipes, some in cursive.
Mama cooked most meals from the heart. She could make the best breakfast in the county like it was no big deal. She didn't fret and somehow, everything hit the table at just the right time. She taught April and I to cook from an early age. She taught music and I would start dinner to it would be ready when Dad came home from work.
I am grateful that it was "no big deal" to cook for my family when I was a child. It came in handy when I was snowed in parentless with my siblings for three days when I was barely eleven years old. Our meals were country meals with plenty of beef. Spaghetti was a side dish in Dad's eyes. He liked meat, potatoes, and a vegetable with each meal. These weekly dinners were not in her recipe box. They were in her head. Most of the recipes I found were for sweet treats. I did find the original recipe for my "Turtle Brownies" that I have made for 50 years.
The memories in that old recipe box are priceless. They take me back to another place and time. They bring back the scents of the farm kitchen and cooking with Mama and April. Honestly, when I imagine them in heaven, I imagine a farm kitchen with a huge table filled with family and friends. I do not know exactly what heaven looks like, but I know there is feasting and celebrating. I know there is community.
The humble little recipe box holds the recipes Mama, April, and I held in our hands more than 50 years ago. I am grateful they left them behind for me to hold today.
Tip for today's tech savvy world: write down your recipe the ancient way. Pen and paper are perfect. They can be passed on to your children's children. Do not worry about sprinkles and stains from the cooking process. Those rips and stains become beautiful memories when your loved one is no longer here.
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ -Matthew 25:37-39
Today, I am grateful for Mama's recipe box.
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