R is for Recipe








This was my contribution to the the article I was in; it was for a recipe challenge. You had to use recipe cards in your art work. I was selected for my presentation. Cynthia Levens wrote the article; she did a wonderful job of combining the timeless appeal of cherished moments, stirred by our memories.

I come from generations of cooks n' bakers. No one was or is a professional; when I brought cookies or cupcakes to school, that my Mom made everyone was excited. They not only looked pretty, but tasted like heaven. Light n' airy confections, hand piped pastel pink n' white hearts.  A lot of people have tried to copy the sugar cookie recipe, no luck yet. I actually gave the recipe away, but no one believed me, so my lips now remain sealed. My son's girlfriend tried to get it out of me. I told her if she wanted it, she would to be part of the family, some day. When we went to Maine a few summers ago, I hid the recipe; my son thinks I was joking about it, but I wasn't. I had helped her with a competition for American Heart, to reduce the fat in a recipe. She listened to my suggestions and won. Now she is in a cookbook and didn't even say thank you.(they broke up;no chance she is reading this post).  Do you have family recipes that you treasure? 

  I am thinking of writing a family cookbook. I would of course have to include stories. My Dad's famous Strawberry Shake, for one. He had loaded the blender full of fresh picked berries,  French Vanilla ice cream, and a splash of Half n 'Half. Told my brother n' me, "this is how you do it" my brother was little and rambunctious. He did some antic and set my Dad off. Dad came back to the kitchen, to finish his creation and pushes the Whip button. We tried to tell him... a propelled pink explosion is dripping from the ceiling. Now my Dad is laughing, as we attempt to clean up the mess. My brother thinks it is cool and wants to jump under it and catch the drips. When my Mom comes downstairs, Chip aka Cliff  n' I are laughing; we were told not to tell. My brother loves to BBQ;  he will impersonate Julia Child, when he cooks....it is crazy fun. Or he pretends he is a TV Food network Celeb.


My family taught me to have fun in the kitchen, read the recipe first, be sure all ingredients are on hand, follow the recipe(it is science) and create a memory your loved ones will cherish. If you don't cook, there are other ways to do this. The joy is in showing up,  be patient and don't forget to toss in a pinch of surprise.




Comments

Great post Ella, I can always rely on a good read here.
Thanks for your comment it was lovely.
Yvonne.
DEZMOND said…
you should definitely write a family cookbook, and you should publish some of the recipes here as well :)
I loooooved Julia Child as a kid :)And I loved Meryl Streep's portrayal of her in JULIE AND JULIA.

Unlike you, I'm the only one who bakes and cooks good in the family. My mom is horrible in kitchen, and dad even worse even though he actually was a cook for 40 years :)
Lovely article!
Thanks for your Follow!
Rose & Studio Friends
Ella said…
Hi Plush Possum-Thank you; Nice to meet you~

Dezz-I will publish some here; I will! Maybe my coffee cake. I made it for a huge LAN party my son had. Kids didn't know what it was. Where I am from it is called that; where I live now it is Cinnamon Streusel Cake. Dad cooked for 40yrs; Whoah! I want to hear more about that~ I looooved that movie; I think I will go watch it now~ Thanks for sharing!

Yvonne-Thank you; you are so kind! I always count on you for your wonderful sentiments~
I would like to have seen the pink dripping from the ceiling, funny!!!

We all miss my mom's red velvet cake. She used parts of at least three recipes. It was moist, rich, and sinfully delicious. That's the only recipe I wish I had.

Great post :)
N. R. Williams said…
I used to love to cook, then I had a car accident and after some time went by and I remained undiagnosed it became too painful to stand. Now I have two stainless steel hips, but I can only stand for about 5 min. Still working on it.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium.
Ella said…
N.R-I'm sorry to hear that; YOU have a remarkable spirit~

The Words Crafter-Yeah, we didn't let him drink it, lol It was pretty funny. This is sad, any chance you can find the 3 recipes and experiment. My family cooks like that. This Whoopie pie recipe with that frosting. I am sorry; it is amazing the memories that arrive with food. You make me want to write down all my tricks, now...

Ellie Great-I love your name! Happy Easter to You and in school, when role was called you were
Great Ellie ;-D

Karen-It could change for you, perhaps a class would change your mind~
J.L. Campbell said…
Sounds like cooking is fun time in your family. I think a cookbook with family type anecdotes would be fun to write and fun to read. You should go for it. Love your masthead!
Ella said…
J.L.-Thank you so much; your kind thoughts inspire me~