Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Oh Wait! Let me look for that.

It's time to cook a big-ass ham for many of us.

I'm not a huge fan of big-ass ham, but this morning I am digging through all the recipes I've gathered during my 21 years on this earth (ha!!).

I'm not a great cook, but I have been a lover of cooking since I was about 12 I think. I'd sit in my kitchen with my momma, going through her recipe box, and copying down some that appealed to me.

If I remember right, the ones I got from that time were mostly pie, fudge, cookie-type stuff.

Then I started jotting down other recipes from her files. Sadly, I never learned how to make her kick-ass roasts. Just can't duplicate that incredible taste. It's a momma-memory now.

I got my own recipe box (still have it) and started gathering my own recipes. When I was in my 20s and dating my wasband I really developed a love for recipes. Had to cook my way into his heart don't you know. Luckily for me the man would eat ANYTHING and enjoy it.

We had kids and I was a stay at home momma for a few years. Very budget-challenged years. I got incredibly good at dollar-stretching and the recipes grew and grew. Lots of hot dishes (shout out to Minnesota - hell ya!) and meatloaf stuff. Gathered tons of recipes from my momma again.

Had gardens with tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, beets, green beans, winter squash, carrots, peas. Tons of other crap I can't remember.

Lots of canning. Jeez I used to kinda love canning. My girls will tell you different. That I was a crabby beast during canning days (late nights getting the stuff put up - tomatoes wait for no man or martha).

I sure did enjoy how the finished product looked. All those gorgeous jars full of colorful nummy stuff.

Going through the recipes is memory-loaded. So many of these were written from my momma's own hand and many are ones I dragged out again and again when the girls were babies.


So on Sunday I will bake my big-ass ham, roast my new potatoes, and make a bunny cake with marshmallow frosting. And I'll think about my momma.

12 comments:

Heff said...

I've never eaten "big ass ham" before. Sounds delicious !

Sarah said...

Lorenzo & I were making the mac & cheese and spam hotdish the other night, and were thinking of you the whole time!! I think your first picture might actually show that one in the binder :)

The spam was actually ham, and the mac & cheese was an Aldi's version rather than Kraft, but it tasted wonderful anyways.

Now many of these recipes grace MY collection!

Daisy said...

I have a bunch of recipes that I need to go through and put into a binder like yours.

deb-oh-rah said...

Inherited recipes are the best ones. I learned from Grandma and Dad how to make stuff like turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving. When Grandma died there was a whole drawer of recipes that I went through that she had written out or cut out of the newspaper.

I don't get to taste Deborah's cooking much -- we always go out to someplace that serves alcoholic beverages. ;-O

Ms. A said...

My Mom was a fantastic cook, but my Dad rarely let her in the kitchen. Eventually, she just didn't do it anymore. I cherish the one handwritten recipe from her.

Dutch Sugar Babe said...

Aw, I really love this post. Cosy and warm. Cooking helps me relax and I love collecting recipes as well as developing new recipes for my family and friends, but I still have no idea what I´m going to make this Sunday.

I foresee a lot of chocolate easter eggs in my future.

Blasé said...

You and SB need to stop belittling yourselves about your cooking. SB is a wonderful cook, and I'm sure you are too.

Anonymous said...

Holy hell, I do believe that was a compliment without sarcasm, a spank or a sexual twist up there by blase.

I'm not cooking this time, woohooo!! Just making dessert.

Deborah said...

Heff: Big-ass ham is the best; if you like ham. :)

TK: Lorenzo told me you were making that. I think it's what made me think of this.

Ms. A. - what is the recipe?

DDG: Did you decide?

Mr. B - I'm good!

Karen - I am jealous you don't have to cook! It gets stressful making such a big dinner. I nearly lost my mind at Thanksgiving.

Deborah said...

Deb! Did you get some awesome recipes from your Grandma? What are they?

Deborah said...

Daisy - the binder really helps! It's an easy fix. I'm too flibberty-gibberty to scrapbook them or somesuch.

Punch holes and place in binder. Easy smeasy!

Anonymous said...

I'm going to take my "big-ass ham" ha ha over to his mother's house on Sunday. Oh well, he likes it like that :)