My Maternal Great Grandpa was a baker, though I don’t have a single recipe that belonged to him. There may be one (or 100) of Dutch’s recipes stashed away in a cardboard box in the garage of one of my relatives, but if they do exist, chances are I will never have the opportunity to read them, let alone bake from them. Families can be funny in that way.
Growing up, my mom always talked about how “Grandpa Dutch made the best oatmeal cookies in the world”…how they were so soft and chewy, and just plain perfect. She believed we would find his recipes some day, in Grandma’s writings or in the care of one of her siblings. We talked about how, since he owned a bakery, we’d have to do the math to cut down all of his recipes just so we could make a batch for ourselves.
When Grandma passed, I half wondered if Mom had found any of the recipes in her writings, though she never said she did and I don’t believe I ever asked. I was young and distracted by my beautiful daughter and my exhaustion from working all the time. If I had it to do over, I would have been more vocal in my longings for family recipes and stories.
When Mom passed, I thought I’d find something of Dutch’s mixed in with some of the stash of family miscellaneous she collected when Grandma passed. No such luck on the recipe front, though I did find some cool old photos of Dutch, Grandma, my mom and her siblings taken when my mom was just a tiny little thing.
While there are still conversations that could be had, if I found the patience and where-with-all to do so, for now I’m simply searching for my own “best oatmeal cookie in the world” recipe. I don’t try very often, and I am usually a little frustrated by how difficult it can be to bake a good batch of moist cookies here (is it the altitude? the lack of humidity?) but it is something that lingers in the back of my mind.
From time to time I think about the recipes I have adapted from the meals my mom used to make and how I should write them down and keep them safe. That way, if someone wants them some day, they will be available. Then, I get distracted with the act of cooking and cleaning and the simple act of living and forget about the intentional act of taking it all down to save it for the future. I wonder if my mom or my grandma ever thought of writing down their recipes like I have, just never followed through (like I haven’t)?
I guess that means it’s time to start writing them down, now doesn’t it?
xoxo,
M
I saved a few of my grandmother’s recipes. She tried to encourage me to save some of her butterbean seeds. I was the only one in the family that showed any interest at all. But I was young and didn’t see the value in those old things. (One year she thought she lost them and made an emergency trip to the “country”, traveling all around through back woods until she found someone who still had her beans.)
I still don’t care much about those butterbean seeds, but I sure would love to have the tomatoes she saved and planted every year. It was always the same variety. She was busy keeping her seed pure. I don’t even think that anyone in my family would have any idea what type of tomatoes those might be. They think gardening means one tomato plant and one banana pepper plant (and that only if they feel up to it.)
Even today, they have no concept of the importance of my grandmother’s work in keeping seed pure.
Since I can’t find hers, and don’t know if I ever will, I have been saving seed of crops I really like. I am just trying to preserve the heirloom things I like–saving her memory, maybe. I can follow in her steps by saving pure seed and trying to interest young people in that vital work.
I love the story of your Grandma wandering around looking for some of her beans!!! You are absolutely keeping her memory alive through saving seeds!
Oh, what I wouldn’t do for some of my mom’s tomato seeds or her tomato sauce recipe! It truly was the best sauce I have ever tasted!
The only seeds I do have that have been passed down are Cosmos seeds grown by my Grandma, my mom and my aunt. My aunt gave me some a couple of years ago, but they must have been incredibly old because their germination rates were absolutely awful 🙁 The first year I planted almost every seed and nothing happened. Luckily, I saved a few back and a couple of those germinated last year as well as some new seed I purchased. At the end of the season, I combined the two together and am hopeful for a more bountiful, flower filled season this year so as to continue to Cosmos “legacy” 🙂
I have some of my grandmothers old recipes – she used to write them down on index cards. She wasn’t a great or enthusiastic cook though but regardless I do enjoy cooking some of the things she used to make.
Such gifts! Neither my grandma nor my mom cooked a great variety of items, but what they make was delicious 🙂 I am working on working out some of those recipes and just might wind up sticking the final versions on index cards for my own grandchildren someday 🙂
Oh yes, write them down if you can! I have the same thoughts, and how I’ve longed for my grandmother’s recipes, as she was an excellent baker as well. Her family even owned a deli/butcher shop at one point I think. But, as you said, family can be funny that way, not wishing to pass on things of true value to people who will truly appreciate them 🙁 The photo you have is wonderful, though, and what counts is that you’re doing what you can now to keep the memory and tradition alive!
-Jaime
Thank you, Jaime. It is all about intention, right? My intentions are to try to keep little pieces of our past present today so we might remember where we came from (the good and the “bad”). Food, photos, seeds and memories 🙂