Recipe Reflections

On this Family Friday, I’d like to talk a little bit about recipes. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that some of the best memories are created over food. I can remember my excitement as a kid when my mother would bake cakes. I would sit on the counter or curled up in a chair at the kitchen table, patiently waiting to lick the cake batter from the bowl – and the beaters! The vanilla batter was my favorite! I remember how fun it was when one of my sisters would whip out her junior cookbook and make us snickerdoodles, brownies, or some other sweet treat. Then my dad, who also likes to create masterpieces in the kitchen – gathering us around the stove as we made our own personal pizzas out of bagels topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni – the best snack! And a most honorable mention to my aunts for the homemade rolls, pound cakes, and other goodies. All these recipes take me back to simpler times and fond memories.

After my mom passed, I think many of us found ourselves longing for certain meals she used to prepare. The dilemma we ran into was that no one seemed to have any of the recipes! My sisters and I would be on the phone for hours trying to piece the recipes together based on what we each remembered of the meals. For the most part I think we’ve been able to replicate everything; although the salmon croquettes were perfected through trial and error (I won’t name the person who provided the bad data for that recipe, but you know who you are…lol).

While my sisters and I have primarily assumed the task of preparing meals for family functions, I still don’t know whether the recipes have been written down anywhere. I may have to plan a day for all of us to sit down and write out all of the recipes, and also make sure that we each have copies.

Having family recipes has its benefits and here are a few: 

1. Keeps family memories alive.
2. Allows you to spend quality time bonding with your family, as you all recreate those meals.
3. A keepsake to pass down for generations.
4. Allows you to share foods you enjoy with your family (I know this one goes without saying…smile!).

I’d love to hear from you! Share which foods bring back fun family memories and why!

If you find that you don’t have any family recipes, today’s a great day to create some! So grab your family and get in the kitchen!

Happy Family Friday!!! 

Know your chart!

We’re all familiar with our chart in the doctor’s office. You know the one that contains our personal information like our height and weight, our medical history, medications we may be on, etc. You know everything on the chart because all that information helps make up who you are. Without this information, the doctor wouldn’t have a clue about you.

The same goes for your family history. Without proper record-keeping, people in your family won’t have a clue about you. How many times have you heard people in your family say things like “I didn’t know you were born there”, “I didn’t realize your mother/father was married before and had other children”, “I didn’t realize your parents (or grandparents) names were…” The list of things they don’t know about you/your family may go on and on. There are probably some things you don’t know about yourself/your family because it has not been recorded. The good news is there are two charts that can help you easily capture information about your family – A Pedigree Chart (sometimes referred to as an Ancestral Chart or Lineage Chart) and a Family Group Chart.

Pedigree Chart - Family Search

Family Group Chart - Family Search

Family Group Chart - Ancestry

I attended a class hosted by a local genealogical society where they explained various charts and how to complete them. The Pedigree Chart deals specifically with you and who you descend from (parents, great grandparents, and so on). #1 on the chart would be you (whether you are male or female). For all other numbers on the chart, men are listed on the even numbered lines and women are listed on the odd numbered lines. The Family Group Chart compiles information on each family unit. For example: If you are one of five children born to the same parents, you all would make up one family group and would be listed on the group chart together. If either parent goes on to have additional children, you would list that parent, their spouse, and their child(ren) on another group chart because they make up another family group.

Some important things to remember:

1.       Dates should be recorded in the following format – 26 January 1890.

2.       Locations should be recorded in the following order – City (town or village) name, county, and state (within the U.S.); Local name, province, country (for foreign countries).

3.       Use maiden names when recording information on women.

4.       List full names if known

a.       Only use initials if full name isn’t known

b.      Nicknames should be noted in quotation marks

5.       Surnames should be capitalized so those names can be easily distinguished among other names on the chart.

Happy searching! :-)