Among the things we hand down, one generation to another: teacups, silverware, photographs. We hand down bracelets and watches and medals and tie tacks - and stories.
And then there are the recipes.
The favourites in my collection do not come from The Best of Bridge or The Silver Palate Cookbook or The Joy of Cooking. They come from my mother's recipe box, and no doubt from her mother's before that.
Lemon pudding. Savory Shortribs. Hawaiian Dinner. There's one called Mocha Mallow Mist and one called Jiffy Rice Surprise and one called Good Time Casserole, the latter a notso-easy-on-the-waistline concoction that calls for two cups of cheddar, a tub of cream cheese and a cup and a half of sour cream.
There's the spaghetti sauce. Sure, I've tried others, but my mom's is my favourite, and that of my sisters. A pound of ground beef, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and some sprinklings from the spice rack. I deviated once by adding a dash of wine, but that's as far as I'll tweak it.
Same with the Yum Yum Bars, which have always lived up to their name. They were a staple in my mother's home for as long as I can remember, and they've been a constant in my own.
The generational thing continues.
"Hi Mom," came an email from the son sometime ago. "Will you send me your recipe for hamburger soup?" OK, I thought. Here we go.
I wrote it down and sent it off, along with my recipes for pot roast and chili and stew, even though he hadn't asked.
More recently, there was another request - this time for shepherd's pie. This one's been with me for years, and with my mother before me.
And so it goes. At some point, if the recipe hand-me-downs continue, I'm betting the sons will be asking me how to make gravy, something my mother taught me to do many years ago. With any luck, they'll make my mac and cheese and my mushroom-topped pork chops and my Crab a la Milanese, all of which came from you know where.
So far, neither has shown any inclination to bake anything, but I kind of hope they will. Odds are good they won't make pies, but I hope they'll tackle Yum Yum Bars.
