Sweet memories over lunch today. Had a clean up the fridge lunch of leftovers that turned out surprisingly good in combination: mug of hot tomato soup, BBQ pork, and my Mom's macaroni salad with green olives. Daddy didn't like leftovers. He always said "I don't mind the leftovers, I just don't want assigned leftovers." As in, Bill you have to eat the peas, the girls will be having the stewed tomatoes and I will eat the asparagus. Funny when you remember back, probably not funny at the time.

It's so much fun to read the stories we have of growing up. Such special treasures are our memories. One of my favorite food memories is of the wonderful watermelon rind pickles my mother made. When I think of the gallons of it I probably ate over my childhood....

1 comment

by graceandham 03 Jun 2020

My grandaddy grew watermelons on his farm, but Mama never let that mess inside the farmhouse. We had a stand up picnic table just for watermelon season, and there was always a big box of Morton's salt and a big slicing knife in the shed nearby. No utensils!

Somehow my hunger has disappeared or I am just too plain lazy cooking for myself. I did however processed as much of my apricots as I could. Also made the neighborhood happy giving them away.
Made fruit-leather to the delight of one granddaughter, dehydrated a bunch for the future and made jam. Well one of the attempts to make jam did not jell, but has a wonderful flavor since I added a bit of vanilla. I called it apricot sauce and it will be great on many things like pancakes for instance.

My grandmother who suffered through 2 world wars where there was hardly anything to eat, could never leave anything on her plate. She would beg everyone to please take it and eat it once she had enough.

Honestly one advantage of having grown up in the after war years in Europe is, that there is no food I absolutely hate. Never have to worry what the hostess is serving.

1 comment

by graceandham 03 Jun 2020

When I was little my Mom made apricot candy. When she was old, she couldn't remember ever having done that! I treasure that memory of her candy. She didn't love cooking and wasn't a great cook, so this was a special treat. Her best recipes she learned in her sixties, borrowing from my sister's good stuff.

Ah thanks for that. You have reminded me of a meal at a family friends as a teenager. The hostess was trying to make sure everything was eaten up so there were no leftovers and she scooped the remains of a trifle up and offered it around and all declined as by then we were full. The spoon came down and the contents were almost on my brothers plate when he said I hate trifle. Still makes me laugh and our hostess was amazed my brother had eaten a plateful.
Like Toogie we have had some 'interesting' meals recently that hopefully I wont have to repeat the recipies

I had to laugh because of several thoughts that came to mind. First, w-a-y before Covid a lady from church was said to freeze and store every little scrap and what was more surprising her husband ate it too. They weren't poor, on the contrary.
Then I thought about how I am waiting and watching for my tomatoes to ripen. DH picked our first cucumbers this week and I am salivating thinking of a pasta salad with fresh garden tomatoes.-lol
I do think most of us are eating what we have now, no matter what the combination, not being wasteful so that's a good thing.
We did get out today. I haven't been out since May 4th and before that it was March 17th. I was not surprised that the price of meat was doubled, because my kids had text me what they had to pay, but I was disheartened. With all the unrest and destruction going on, it will make things go even higher.

3 comments

by graceandham 02 Jun 2020

Don't be surprised if I pick your tomatoes the night before. They sound soooo good. Do you make Southern cucumber slices with onion and vinegar and a touch of sugar? Mmmm.

by toogie 02 Jun 2020

I have but mostly we like Bread and Butter pickles. I just gave a recipe to a nephew who called his mom and she referred him to me😉 I also gave him a recipe for cinnamon slices. I told him I only made them once. Although they came out great and the kids loved them when he reads the recipes he will know why. They were too much trouble! Too much sugar for the candy, so to speak. 😉

by pennifold 03 Jun 2020

My Mum makes that salad with Apple Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Onions and vinegar. It's gorgeous. Love Chris