The Happy Meemaw Cooks

It is the definition of fortunate to have grown up in a family of stellar home cooks.  My mother was an amazing cook who liked to play it safe, for the most part, and follow a recipe to the letter. My grandmothers both were fantastic cooks who prepared old family recipes (many of which were not on paper) but also liked to try new recipes.  My mother’s sister, my Aunt Marnie, is still cooking up a storm and making old favorites but also trying new things with her own twist. 

I lived at home until I was 20 and benefited from all of those Mom meals, but as good a cook as she was, she wasn’t the greatest teacher.  It was much easier for her to do it than to be able to explain it to me, which I totally get.  I’m sure I’m much like her.  Consequently, despite picking up a few things here and there, when I got married it was uncharted territory to manage my kitchen.

My husband loves to dabble in the kitchen as well.  I love when he cooks, and I’m always happy to clean up after him (which is good, because I feel like he dirties just about everything in the kitchen – but it’s worth it). We cooked together a lot when we first got married.  There were some hits and some major misses.  In our second apartment in Pensacola, we would spend Friday nights watching Dallas and Falcon Crest, and one night we fried chicken (which came out pretty good).  I made mashed potatoes and he made gravy.  You could drink the potatoes and cut the gravy.  😊

I have never been someone who desired to be a gourmet cook.  Like my mom, I’m most comfortable with a recipe.  I have many cookbooks and use them frequently, though in recent years I find myself more on my very organized Pinterest page. Even though I’ve spent over 60 years on the big blue marble, I’m still prone to start a recipe without reading it all the way through first, finding out halfway through I was supposed to let something sit overnight before cooking.  Maybe my 61st year will be the magic year to read ahead.

I am proud to say that my daughter is a much, much better cook than I am.  She is fabulous.  Not only can she properly follow a recipe, but she’s great at adding her own touches to dishes, and her reputation grows each time she cooks for family and friends.  Most endearing for me is that she loves honoring my mom’s family tradition of baking at the holidays.  Each year we make a long list of decadent treats, spend two days baking and packaging, and then share with family and friends.  She also followed something I started at our last duty station and hosts a cookie exchange, which is always a blast.

As much as I love cooking for my family, I especially love cooking with my family, and I’m hopeful that I can instill that love of cooking with my grands.  Nothing shows someone how much you care like preparing food for someone. 

It is my hope to start sharing some cooking videos here on the website.  Each dish I prepare will include a blog entry so I can give you some details about it and any pointers I picked up.  I feel like most cooking experiences for me come with lessons learned, so I’m happy to share with all of you.

Thanks for reading!