Here we go...

I decided to start this blog to honor the culinary strengths and adventures of the women in my family, specifically my grandmother, my mother, and of course, me. It all started with a green box - more specifically my grandmother's small green recipe box which was always close at hand in my grandmother's kitchen. This box was handed down to me from my mother as a Christmas gift last year.

Upon receiving this box I of course opened is straight away, and breathed deeply with my nose buried in the tattered three by five cards. Sounds strange, right? But doing this seriously brings tears to my eyes every time I do it. I know musty paper, some over 40 years old, must not sound that appealing but remember, she always had this close at hand in the kitchen, and I was always in there with her, eager to help and learn. Needless to say, I was short and the box spent a lot of time at eye level with me, as I rifled through it to find another recipe begging to be prepared. Remarkably, this box smells exactly as it did when I was five - aging paper, candle wax and some other elusive quality that puts me right back in that kitchen, every single time.

I have been pondering this box for a few months now, occasionally pulling out a recipe here and there to give them a whirl, especially her infamous cookie recipes. That woman could bake - pies, cakes, cookies, you name it, and more than anything I loved to help her when there was baking going on. My first thought was to create a cookbook based on these recipes, but then I thought, "Why not a blog?" Blogging will allow me to share these wonderful recipes (and some not so wonderful - Beet Jello Salad anyone? First ingredient is raspberry jello...), as well as share my successes, failures, and personal recipes as I start this journey. Enjoy!