The holiday season is upon us. A time to reflect on the year past, to give thanks for our blessings and most of all to celebrate cherished family traditions.
We all have special memories of being in the kitchen with our family and we have treasured recipes that remind us of those who we dearly love. And aren’t cookbooks that celebrate family memories the best kind of cookbook? Recipes made by loving hands? That’s what I have to share with you today; a very special cookbook.
As many of you know, Mountain Man and I consider Ozark County, Missouri, our adopted home. I subscribe to the paper and try to keep up with the happenings in the community so when I saw The Ozark County Genealogical and Historical Society had published a cookbook as a fundraiser, I purchased a copy. And when I received my cookbook, I discovered this was no ordinary cookbook but instead a testament to love of family. I asked the editor for permission to share some of it with you and he kindly allowed me. I know you’ll love it also.
The book is called “Apron Strings: Recipes and Recollections.”
To quote from the introduction, “We asked folks to share not only a recipe but also a memory relating to cooking, special meals or food preparation…and as one of our contributors noted, the secret ingredient of love was the most prized seasoning used by Ozarks mothers and grandmothers as they cooked nutritious, satisfying food for their families, using just what they could grow or raise or trade eggs or cream for at the local general store…”
Each page contains a family recipe, photos and a cherished memory of a loved one.
Here’s just one example:
And another.
Page after page of beautiful memories, photographs and recipes always made with love. I have to tell you I was tearing up as I read this cookbook.
The best news is I have one cookbook to give away. If you’d like to be entered into the drawing, please leave a comment below sharing one of your memories of cooking with your family. The winner will be announced on November 21st.
As we move into the holiday season, let’s remember it’s the people in our lives, the memories we create for our children and our grandchildren and the traditions we pass on with love that are truly important.
“Apron Strings: Recipes and Recollections” can also be purchased for $15.00 + 3.00 shipping. Copies can be purchased from OCGHS, PO Box 4, Gainesville, MO 65655. What a great gift this cookbook would make and all proceeds benefit the Ozark Genealogical and Historical Society.