Christmas Day, 2024

My mother in 1953,
the summer before her
December wedding.

Hi folks! This blog is all about cooking, but it was founded by all the recipes I discovered in my parents' house after my mother died from a rare cancer in June of 2014. I started a Facebook page where I photographed her recipe cards and gave some backstory to the images. But, as I began to learn more about how she ate and what she fed to her children, I became more involved in my own food discoveries.

So this blog is not only about my mother's recipes, but a conglomerate of her 20th-century lifestyle and my current lifestyle at age 70. It's taken a lifetime to learn my body, and that's a long story. I'm still experimenting, mainly with an anti-inflammatory meal plan, but with added healthy fats and calcium.

I hope this site also will provide you with new information about the foods you might consume. There are so many exciting new food sites and cookbooks available, all filled with non-traditional menus and one-pan meals that contain all then nutrition you might need for an entire day. And, those meals are fast and easy to make for the most part.

Just consider this site a curiosity for the time being. NOTE: My mother was not "Miss Myrtle Beach". That was a photo prop for tourists, and she was nothing if not a tourist at heart.

Comments

Oyster Stew, Our New Year Tradition

I just realized, when I was writing some journal entries about my mother, that the New Year tradition in her family was oyster stew on New Year's eve, either for breakfast or dinner. I thought, for the past few years, that it was on Christmas. While I wouldn't be too far off, my notes in my journals led me back down the right path. I don't have a note card in mom's recipe boxes for oyster stew. Mom taught it to me, whether she realized it or not, when I was watching her in her kitchen on New Year's eve day in 2013. She told me her father used to purchase the oysters at a fish store in Roanoke, Virginia, when she was growing up, and he was the one who taught her how to make the stew. The stew, which serves about four people, is really simple with just four ingredients: 1-2 Pints of fresh shucked oysters in oyster "juice" (two pints if you love oysters) 1 Quart of whole milk, no 2%, but you can try nut milks if you want, as long as they're as fatty as p...

What's the Deal about Black Plastic Utensils?

Choose wood or stainless steel. Ever wonder about the toxicity of your cooking utensils , especially those chic and sleek black plastic numbers? This article addresses some of the safety priorities you might adopt, especially in setting up a new kitchen or when you're ready to replace those older utensils. "When discussing toxicity, it’s essential to consider it alongside the environmental impact of our consumer choices," adds Vacheva. 'Factors such as biodegradability, the potential release of toxins during disposal, and damage to marine ecosystems should always be taken into account. We are part of a connected ecosystem, and even if the effects are not immediately visible or direct, they remain significant and impactful,' she notes." Tsvetomira Vacheva is the brand manager for Woodenhouse Lifelong Quality.

Meghan Markle Debuts This Month on Netflix

"Meghan Markle’s forthcoming cooking show, ' With Love, Meghan ,' hasn’t even debuted yet and it's already being sliced and diced online. Scheduled to premiere Jan. 15 on Netflix, the series promises a glossy blend of culinary escapades, celebrity cameos and sunlit glimpses of The Duchess of Sussex's life in Montecito — but the reaction to its trailer has been swift and cutting, a barrage of disdain that feels both predictable and overdetermined, as if the mere existence of the show is some kind of affront." I haven't see the trailer, but now I have to watch...I doubt I'll sign up for Netflix just for this show, though. Are you going to watch?

Joanne's Recipes

Search This Blog