Great food is part of the culture where I grew up. The best meals were homemade, traditional, simple, and absolutely delicious. Baked goods were included in the stream of never-ending tasty delights. My Nan made the best partridgeberry muffins. My other Nan made the best homemade bread. My Mom made, and still makes, the best scratch pancakes. No recipes were ever needed to create these baked treasures. Each treat had been made hundreds of times and each batch tasted better than the last.
The last time I lived at home full-time I was in high school. I’ve always been very close to my family even though we’ve grown accustomed to being separated by a few Provinces. When we do spend time together, we make a meal plan of the dishes we want to share. I decided a long time ago I wanted to keep a record of these special dishes and baked goods with me wherever I lived.
It’s been nearly 10 years since I started my family recipe book. The plain, black notebook started its life as my geology field book. I used the book on my first two paid geology jobs in northern and central Labrador. It was dirty, had bug spatters on most pages, and had a spine filled with small rock shards. I loved this book. After I decided to return to school to study radio and television after a summer working in geology, I couldn’t get rid of this notebook. I gave it a little scrub, removed the mineral and rock observation filled pages, added labels, and called it a recipe book.
I sat with my Mom and asked her about my favourite meals and treats. I needed to know more than just the recipes. I wanted to recall every detail of how to recreate my favourite foods I’d seen made many times before. But, just having the recipes on paper wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to feel like I was taking a part of home with me back to Nova Scotia. So, I asked my Mom to write her recipes in my book. I love my mom’s handwriting and seeing her writing on the page would always remind me where the recipe came from, home.
Over the years, I collected more recipes from my family. My Mom helped me dig out of the family recipe box my favourite recipes from my grandparents and aunts. My Dad wrote his recipe for my favourite crab ball. My brother, Chris wrote his recipe for my favourite dinner rolls. Each time I use a recipe from my slightly shabby book I find myself flipping through the pages just to read the recipes written by the people I love. Seeing their handwriting immediately makes me feel closer to them. Now, the book has recipes from my boyfriend, his Mom and even a few creations by my boyfriend and I.
Every year at this time I start to feel the Winter blues. My recipe book has given me one more tool to fight them off. I cook a meal or bake a family favourite treat for the family I have made with my boyfriend here. It’s a great way to spend a cold, snowy night at home. Thankfully, I have friends and co-workers who are happy to help eat the extra goodies!
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I can’t finish this post without also sharing a recipe from the little black book of deliciousness. We’re not sure where this chocolate chip cookie recipe came from. I just know it’s the one my Mom made and the one I loved the most. Enjoy!
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
In 1st bowl, melt: 2/3 cup butter
Add: 2 cups brown sugar, 2 tbsp hot water, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract (I added the vanilla to my Mom’s recipe)
In 2nd bowl, sift together: 2 2/3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
Add: 2 cups chocolate chips
Slowly combine ingredients of 2nd bowl into 1st bowl.
When ingredients are blended, spoon 1 tbsp of cookie dough for each cookie onto parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 375 F for 8 – 9 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet on wire rack for ~4 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack.
Enjoy!
Guide to Being Amazing 