I wanted my first “real” post to have meaning, and after some thought my subject matter came to light quite easily.
Nanny (my dear babushka) would have turned 81 on Thursday. She taught me how to cook and sew and bought me my first set of crochet hooks. I know I am biased, but I was so lucky to have her. She could speak fluent Russian, balance a check book in ink, finish an entire book of crossword puzzles in the amount of time a normal person took to do one, and even squish spiders with her bare fingers (ick! but you have no idea how many times she saved me) all while watching Murder She Wrote or the evening news.
When she passed away ten years ago, I received three items that have tremendous importance to me: the wedding china she and my Pop-Pop willed to me, the cake topper they used on their wedding day (and I later used on mine), and her Betty Crocker cookbook. This is not just any cookbook; this was the cookbook that she received as a wedding gift decades earlier and had come to include every recipe that she had collected over the 35 years she had been married. This cookbook has come to be my most treasured belonging and it has a very special spot in my kitchen and my heart.
Many of the recipes are handwritten by my grandmother or typed on her vintage typewriter. There are the traditional Christmas sugar cookies, her famous Porcupines (rice/ground meat balls), Kolacie (as this is my favorite childhood food, I will delve into this later), and the Easter favorite, hrutka. The recipes inside bring my Nanny back and I foresee its batter-stained pages being the inspiration for many discussions in the future. I hope she’s looking down on me from somewhere beautiful, thinking to herself that I turned out alright.
RIP Baba, you’ll always be remembered. ily.
This was a beautiful tribute! I have a recipe book I inherited from my great-aunt when she passed away; it’s also one of my most cherished possessions. There’s just something about the love in all those recipes… It feels like it bleeds through to the book itself!
I could not agree more! The book itself holds such an important place in my childhood, but the only way to keep those memories alive are to actually cook with it.
Jess, your picture and loving memories of your Baba brought tears to my eyes. I lost my grandma many years ago and still miss her unconditional love, warmth, apple pies and mounds of Polish cooking.. halupki, halushki, pierogies, hrutka, “city chicken”, poppyseed & nut rolls, and homemade bread to go with everything. With lots of real butter. The more butta, the betta! Love your blog… looking foward to your next post!
Barb — That means so much to me (and you could not be more correct about the butter… where do you think my love handles came from??). While we’re at different chapters in our lives, I relate on a *real* level with you. I sincerely appreciate your feedback on my posts! As I work my way through her recipes, you know who I’ll be sharing the fruits of my labor with… homemade pierogies anyone?
Hi Jess. Thanks so much for visiting my blog! I took a look at yours and wouldn’t you know it you had me crying with this post. Beautiful. Nothing brings back memories like food and those family recipes. I’ll be following you!
Thank you very much! I could not agree more which is why it was so important for me to share where my inspirations stems. Your motivational post really struck home for me because I’m finally jumping back on the workout horse and that was exactly what I needed to stick to it at least another day :]