Gram's Recipe Box

​Today I was reading an engaging story by HGTV star Erin Napier in Southern Living. Her focus was how she learned to make her grandma Ouida’s well-loved family recipes by standing at her side and watching awestruck as unmeasured ingredients went into a battered bowl. When Ouida passed away, Erin helped her family pack up her grandma’s treasured few possessions and move them to her own home. What was the most sacred of all the packed items? Ouida’s collection of recipes scribbled on scraps of paper throughout her life.
My paternal grandmother, Lillian (I called her Gram),  was my best buddy. I always wanted to be in the kitchen with her in her home or in ours. Gram was patient, kind, always had a twinkle in her eyes for me, a big hug, and was a tremendous encourager. When she discovered me reading cookbooks around 9 or 10 years old, she and Gramp bought me my very own cookbook. During one visit to her home, Gram pulled out her old manual typewriter and asked if I’d like to type a bunch of her recipes on index cards for her. So began my love of typing. My first recipe box came from Gram during one Christmas, and she helped me fill it with copies of my favorite Gram recipes.
When Gram passed away, I was given her recipe box which I frequently consult for my go-to best meals.
Why does her collection mean so much to me? Because they’re Gram’s. They’re in her handwriting. She touched those cards over and over. The batter drippings or gravy stains dotting the cards remind me of standing alongside her at the counter or stove, hugging her as she made her delectable Mint Meringue holiday cookies or Johnny Marzetti casserole. I treasure to my core the well-worn serving spoon and mixing bowls she used to stir concoctions including her Sour Cream Coffee Cake.
Gram’s words are baked into my heart and mind, and her cards and letters are preserved in a box in my closet. I miss Gram every day and I will always be her Tudie.
With Joy, 
​Susan