I’ve been thinking about my Mother a lot lately. I miss her and for whatever reason different moments in time trigger memories that bring her to the forefront of my thoughts. It’s been nine years since she passed away from pancreatic cancer at age 70. Lately my thoughts have been about where she was at in her life at my current age of 60 years old.

On a recent hike with my 28 year old daughter it occurred to me that I was 42 years old when my mother was 60. I was 32 years old when I first became a mother; 14 years older than my mother was when she had her first child (me). Before her 30th birthday she was the mother of three. Baby number four arrived when she was 33.

To celebrate our mother’s 60th birthday my sisters and I took Mom to Seattle for a Girl’s Weekend. We went to dinner at Chef Tom Douglas’s Palace Kitchen. That night Douglas was on-site and came by our table to wish Mom a happy birthday and to autograph her newly purchased copy of his cookbook. This personal touch made our evening very special and I subsequently became a big fan of Douglas and all his Seattle restaurants. When my mother died, this cookbook passed down to me.

Recently feeling the need for some comfort food, I made a a navy bean, bacon and veggie chili accompanied by a cornbread pudding. This was my first attempt at a savory bread pudding. I followed Tom Douglas’s recipe in the cookbook I inherited. I had eaten this side dish in another one of Douglas’s restaurants, Etta’s Seafood (named after his daughter), and absolutely loved it.

To make a “healthier” version of the cornbread pudding I used locally milled Beck’s whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour. I also cut the fat down in the recipe by substituting a mixture of 12 Oz evaporated milk and 6 Oz half & half for the required 18 Oz of cream. I used the evaporated milk because we didn’t have enough milk or 1/2 & 1/2 in house. I used Hot Pepper Jack cheese and plan to try it again with sharp cheddar. We liked this cornbread pudding so much, it’s now a candidate for a side dish at our holiday dinners. My mother would have loved it.

Family food traditions are one of the ties that bind. At home, my mother cooked meals from scratch. She also baked which is how I initially learned to make pies. Our family home was infused with wonderful smells from the kitchen. I have so many fond memories from the meals we shared and the annual garden harvests we participated in. From shelling peas to cracking walnuts we were fortunate to learn how to grow, harvest and cook our own food. A skill we also taught our own children and share memories of. I’m also so grateful that while my mother was alive our extended family took the time to gather and pass on a family tradition teaching our kids how to make pierogies.

As my own daughter drives back to her future today, after a wonderful six week visit, I think about my mother and how many times she had to let go. It’s a bittersweet experience but a necessary one. I think it’s safe to say we all want our children to succeed which involves cutting the umbilical cord again and again, letting them chart their own paths. I’m very proud of the two humans my husband and I have raised. Even though we did not agree on everything; I believe my mother was proud of me too.

Time is a precious gift. If your children are still living at home, enjoy every day because I guarantee they will be grown in the blink of an eye. If you don’t already, take some time to cook with your children. Knowing how to make your own food is an important survival skill but also a great way to make memories. Before you know it they will spread their wings and fly. If they are like mine, they will also tower over you in height. 😉

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