Blessing #21 of 30

In all the cooking I have done during the holidays I have spent a good deal of time pouring over recipes.  It was important to find the perfect dish to serve to the people I love and care about.  In that process I truly felt blessed because so many of my recipes brought such sweet memories.  I have felt like I was working on family history as recipe after recipe reminded me of someone from my past who I grew to love and appreciate for their kindness and generosity.  I have felt like I was being reminded as I followed each recipe that how we live and direct our life is much like a recipe.  There is a pattern of cooking with rules and responsibility just as there are in our day to day living.  You can't take shortcuts because each process has a purpose and the results can be disappointing if we skip anything.  There is the gathering of ingredients and if not planned well you get into the process and have to stop because something is missing.   In our life we have to plan as well so that we don't have to interrupt our life progress as we gather everything back in.   I think the most treasured recipes are those who came from a relative or a friend.  They have been tried and proven true.  They involve a sense of well being and happiness because they have proven to be good and even more important they have been tried, adjusted, and perfected for the end result to be wonderful.   And wonderful people were willing to give their their treasured recipe to me.  Helen Seacord's sweet potato casserole and Cranberry-Raspberry Salad.  Jody Palmquist's English Toffee.  Kathy Done's Cheese Soup.  Judy Claybaugh's bread sticks.  My mom's fudge.  These are but a few of the sweet memories I have of those who were willing to share their recipes with me.  I have met people who would never share a recipe.  I was more sad for them than disappointed in them.   They had the opportunity through their generosity of sharing to live on in the memory of others.  I love that each of my daughters are amazing cooks.  I hope that some of the recipes I have shared have become treasured memories for them.,,and a blessing of good food to their families.  I value my recipes and even more I treasure the memories I have of the people who shared them.