and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....
...and the rest is cookbook history!
Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.
And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook.
Which brings me to recipe #353
My mom's Chipped Beef and Chicken
Loved my mom with all my heart---but I don't think I'll be making Chipped Beef and Chicken again.
Just sayin'
I had to have the baked potato because my mom said the sauce was good with it.
It was.
I just had to show you my chipped beef--it comes in a jar and is round.
Who the heck still buys this?
Me, I guess.
(and it is not cheap--considering)
This is my mom's 51st recipe in the cookbook countdown.
(you can check them all out here--just click)
You know how I feel about ending this cookbook countdown, right?
It's extremely satisfying to have cooked 353 recipes--358 when I'm finished--but at the same time I feel as if I'm saying goodbye to old friends and family. For good!
Weird, I know.
And on the other hand, what more can I say about my mom?
She's been gone (really gone) for 10 years, so it's hard to have a new story 😀 (sorry, but she would think that was funny)
I've gone from telling you about my parents living on the same street when they were growing up.
started first grade together
had their first kiss together
first everything together!
To their old age together (altho they never really got old, they passed away in their late 70's) throughout the 50 recipes and stories of her.
One thing that was always consistent in their 50+ years together is that they had fun.
My mom more so than my dad--she was good for him.
She was the most positive, accepting, kind person I have ever known, and she drug him along for the fun--and he followed, because he was head over heels in love with her--always had been.
I was going thru an old box of "stuff to throw away most likely" and I came across this email which I had sent to a couple of my friends.
It was dated April 17th, 2006
and the subject was: Easter Fun
On Saturday night after we had had a bbq, we played cards with my mom and dad. It was fun. We played a few games thru-out the Easter Weekend...but that was not the "fun."
My dad's neck was hurting while we were playing cards and I guess they have been using this muscle medicine similar to Ben Gay, that you spray on.
It comes in a little spray bottle.
So, my mom runs upstairs to get the spray medicine out of their suitcase. Comes downstairs and sprays it on my dad's neck. We continue to play cards, but my dad says, 'this medicine isn't feeling the same as it usually does. He says it usually gets icy cold and then warms up and feels really good on his sore muscles.
He asks if the bottle might be getting old. My mom says no, it's a brand-new bottle.
We continue to play cards and we have a nice time.
When the card game was over and we were sitting around the table chatting, Rich reaches over and grabs the bottle just to look at it---he turns it around and he and I both notice at the same time the bottle says "PAUL MITCHELL" ...and I'm wondering when Paul Mitchell hair products started making medicine.
So, we both say....mom! This is HAIRSPRAY!!!
She just grabbed the first think that looked familiar to her.
hahahaha--and my dad was wondering why the hell it wasn't working.
We laughed so hard!
I went to bed laughing and woke up laughing.
And then I thought---these are the genes that have passed to my children!
And that sums up my parents' marriage!
And that my friends is recipe #353!
I have 5 more to go!
I'm gonna get this done.
I really am.
Five more!!
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