Chocolate Fudge from Grandma

The very act of storytelling, of arranging memory and invention according to the structure of the narrative, is by definition holy. We tell stories because we love to entertain and hope to edify. We tell stories because they fill the silence death imposes. We tell stories because they save us. ~ James Carroll

My grandma Stubbs (Dad's mom) brought the chocolate fudge. Arriving at our apartment (when we were in America on furlough in Richmond, Virginia) from Baltimore, Maryland, the fudge traveled with her in a decorative tin. After dinner, dessert followed, and Mom would open the tin. Inside were chocolate squares, all piled like building blocks. The warm sweet sugary aroma filled the dining room. I'd take a piece, but it was almost too sweet and chocolately for me as a small child.

Eating it now, I feel that I've been invited to the big folks' table. It's no longer too sweet; I can hold my own. A cup of coffee and a piece of decadent fudge, I am ready to tackle the world.

In 2013 when I planned to compile my third cookbook of memories, I asked friends and family for special recipes from those no longer with us. The recipes arrived, each with special stories. There are recipes from those who led long, rich lives, and in memory of those who led rich, but much-too short lives. Dad sent one of Grandma's fudge recipes. The memory he's attached to it shares from his own childhood of growing up in the 1930s.

I made Grandma's fudge this morning. Although the recipe Dad submitted is for peanut butter morsels to be used (I am sure the one for chocolate has to be somewhere in the dozens of index cards he inherited), I substituted chocolate morsels. (I am known for a bit of substitution.) I didn't just make one batch, I made three batches. Hours later the house still smells of chocolate.

Memories Around the Table holds recipes and remembrances of those we love and cherish. By making these recipes, thoughts of our loved ones spring to life in the kitchen, in the dining room, and swell our hearts with memories that no one can steal.


Memories Around the Table is now on sale and available at Etsy. Free shipping within the USA.

A novel and a cookbook make spring bright

I've always loved looking through cookbooks, so no wonder each of my novels has recipes in the back. Still Life in Shadows has a recipe that will make you smile because it is baked in a coffee can.  Over the years, I've published three cookbooks of memories on my own. All have been in memory of my son Daniel, who died at age four from cancer treatments. The recipes in the cookbooks are compiled from many who have also lost loved ones. People write to tell me that they love the stories and recipes in the books. There are recipes for simple things like a grilled cheese sandwich, to the elegant----a chocolate cake and a Caesar salad with anchovy paste in the dressing.

Still Life in Shadows is a novel about an ex-Amish man named Gideon who lives in the mountains of North Carolina and helps other Amish escape the old Amish life.  I think it's a realistic view of the harshness of many Amish families, not sugar-coating the lifestyle nor omitting the many problems that are faced.  There's also a young autistic girl and her sister who runs a diner. Readers have cheered me on for writing a story of struggle and redemption.  And while my other novels with Bethany House and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas have females on the covers, this one (published by Moody/River North) has a man (and look at him, who wouldn't want to meet him?).

So what do my novel and cookbook have in common besides recipes and stories?  They are now available together at a great deal.  Not as e-books, no. But as real soft cover books with actual pages!

Both Memories Around the Table and Still Life in Shadows are being offered here for a low, low price.  I hope you'll take advantage of this offer.  Both books will be sent to you for just $9.99 with free shipping.  Or get a copy of Still Life in Shadows by itself for $8.99 with free shipping. Offer is good in USA only!

Order via PayPal below:

Two books or one book

Both books $9.99 USD Still Life in Shadows Only $8.99 USD

Chocolate Crinkles from Memories Around the Table

Make these Chocolate Crinkles for your Christmas celebrations. They're easy to make and great for chocolate lovers! The recipe comes from my cookbook, Memories Around the Table: Treasured Recipes, and is in memory of Margaret Garman, mom to my friend, Barb Eyster.

Chocolate Crinkles
Margaret Esther Garman
June 21, 1926 ~ May 10, 2012

1 cup cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar (I usually use less)
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons buttermilk
For dipping
Powdered sugar
White sugar

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate the dough overnight. When ready to bake, take the dough out and roll it into small balls. Dip each in white sugar and then in powdered sugar. Bake at 350⁰ F. for 8-10 minutes.
Don't over bake.

Merry Christmas!


~*~*
Memories Around the Table is available at Amazon and at my Rivers of Life Gift Shop.

Special Deal for a Special Christmas!

Getting Out of Bed in the Morning (Leafwood Publishers) is a companion through grief and makes a lovely gift for someone going through the heartache of loss. Losses come in all shapes----the loss of a loved one, a financial loss, a career loss, loss of health and loss of relationships-----but they all carry a sizable wound to the heart. This devotional is written by a mother inspired by the life and death of her son, Daniel. I am that mother and my heart goes out to all in grief and loss.

These forty devotionals address the painful hardships realistically, as well as the doubt, worry, and fear that come with them. The pages are packed with tips on how readers should take care of themselves and draw near to God so that healing is possible. Each devotional includes reflection, prayer, and suggestions for those who want to integrate walks into their daily routine.

Memories Around the Table is a cookbook of favorite recipes and remembrances of those (both old and young) who are no longer around to share a meal with us. Many contributed to this special book and because of this, this cookbook is a tribute to sons, daughters, mothers, fathers and grandparents. Remembering them in this way brings comfort.

[Pictured: Peanut Butter Cookies from the cookbook]


Purchase a copy of Getting Out of Bed in the Morning, and get a $14.99 Memories Around the Table cookbook for free! Both will be signed by the author, me!

Hurry, this deal only lasts till December 12, 2013!

Here's how:
Send a check for $13.99 plus $4.00 S/H ----a total of $17.99 to the address below:
Alice J. Wisler
201 Monticello Avenue
Durham, NC 27707

Or purchase via PayPal by using the button below:

Read the reviews for Gettng Out of Bed in the Morning at Amazon.

Lasagna and a Birthday: Memories Around the Table

So the other day Katelyn's mom, my good friend, Jane, told me that there was a mistake in Memories Around the Table. I felt a pain rise in my stomach and then a sensation like hot liquid pour over me. Katelyn's birth date was incorrect. In fact, it's today, September 21-----not September 2 as printed in the cookbook.

Ugh.

Ugh.

Like anybody else, I hate making mistakes.

Especially this kind.

Jane reassured me not to worry about it.

So of course I am all about wanting to rectify the situation. I have two ways I would like you to help me in making things "right". The first is: I ask you to be sure and pencil-in a number 1 after the 2 in your copies for Katelyn's birth date. Next, I ask you to think about your loved one and do something in his memory today, something unique, something that embodies part of who she was here when she was with you.

I never had the privilege of meeting Katelyn, but I am told she was generous. Her mother has taken her legacy and is one of the most giving friends I know. She has supported me and my workshops and books in ways that are so awesome, I see God's light and love shine through her. And I see the love she has for her baby girl.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Katelyn!

Here is her recipe for Microwave Lasagna from Memories Around the Table.



Katelyn Latta
September 21, 1985 ~ December 7, 2002

1 pound ground beef
1 (32 ounces) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 lasagna noodles

Brown ground beef; drain. Add sauce and water. Mix all together and set aside.

In a bowl mix: 1 egg, pepper, ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese. Layer 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of 2- quart oblong dish, then add 3 uncooked noodles, 1/2 cheese mixture, 1/2 sauce, 3 noodles and cook on high 8 minutes, then medium low (50%) for 32 minutes.

Uncover and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

^*^*^

Katelyn prepared this lasagna recipe as a very young child. She loved to eat and she would eat almost anything. The weekend before her accident we celebrated her birthday with a group of young teen ladies by making Christmas chocolates and candies.

This recipe is simple and yummy. We used to use cottage cheese instead of ricotta and she never really measured anything. We would use homemade spaghetti sauce which already had the ground beef in it.

She arrived in Heaven 12/7/2002 and I don’t think we have made this recipe since. Maybe now is the time. We miss you baby girl!

~ Jane Latta

To order a copy of Memories Around the Table, please go to this blog post.

Memories Around the Table: Phillip Richardson's Chicken Divan

Marsha Richardson, Phillip's mom, shares with readers here today. She writes, "Attached is a photo of another plate piled high with spaghetti . . . another of Phillip's short list of favorties...again, prompting mom to implore, "Human-sized bites, please!" Thank you Alice, for sharing your touching stories as well as allowing us to share ours. This is truly a healing process! Thanks again."

Chicken Divan
In Memory of: Phillip L. Richardson, III
March 16, 1989-July 17, 2010


1 large bunch of broccoli, steamed
2 cup chicken, cooked
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
croutons or buttered bread cut into cubes


Arrange broccoli stalks in 9x13 pan. Place chunks of chicken on top. Spread mixture of soup, mayonnaise, and lemon juice on top. Top with cheese and croutons, if desired.


Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.


Can be served over rice or noodles.


To say that Phillip was a picky eater was the understatement of the century. He liked what he liked and could eat a ton of it. But if you didn't have what he liked, he would just plain not eat at all. I could always count on him piling his plate high with Chicken Divan---no rice, no croutons, just Chicken Divan. Ironically, the recipe was given to us by our daughter's best friend's mother who undoubtedly grew tired of it being requested every time my daughter walked through her door. It became a family favorite since it was easy and everyone liked it, which meant we could all actually eat together . . . which is priceless when you have teenagers.


I can still see Phillip shoveling his pile of Chicken Divan down with hardly a breath in between bites and me reminding him, “Human-sized bites, son!”


Special thanks to Rae and Bill and Laura Oldham for sharing this great recipe and all of the precious memories that it inspired.


--Phillip's mom, Marsha Maples Richardson

Order a copy of Memories Around the Table today, compiled by Alice J. Wisler!
Click to read rave reviews and order either a print or e-book copy.

Today's cookbook post: Remembering Stacy and Pistachio-Almond Cake

Today we are featuring another recipe and memory from the new cookbook, Memories Around the Table. Above is a photo of Stacy M. Sullivan Wehr and below is a recipe she loved and a memory associated with it from her mother.

Pistachio-Almond Pudding Cake

Stacy M. Sullivan Wehr
January 14, 1971 ~ April 6, 2000

1 box (2 layer size) yellow cake mix
1 package (4-serving size) Jell-O brand Pistachio instant pudding
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
7 drops of green food coloring

Note: If you use pudding-included yellow cake mix decrease water to 1 cup.

Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl, blend, then beat at medium speed of mixer for 4 minutes. Pour into 10-inch fluted tube pan that has been greased and floured or sprayed with cooking oil. Bake at 350⁰ F for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake pulls away from the sides. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and enjoy as much as Stacy did. Any icing of your choice would be good.

^*^*^

I have a picture of Stacy and her son, Ryder, with her last cake. I wish I was still able to bake it for her. She also loved my chili, but I put in it what I wanted, without a recipe. In high school, she would say, “My three favorite things are Mom’s chili, band, and books.” She was like a sponge when it came to reading.

~ Barbara Rasche

Order a copy of Memories Around the Table today! Simply click on this link.

Memories Around the Table: Buttermilk Pie

As we feature our contributors here on this blog, I want to once again thank each person who sent in a recipe and memory for the new cookbook, Memories Around the Table.

Today we are going to remember Randy Bennett and enjoy a recipe for buttermilk pie.

Randy's mom, Teresa, writes: "Here are two pictures of my son Randy. The first one is him with my daughter, Mary. It was taken about three months before his leukemia diagnosis. The second one is him with Mary and myself. It was taken about three months after diagnosis."

Buttermilk Pie

Randy Bennett
February 3, 1980 ~ August 4, 2012


1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs, beater
3/4 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar and flour. Add eggs. Mix well with hand mixer set on medium. Add other ingredients and continue mixing until well incorporated. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350⁰ F for one hour.

^*^*^

This was one of Randy's favorite dessert recipes. I usually made it only during the holiday season, but after he was diagnosed with leukemia I decided to make his favorites any time he wanted when he was able to eat. Sharing the things that we "hang on" to for special occasions became a thing of the past. Cherishing each day became our goal. Although he is gone and nothing will ever fill the empty hole in my heart, there are lots of things to remember and smile about. Memories of special times, sharing talks, and a piece of pie bring a tear to my eye and a smile to my heart.

~ Teresa Peiffer

Like Teresa and so many who have lost a loved one, we do learn to cherish the beauty of each day.

Order your copy of Memories Around the Table now! Simply click on this link.

Memories Around the Table: Boiled Custard

Caroline Raby is a contributor to the new cookbook Memories Around the Table. She has a recipe in the book for boiled custard which is truly delicious. In the recipe, both her grandmother and great-grandmother are included. Below is a photo of her great-grandma, Lucy Doles.

1918 Photo of Lucy Doles Whitehead of Scotlant Neck, NC

One of our family favorites was my maternal great-grandmother's boiled custard. It was easy to make and immensely enjoyable.

My grandmother would make it when my sister and I were sick with sore throats or other childhood illnesses, and it was a traditional part of the Christmas trifle, known as "tipsy cake”, also including cake, roasted almonds, whipped cream, and spirits. (The children's portions always had orange juice.)

Boiled custard chilled was relished on hot summer days, and when warmed, enjoyed on cold, blustery ones. It was also enjoyed when shared with my parents’ friends and neighbors.

~ Caroline Raby

And here's the recipe for you to try.

Boiled Custard

Lila W. McDaniel
September 2, 1888 ~ January 8, 1978

3 eggs, well beaten
1 quart whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 large serving spoons of flour added to sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour milk into a deep stew pan. Set the pan in an iron frying pan containing boiling water (serving as a double boiler). Let the milk warm until small bubbles form along the sides. While the milk is heating, beat the eggs and slowly add the sugar/flour mix stirring until the mixture is thickened. Pour the egg mixture into the hot milk and constantly stir with a wooden spoon (essential—a metal spoon won't work) until the custard coats the spoon and drops off. Remove custard from the heat, add the vanilla and stir until mixed. Chill and then pour into a large pitcher, cover, and refrigerate. Serves 4-6. Can be poured over vanilla ice cream, strawberries, or cake.



Get a copy of Memories Around the Table today! It's available on Kindle and in print. Click here to read about how to place your order.

Everybody needs a place to share

People Need a Place to Share and Remember


I wanted to give people an opportunity. People need a place where memories are freely shared and abound.

When I started out with the making of my first memorial cookbook, Slices of Sunlight, I had an urgency to get the book out there. My four-year-old son Daniel had been gone just two years, and as a writer, it was important to me to have his name printed in a book. I knew other parents would welcome the opportunity to tell their son’s or daughter’s story about a food-related experience. Other parents, like me, had to deal with that empty chair at mealtimes—the space their child once occupied, back when life was not filled with sorrow. Why not give them a platform?

I sent out many email messages to bereaved parents’ groups. I told those in my Compassionate Friends chapter that I was putting together a book of favorite recipes and memories and gave them a short tutorial on how to write a food memory.

What was fascinating to me was the feedback I received, and not just the delicious recipes coupled with remembrances. People I had never met found out about the project and wrote to say things like, “Writing the recipe and memory was therapeutic for me.” “I loved having the time to recall. Thank you.” “I remembered and I cried; it brought back many good memories.”

My husband Carl is the one to thank for Memories Around the Table, my third and most recent book. He had not been in my life when the first two came out. I considered another book but wasn’t sure I wanted to dedicate the time or money, and I wasn’t certain that another memorial cookbook was needed.

“Let this one be a book with the recipes and memories of all loved ones, not just those of children,” he suggested. (I have a hunch it’s because he wanted to include a cake recipe he loves to make, known as Mom’s Cake, in the book.)

It was in Atlanta when I was invited to speak at a CURE weekend conference that I announced to a group of bereaved parents that I would do another cookbook. Once I told them about it, I knew I had to be committed to the project. I worked on getting the word out. I created a special email account where folks could send their recipes so I would have an in box dedicated to the “cookbook only” email messages. Which printer to use? Which cover? Should there be art inside? So many decisions.

When you compile a cookbook there are profound blessings along the way. First there are these priceless stories. I cried over many. The gratitude of those who submit recipes and memories are so dear. Then there is that action that many want to run from: editing. Editing to make the prose shine without taking away the essence of what the contributor supplied in the form of a memory and recipe—now that takes time.

The end result is a not just a mere book, but a legacy where love and the love of food live on. A tribute to those who once graced our tables, a reason for a contributor to take the time to write and say, "What a lovely little book. I was quite moved by the memories of loved ones and the way that the sharing of their recipes provided a way to share those memories and honor their lives. You did a very good job with this. I do thank you for doing all the work of putting this together and for including me. It is all so positive and healing."

Memories Around the Table is an invitation to all to come join us at the table, to remember and to continue to tell the stories that shape who we are.

You might want to bring a tissue.


Order your copy of Memories Around the Table (Daniel’s House Publications) by clicking this link.

~ Alice J. Wisler is a freelance writer and the author of five inspirational Southern novels, a grief and loss devotional (Getting Out of Bed in the Morning, a top seller on Kindle), and three independently-published cookbooks. She teaches grief-writing workshops across the country. Learn more at her website: http://www.alicewisler.com

(This article was first and originally posted at Julie Saffrin's blog)

Sometimes . . .

. . . things don't go the way they were planned!

When Dan and Betty Bryl received their cookbooks, I imagined that they were excited to see their daughter's inclusion. But when they opened their copies, they looked at each other and said, "What happened?" Then they emailed me.

"Where's the recipe? We got the memory, but where's the recipe?"

Uh-oh . . . Had there been a recipe, too? My stomach sunk to my knees. Where?

Eventually we figured it out. The first email Dan sent had two attachments---one for the recipe and one for the memory--but the corrected email only held the memory because that was all they had needed to correct. I got the email message that said it was the final one and didn't feel that I needed to read the first two. I ran with the one that said it was the corrected version. It only held the memory atttachment and I thought that was all she wrote. I deleted the other two so as not to confuse myself and sent the corrected one to where I stored the material for Memories Around the Table. And that, my friends is why only the memory ended up in the cookbook.

These things happen.

Well, I knew there was a way to remedy this. Here it is! Below is the recipe that goes with the memory for Jell-O. Jessica, I sure hope your parents will love me again!


Seven-Layer Jell-O

Not an easy recipe but worth the effort!

1 small box of each: cherry, orange, lemon, and lime Jell-O
2 packages plain Knox gelatin
1 pint sour cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dissolve each Jell-O package in 1 cup HOT water then add 1/2 cup cold water (keep each flavor separate).

Bring to BOIL in sauce pan the milk and sugar, stirring constantly. Dissolve 2 packages of Knox in 1/2 cup COLD water, then add to milk mixture. Cool slightly (off burner), then add sour cream and vanilla. Blend with electric mixer at low speed.

In 13 X 9 glass pan, pour in first layer of Jell-O. When this is set, pour 1 1/2 cups of milk mixture on top very slowly so as not to break layer. Continue process, making sure each layer is set. If you put in the refrigerator, it takes at least 45 minutes for first layer to become set.

TIP 1: Chill glass pan before pouring first layer. Each layer will go a bit faster because of the chill. You can speed up by putting in the reezer, but you have to be very careful not to FREEZE! You must watch and pull before ice crystals form. Then put in fridge to finish chill. Be very careful!

TIP 2: You can make all the Jell-O at once and leave at room temperature. The milk mixture should be kept in a pan of hot water so it won’t thicken, but make sure to cool some before pouring layer. Pour first layer to chill before making milk mixture, but be sure to cool some before pouring on set Jell-O layer.

TIP 3: Layer for the Holidays. We put cherry and lime as top two layers for Christmas, and orange for Halloween. You can try other flavors, but we have found that these were the most complementary to each other.

Need a copy of Memories Around the Table so that you can read the memory that goes with this recipe as well as dozens of other recipes and memories? Order from here.

Memories Around the Table: Order print or e-book today!

Memories Around the Table is selling like hotcakes! Here's what others are saying:

"Oh, Alice ... you warm my heart and make me cry. This month - 18 years since I've seen my oldest son alive, and yet these memories/recipes bring him right here with me! Thank you!" ~ Jan Lehman

"Alice J. Wisler has compiled a book of recipes and memories in a beautiful and heart-warming cookbook. If you've ever had my mother-in-law's lemon chess pie, here's your chance to get the recipe." ~ Angie Arndt

"Love, love, love it! Thanks so much for doing this project." ~ Karen Bowles

"On one of these recent rainy afternoons, I picked up your book, Memories Around the Table, and began reading the recipes and comments. What a lovely little book. I was quite moved by the memories of loved ones and the way that the sharing of their recipes provided a way to share those memories and honor their lives. You did a very good job with this. I do thank you for doing all the work of putting this together and for including me. It is all so positive and healing. Thanks again." ~ Diane Prosser

"How wonderful to find our daughter Paula's favorite eggplant parmigiana recipe and her cheesy popcorn recipe in your new cookbook. I like the ringed format, makes it easy to use in the kitchen. They will make wonderful gifts for many of our friends. Beautifully done, thanks for the memories around the table!" ~ Pam Bennett-Santoro

"Loved the book. Great cover, interesting recipes. Tried the Biscuits and Gravy, nice story, yummy breakfast." ~ Dan Bryl

"Your book is lovely with super recipes and great graphics and cover. Thanks for all the work." ~ Caroline Raby


Order a print copy by following the directions below (order via Paypal or check). Or order on Kindle.

Click here to order the e-book on Kindle.

Memories Around the Table

COSTS FOR PRINT ORDERS:
1 book: $14.99 plus $3.00 S/H for a total of $17.99
2 books, $29.98 plus $4.00 S/H for a total of $33.98
3 books, $44.97 plus $4.00 S/H for a total of $48.97
4 or more books, get free shipping!
Calculate each book at $14.99 and then pay via check or use the scroll down menu and pay via Pay Pal.

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201 Monticello Avenue
Durham, NC 27707

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Memories Around the Table

1 copy with S/H $17.99 USD 2 copies with S/H $33.98 USD 3 copies with S/H $48.97 USD 4 copies with FREE S/H $59.96 USD 5 copies with FREE shipping $74.95 USD 6 copies with FREE shipping $89.94 USD 7 copies with FREE shipping $104.93 USD 8 copies with FREE shipping $119.92 USD

Memories Around the Table! A NEW cookbook filled with memories

Excited to announce----a new cookbook!

Memories Around the Table is the third memorial cookbook published by Daniel's House Publications and compiled by bereaved mom, author, writing instructor and speaker, Alice J. Wisler.




Over 80 recipes, memories and poetry! The recipe for this cake---Mom's Cake---pictured above, is included in the book. Memories Around the Table: Treasured Recipes is unique in the sense that it's not just a cookbook, but rather, a compilation of the special memories of those we can no longer hold, those we once shared meals and laughter with. We remember our loved ones in many ways; food is one of those ways we cherish the stories about them.

Some of the memories associated with the recipes will make you laugh; others might cloud your eyes with tears.

Learn to make a bunch of delicious items including peanut butter fudge, chicken divan, chess pie and even Yorkshire pudding.

Order a copy of Memories Around the Table today from Daniel's House Publications. Each book is $14.99.


Here's how to order:

1 book: $14.99 plus $3.00 S/H for a total of $17.99
2 books, $29.98 plus $4.00 S/H for a total of $33.98
3 books, $44.97 plus $4.00 S/H for a total of $48.97
4 or more books, get free shipping!

Send a check to:
Daniel's House Publications
201 Monticello Avenue
Durham, NC 27707

OR

Pay with PAYPAL

Memories Around the Table

1 copy with S/H $17.99 USD 2 copies with S/H $33.98 USD 3 copies with S/H $48.97 USD 4 copies with FREE S/H $59.96 USD

How to write a food memory

I see a little boy in a white chef's hat at the play stove concocting some imaginary meal for me . . .
When I dig out the chef's hat, it's yellowed from age. But the memory---now over seventeen years old---will never yellow, never fade. There are days it is as fresh as today's gardenia blooms.

Recalling our loved ones through food makes sense. Food and gatherings with food are a large part of our lives; everybody has some food-related memory to share.

Memories coupled with favorite recipes go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Spend some time writing your own memory of a loved one.

Some Tips

* Take your time. We rush through much of life; this is not the time to plough through. Instead, slow down.
* Find a secluded spot away from distraction.
* Use a comfortable pen and notebook.
* To help you remember, look at a photo of your loved one. Spend some time describing the photo. As you think about your loved one, let yourself remember.
* Write with your senses----sight, sound, smell, and touch.
* Tell your story in your own style.
* Play some music to enhance the experience.
* Close your eyes; recall.
* After you have written a few lines, dig a bit deeper. Ask yourself what is it that you want to convey.
* If sentences are hard to compose at first, just jot down words that come to mind.
* String the words into sentences.
* Read your memory aloud.
* Make any necessary changes.
* Read it aloud once again.
* You have created a food memory!

Two Examples

Billy loved meatloaf sandwiches. Just reading that line makes me want to read more. It's not every day that you hear about meatloaf sandwiches. In my first cookbook, Slices of Sunlight, this memory, coupled with the instructions for making meatloaf provided by his mother, brings a smile.

"Billy was much like his dad, Bill, in that he could eat the same thing every day for months at a time. After taking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school every day for two years, Billy discovered meatloaf sandwiches for his school lunches. Throughout grade 3, 4 and 5, I must have made hundreds of meatloaves! After cooking, I'd put them in the refrigerator to cool, then slice them. I froze the slices. By the time lunchtime at school rolled around, Billy had cold meatloaf sandwiches . . . every day for three years!" (page 14)

The following memory from Kara's mom, first recorded in Down the Cereal Aisle and also included in my newest cookbook, Memories Around the Table, due out next month.

"When my daughter Kara was old enough to no longer ride in the shopping cart at the supermarket, she and I devised a plan that would keep her close to me in the store. Unless I asked her to get an item for me, she was to always have one hand holding onto the side of the shopping cart. We continued using that system for several years until it was no longer needed.

When Kara was in college, she would take me grocery shopping whenever I came for a visit. I could always expect to find a sizeable list ready and waiting for Mom to “foot the bill”. I did not mind as it was just part of the fun of being with her and enjoying our time together.

More than once during these grocery expeditions, I would notice Kara walking beside me, unconsciously holding onto the shopping cart as she had done so many years before. Sometimes I would put my hand over hers and smile. Other times I just let it be a fond memory to file away and cherish in later years.

After Kara died, it was (and still is) very painful to see moms and daughters together, especially when I see a little blond-headed girl in a grocery store with her hand on the cart."

Now it's your turn!

Let writing a food memory bring you some sunshine.

A Toast to Cookbook Contributors!

I must tell you that those who have sent me recipes in memory of loved ones for my new cookbook, Memories Around the Table, hold many talents! I've decided to focus on a few of them throughout the upcoming months. Every so often I will post A Toast to Cookbook Contributors! so that readers can see what else these people have done who have helped to make this cookbook come to life.

Here is a haiku from Marie, whose recipe in memory of her mother is for cinnamon raisin bread.

buds burst open

birthing the blossoms

spring fever

~ Marie Toole

Memories Around the Table: Treasured Recipes coming soon!
Daniel's House Publications

Cover proof for Memories Around the Table!

I was excited to open the cover proof from the printer for Memories Around the Table: Treasured Recipes! This cookbook is filled with recipes and memories, making it a special legacy of those we love and miss. I put out the request for recipes back in February and received many wonderful replies from many of you.



Within the pages are all the instructions for how to make these Hershey Kiss cookies (a.k.a. peanut butter cookies) pictured here, and other delicious treats, including chicken divan, eggplant parmigiana, stuffed peppers, cornbread dressing, gloried rice, lime pickles, toffee, and strawberry cheesecake. The beauty is that each recipe is sealed with a special memory of somebody's son or daughter, grandma or grandpa, father or mother, grandson or granddaughter. This book is truly one of a kind and is a testimony that love goes on. Forever.

Memories Around the Table will be ready to order in about two weeks, so stay tuned!

Where Memories Live: Memories Around the Table: Treasured Recipes

"Recall as often as you wish, a happy memory never wears out." ~ Libbie Fudim

I am putting the finishing touches on my third cookbook of memories, Memories Around the Table. This is an exciting time!

Many have submitted recipes and memories for my book and I am beyond grateful. This cookbook, like my others, will hold the wonderful memories of those we can no longer share a meal with. But the memories make us smile and when we remember, we are grateful that each person who is no longer with us, is still part of our heartfelt memories. As Thomas Campbell said, "To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die."

I must admit that I do get hungry as I read about cakes, cookies, breads and meats. I keep a tissue nearby; these remembrances connected with the recipes grab at my bereaved mother's heart.

I will continue to post updates here about my cookbook as it goes through the production stages. It heads to the printer on Friday.

Thanks to all who have made donations in memory of their loved ones for the project. You are much appreciated!

Stay tuned!

Memories Around the Table is looking for submissions!

There is nothing that ties us together quite like food. As Virginia Woolf said, "One cannot think well, live well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." And an old Irish proverb tells us, "Laughter is brightest where food is best."

Yes, I'm in the process of creating another cookbook of recipes and memories. Send me something today after viewing the YouTube video! The video will tell you how to submit so that the memory of your loved one can be included in the pages of Memories Around the Table.

Click to view the video.

To refer to an earlier post on this blog with written details about how to submit, view here.

And there is more! Want to help in another way with this project?

Donate today! Give any amount to help with the printing and publishing of this book. We plan to have it in print by summer 2013. All who donate will get their name on the Donations Page that will be included in the back of the cookbook.

Donate to Memories Around the Table!

Happy remembering!

A new cookbook where memories are shared!

It's been ten years since I compiled my second cookbook of memories of children who have gone too soon, Down the Cereal Aisle. And I think it's time to compile another one!

Actually, this book is going to include recipes from both Slices of Sunlight and Down the Cereal Aisle as well as new ones. It will be an edited version of the old with new submissions included. (More specific details are further below, so read on.)

You might have some questions, and hopefully they will be answered in the following instructions.

What is the name of this cookbook going to be?

Memories Around the Table: Treasured Recipes is the tentative name that will most likely stick.

Who can submit?

Anyone who wants to! The two other cookbooks I have created have been solely in memory of children. This new one is open to anyone. All you need is a recipe to share and a memory. Recipes can be for a main dish, a soup, a salad, a dessert, a drink, an appetizer, or a snack. They can be simple or complex. Speaking of very simple, Daniel loved grilled cheese sandwiches, so that recipe is in Slices of Sunlight.

What you need to do:

1.) Make sure to format the recipe and memory this way:
a) Name of recipe in first line
b) Name of person it is in memory of, along with birth and death dates in second line
2.) The recipe
3.) A 200 to 300-word memory associated with the recipe.
4.) Feel free to be creative!


Send all of this in the body of an email message to the email address below:

recipes@alicewisler.com

Is there a deadline for submissions?

Yes! Please submit your recipe no later than April 10th, 2013.

What if I submitted to one of your other cookbooks (Slices of Sunlight or Down the Cereal Aisle)?

You can email me at recipes@alicewisler.com to say that you would like your recipe(s) and/or memories in either previous cookbook to remain and be placed in Memories Around the Table. If you don't want the recipe(s) and/or memories to be included in the new venture, then you don't need to do anything. ONLY if I hear from you will your recipe be included in the new cookbook.

When can I purchase a copy?

The cookbook should be ready by the first part of summer 2013. It will be printed by Daniel's House Publications.