Cooking is only enjoyed by this Mom when it is mixed in with a mound of fun, so the other day we decided to start something that is going to take us a while, and provide plenty of fun along the way… perhaps even some juicy stories.
We are choosing meals that represent places that Mike and I lived while growing up, and as we eat a “super-special state supper,” the kids get to ask Mommy or Daddy anything they want about what it was like to be a little kid growing up in that place.
Stop One took us to OHIO, where Daddy was born and raised.
We made Cincinnati Chili, and the kids wore Cincinnati Reds hats and asked Mike all about living in Ohio.
We will be making & baking, crunching & munching, nibbling & giggling our way through Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, Arkansas (one of Mommy’s favorite family summer spots), and of course Georgia, where both Jeffrey Michael and Sadiella were born.
(All represented state food suggestions are welcome!)
The eating adventure will end with two very special meals – Daddy’s all-time favorite dinner & dessert, and then mine. (I can already tell you that mine will include Granny’s homemade chicken & dumplin’s and Mom’s blackberry cobbler, both recipes with a handful of this and a pinch of that. Should be fun!)
Because it will take some time to travel along this tasty trip, I’ll just post the “Eating Through Childhood” nights randomly as we go.
Here are some pix of Cincinnati Chili Night, which I must say tasted much like your loaded Skyline chili (a hint of cinnamon included)! YUM!!!
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| Cheesy grins… |
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| and plenty of cheers for Daddy! |
Finally, thank you for the many private messages of love, prayer and suggestions to encourage my Mom during this season!!! I can’t ever thank you enough! The kids and I now have some very SWEET ideas in the storehouse, ready to share with her… all because YOU shared them with me.
MANY MANY THANKS!!!
I'm not sure what you've got in store for New York, but making applesauce, apple pie, apple cobbler, or something else apple-related (apple muffins are yummy) would be delicious. If you've got access to a cider press, that'd be great too. (NY apples only!)
As for other NY dishes, let's see…. salt potatoes? Chicken riggies? NYS Cheese, Finger Lakes wine/grape juice, Dinosaur BBQ, a Rochester garbage plate, Hoffman hot dogs, pure maple syrup? If need help obtaining any of these, just give me a holler.
(By the way, since I foolishly forgot to say it before – I think this is an *awesome* idea. 🙂 )
THANKS KEVIN!!!
Maybe we just need to make a trip to NY for the NY dinner!!! When we get close to that one, I very well may be taking you up on the help. I was already imagining a warm NY apple pie, for SURE!!!