Bringin' Casseroles Back

Who decided that casseroles were out of style? My childhood was filled with the wonderful goodness of dumping multiple ingredients into a pan and popping it in the oven. Then walah (sp?)... yumminess!! Tonight my mom and I did a throwback to a simpler time when hair was big and shirts were hyper-color- the Chicken Broccoli Casserole. All your food groups in one pan- who could ask for a more perfectly balanced meal??!! Foodies out there turn your eyes and taste buds away... I'm fairly sure you wouldn't like it but to me it tastes like the joy and wonder of being a kid at your mama's table. Pull up a chair and have a taste...

Mama and Me- Getting Ready to Cook!

You should know that before we start that my mama narrated the whole event. Let's just say- eat your heart out Julia Child! So imagine this whole thing in her accent- so much richer!:)

So tonight we went to the recipe box- that wooden beautiful box and pulled out a classic. My mama told me about the origin of the box and so I think it only fair that we go there first so here's my mom's account.

"Juliann and I had fun working together. We talked about the recipe box and its origin. The box itself contains over 40 plus years of recipes. In the seventies, when people married, friends would give a bride a recipe shower. The box in my case was a gift from one of my mom's friends and the recipies in it are some of their favorites. They are handwritten, typed, stained, ripped and tattered, but all full of love."

The recipe we used tonight was from one of my grandmother's friends named Jane. They played bridge and went to church together- she was the mother of three sons, so I'm sure she knew how to feed a crowd of hungry men. 

There it is, so simple. We did adapt the rice to whole grain and not instant, then we sauteed the onion instead of grated it.  We actually started to do the rice another way, then we realized we didn't need to cook it first! 

"As Juliann and I prepared dinner, we talked about the recipe and the last time that we made it and how good it was then. The stains on the recipes were an indication of the many times they had been used. We had fun remembering the recipe and the hands that had prepared it."

Mom de-boned the chicken because I hate it!

Blending the Cream of Mushroom Soup with some milk.

Combining ingredients (rice, cream of mushroom, milk)

Chopping Broccoli

Adding Broccoli to the mixture.

Chopping Onion

Sautee-ing (sp?) the onions.

Our resident photographer took a selfie....

 Putting it in the pan...

Quality time with my favorite lady- adding the last ingredient- Cheese!

So, that's it. Broccoli Chicken Casserole and it must have been good...

Who else is in for bringing casserole's back?! 

An Idea and a Plan for Cooking with Mom

The older we become the more we realize that your roots are an integral part of making you who you are. I have always have had this deep desire to know my heritage and the people who paved a way for me. Also, I believe that as we age it becomes more important and critical to connect ourselves to who we are and who made us that way.

My mama. If you are fortunate enough know her, you love her. She is kind. She is quirky. She loves her family and her friends with abandon- seriously, only God loves you more than my mother! She is intentional and always hopeful. She believes the best in people, in their inherent goodness  - something I believe she passed on to me and I treasure.  Everyday, every moment we spend together - I am happy to say I see something more of her in me. And that is my absolute treasure and a legacy that is unbelievable. She doesn't always believe me when I say these kind of things to her, but mom, believe them.

Part of the reason I wanted to embark on this journey with her is because I wanted to know her more. I want to understand her quirks and learn the things that make her tick. You might think that after nearly thirty seven years as her daughter, I would know these things, but I think I am just beginning to know them. 

So you're like, so what are we doing here- what is this journey? 

There's this brown wooden box. It has been in every kitchen we've ever lived in and it's full of my history. Wonderful rich recipes written in the beautiful unmistakable handwriting of my grandmother. There are ones of my grandmother's friends, other relatives, and of course my mother. I even found a special note my dad had written to mom as a young bride on the back of one. Some of these recipes made up the dinner table of my childhood and others I've never had before.  So I thought why not make some of them- my mom and I (and my sister when she can join us). Old Memories creating new memories. It's perhaps one of the most lovely things there is. I get to combine two things I love- my mama and writing.  A perfect gift.

So, throughout the year- Mom and I will be cooking, laughing, sharing, and growing together over a taste of the past and a glimpse of the future. Then we will be writing about it - sharing how we made the old - new. I can't wait for you to join us along the way.