25 November, 2020 - Old Recipes & Mom, Ya Gotta Eat!

 Dear, Mom -

Hi, sweetie. I am very sorry that you don’t have much of an appetite. Could you do me a big favor and eat something? It is really important, Mom. I know you may not be able to taste it, but we need you to get some nutrition in you so you keep healing from the virus you have. The sooner you eat, the sooner you will feel better. If you want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with cheddar cheese, just tell Aleynah. She’ll probably run down to the kitchen and make it for you herself. She might make 2, just in case. You can chase it with cookies or ice cream and coffee. Whatever you want. I will make it happen one way of another. It is possible that you cannot taste anything right now so you might be thinking what’s the use of eating if you cant enjoy it. Like I said. You need the nutrition, Momma. So, for me your daughter, and the rest of your family and friends, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE eat something. I love you. Thank you.

Speaking of eating, I have some questions that come straight from your recipe box. I think I discovered your love of baking. You can’t go wrong with “Kentucky Colonel Balls”! Butter, sugar, and bourbon! You let that chill then roll that into balls and dip it in chocolate? Are you kidding me? I don’t remember this little delicacy from my childhood. Was it because of the bourbon? Well, hmm. I can see why baking would get more and more enjoyable the more of these you ‘sampled’. Hahahaha. Whoa.

Okay. I like a hot dog as well as the next person, but I have a question here, too. This recipe says we are going to make some ‘Chicken Fried Hot Dogs”. Says here, we are taking some dogs out (not beef, mind you) and coating them with mayo and rolling them through some crushed potato chips. Then we are going to pop those suckers in the oven to crisp them up. Is the chicken still crossing the road because I see no chicken in this recipe. I see a 1960’s Good Housekeeping concoction that a housewife probably made after having the before noted bourbon balls. Whose got time for cooking when yer half in the bag from making some crazy, southern treats...supposedly that would be eaten the next day. Okay. Doesn’t matter. Moving on.

Now this just downright confuses me. It cracks me up, though. I like how in the title for the ‘Southern Casserole’, you’ve made it clear that you would much rather be painting than preparing dinner. I can’t say I blame you, but, but...hominy, chili, and cheese ravioli? I think Old Mother Hubbard had three things left in her cupboard and said, “What the heck. Let’s give it a whirl”. I cannot say that I ever remember eating this. Maybe it was one of those times when Dad wouldn’t let me get up from the table until I ate everything on my plate, but I was too confused as to what I was eating, so I just fell asleep in the chair instead. I don’t know. 

I loved looking through the recipe box tonight. Firstly, it made me very hungry for so many things. German Pancakes, Tollhouse Square, Mexican Lasagna, and Grapefruit Baked Alaska. I’m going to make all these things. I think I will make at least one of these recipes once a week. Of course that means I need to buy margarine, Karo syrup, corn syrup, shortening, hominy, bourbon...Funnily enough, I have lard. I’ve been meaning to make homemade flour tortillas. You had a WHOLE LOTTA interesting Jell-o recipes in there, too. Some with nuts, fruit, celery, whipped cream, and an assortment of other unusual foods that generally don’t go together. It was the 70s and 80s. Times were simpler than. More processed and tinned. 

My goal with my letter tonight is not only to praise you for your courageous exploration in the realm of housewifery food, but to try and make you very hungry. So hungry that you will ask for something to eat. So, please ask for a sandwich, Mom. Some sour cream and onion chips. Whatever you’d like. Get your energy up, okay. How can I take you on a trip around the world if you are tired?

I sure love you an awful lot. I hope we can have a chat sometime today. I want to give you a pep talk and remind you of how much you are loved. Tons and tons infinity!

❤️🫒🍉🥨🥫Feel Better. Much Love, Your Youngest, —-Sally Ann🍤🥓🍡🍩❤️