The biggest way I see this is through food. By cooking dishes that I grew up with, I remember where I came from and the experiences that shaped me. Recently, I’ve found myself craving this connection. On Halloween, I made my mom's Hamburger Soup, the dish she always made before we left the house to go trick-or-treating. When St. Patrick's rolled around, I decided to share the fun with my husband, Mark. We made corned beef and cabbage with soda bread, a meal that reminds him of the countless meals cooked by his mom and grandmother in the kitchen.
One family recipe in particular is probably my favorite. When I was about to leave home and begin my college career in New York City, my mom sent me off with her recipe for banana muffins. Without a kitchen in my dorm, though, I was sadly never able to make them. Later, when I came home for a visit, my mom sent me back with a whole batch. I froze them in my tiny dorm fridge in an attempt to make them last as long as possible. I ended up microwaving one each morning to eat on the way to class, savoring each bite and the feeling of somehow being closer to my mom. It was a sad day when they ran out and I had to go back to my breakfasts of creamsicle flavored NuGo bars.
So it’s no surprise that when I recently had a bunch of overripe bananas, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. I couldn’t find the recipe given to me some years ago, so I asked my mom if she could send it over. Here is exactly what she wrote:
Found in my "Tried and True Favorite Recipes" Notebook, so it is definitely a traditional family recipe!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter1 cup sugar
2 eggs1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts I don't add nuts
(For some reason I just really got a kick out of that last part about the nuts.)
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar
Beat eggs in one at a time
Add bananas, milk, and lemon juice
Add all dry ingredients together and stir to blend
Add blended dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend together just until combined.
Bake in well greased in 8x4x3 inch loaf pan, bundt cake pan, or muffin cups. For loaf or bundt cake bake 1 hr at 350*, for muffins bake at 350* for about ½ an hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!!!!Love, Mom
This recipe especially speaks to me because its history dates back to before my mom’s time, or even my grandma’s time. As the name implies, the recipe comes from The Lion House, a reception and banquet hall in Salt Lake City that was originally built in 1856 by the then leader of the Mormon church, Brigham Young, as a home for his family. Although I was not raised in the LDS faith, it is part of my heritage and I love the fact that this recipe has a rich history and that it has been, and continues to be, enjoyed by so many people.
I love this recipe because it is tried and true and serves as a bond to my mom as well as generations past. I hope you enjoy it too!
P.S. I also do not add the nuts
