The other day my cousin Donna asked me for a few of my Mom's Christmas recipes. I was going thru Mom's recipe box, filled with her handwritten notes of treasured delights that she made for all of us over the years. If you knew my mother than you got to sample one of her homemade treats at some point in time. She was always so generous.
I walked through my life, from early childhood on, as I flipped thru each recipe. I'm so grateful to come from a multi-cultural background as there are generations of family recipes from all nationalities: Italian, Polish, Irish, German. There are even some French recipes in there that she picked up from friends along the way! It's a never ending treasure trove, for Mom didn't just keep her own recipes; she was the keeper of all family recipes. Generations of deliciousness is in this very unassuming recipe box.
I shed tears as I journeyed through it. Some were sad tears - for obvious reasons. But most were grateful tears. My life has been touched by such beauty, love and nurturing, through a woman that I was so fortunate to have called Mom.
Enjoy your baking and your family traditions this holiday season. They will last you a lifetime. I promise.
One of Mom’s Christmas traditions was sharing her homemade kahlua with the special people in her life. In the spirit of her generosity, I thought it would be nice to share Mom’s "Homemade Kahlua Recipe" with you. Originally I was going to type it out all pretty and neat, but it seemed more appropriate to share it the way she used it - in her own handwriting, worn and with coffee stains on it. Enjoy!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
Love, PatriciaG
If you feel inspired to share, please do so in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Grazie!