The Legacy of the Recipe

Several years ago, my daughter, Wendy, was up visiting during a Thanksgiving break from college.

Wendy has always been “kinda” interested in cooking. She never had to do a lot of cooking, a being blessed with a “helicopter” mother. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I just love all of the food. Our standard procedure was that she would chop and get the ingredients out and I would do all the mixing and etc.

It suddenly dawned on me that one day I might not (MIGHT NOT?!) be around to do this and she would really be clueless as how to prepare the dishes that our family loved. I then decided to start typing out all of the favorite family recipes.

A cookbook was started for my daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter with fun graphics and step-by-step directions on how to prepare each dish. The net effect, all family recipes are now out of the vault and into the hands of my family and friends.

My daughter now makes my “Slap Yo Mamma Mac and Cheese” much better than I ever thought I could. My internationally famous Iced Sugar Cookies are now a signature item of my granddaughter, Sascha. She has become a genie when it comes to decorating them. The best I can do now is to the mix up the ingredients and then leave the kitchen.

The cook has now become the assistant and it’s a mighty fine position to be in.

My family recipes will now live on long after I am gone and that brings a smile to my face.

Photo Credit: BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives Flickr via Compfight cc

Written by 

Beatrice Bailey was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa to a Baptist minister father and a mother who was a gospel recording artist. She has three sisters and one brother. She attended the University of Iowa and graduated with a BA in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento. Retired since 2004 from management positions with both the Xerox Corporation and the State of California, Bea now conducts customized seminars on “Budgeting for the Not So Rich and Famous”, “Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together…The Ultimate Balancing Act,” as well as interview techniques entitled, “Selling the Sizzle and Not the Steak.” In addition, she is an active member of St. Paul Baptist Church in Sacramento, CA, where she is an Adult Sunday School teacher. Bea has been a Head Feature Writer for Senior Magazine of Northern California. She also writes a monthly newspaper column entitled, “Uniquely Bea” Currently, she has authored a best-selling book, entitled, "Farewell, My Friend” and is conducting presentations and book signings throughout the United States and Mexico. "Radio Luz,” a Spanish Speaking Christian Radio Station, has interviewed her multiple times. Bea also was selected to be included in a book by The Author’s Show, as one of the "50 Outstanding Writers You Should Be Reading”. Bea has produced and hosted a new innovative television show, “A-Z with Bea”, which aired in November 2009 on RCCTV, Sacramento, CA. Bea is active at St. Paul Baptist Church and is an Adult Sunday school Teacher, and a Small Accountability Group Leader. She is a member of Kaiser’s Bio-Ethics Committee and on the Board of Advisors for the East Lawn Corporation. Recently, she has been asked to participate as a speaker with the Black Health Today national organization. To relax, Bea likes to work out at the gym, walk, knit, paint, sew, cook, garden, and read. Traveling within the United States, Mexico, Asia, the Caribbean, South America and Europe is one of Bea’s true passions. She has two adult children, one “bonus son”, five wonderful grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She resides in Northern California.

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