One of my most treasured possessions is a little green photo album that I got at my wedding. It is not filled with photos, however. Rather, it is filled with recipes. These recipes were given as gifts and written with love. Just ask my husband, Ira — every time I opened a card with a recipe inside, I lit up with a big grin. I have added to this little book: scraps of paper found tucked in my grandmother’s old cookbooks with recipes in her handwriting, sticky notes full of scribbles, index cards with folded corners. These are easy, home cooking recipes with a lot of history and excellent results. The ingredients are easy to obtain, and the directions are simple. I also adjust these recipes as needed depending on what’s available, the tastes of the day or what’s on sale. That’s what the people who originally gave me the recipes would have done. They are a reflection of busy, everyday people’s lives at different points in history, and a desire to serve delicious food to their friends and families.

Many of the recipes gifted to me were personal favorites — dishes my loved ones made just for me, and that I adored. A few cards don’t include names, so I’ve had to guess the giver based on their handwriting. There are even a couple I still haven’t figured out, though I hope someday I’ll be able to trace them back to someone special. Several of the recipe contributors are no longer with us. This little book holds a piece of their legacy — some recipes passed from person to person before finding their way to these pages, others preserved as tender memories of friends who’ve left this world.

Taste and smell are powerful mediums for memories, and each time I make a recipe from my book, those people — living or dead, known or unknown — are remembered and present, even for a tiny, fleeting moment. I encourage you to look through or get family recipes, even simple ones. Ask your friends and family for some of the foods that they make you. Pass on recipes that people compliment you on. Here are some of my favorites from my family recipe book.

**IRA’S GREAT GRANDMOTHER**
**MARGARET CRAVEN KENNEDY’S**
**POTATO SOUP**

*SERVES 4 FOR A MAIN OR 6 FOR A SIDE*

1. Add potatoes, salt and onion to a pot. Cover with water. Boil and cook until tender.
2. Drain about half of the water. Add butter and cream. Cook until hot and your desired texture.
3. Top with green onion and other toppings.

The card says it’s good with BLTs. I served it with my great grandmother Mary’s “BBQs.”

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2-1 white onion, chopped
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk or cream (I used cream)
1 green onion, chopped (I used chives from my garden)
Bacon bits and/or shredded cheese (optional)

**GREAT GRANDMA MARY KLAPPERICH’S**
**BBQS (SLOPPY JOES)**

*SERVES 6*

1. Brown the beef with the onion and drain off the fat.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat.
3. Serve on buns.

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion
1 small can Campbell’s tomato soup
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
3 Tbsp tomato ketchup

**LINDY EVANS’ CHEESE PIE**

*SERVES 12*

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Beat together cheese and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Stir in 1 2/3 cups of chocolate chips. Pour into crust.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 30 minutes (or until set).
5. Let cool completely. Melt remaining chocolate chips with whipping cream until smooth. Spread over top of cooled pie.

A graham cracker crust (store bought or homemade)
3 8-oz packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups (1 lb) mini chocolate chips, divided
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp whipping cream

Originally published in the fall 2025 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

From One Recipe Book To Yours: A Legacy Of Love + Cooking