answerung the cookie question got me thinking.. i really need all my grandmothers cookie recipes.. shes 91yrs old n has dementia- up until 2-3yrs ago she was stil up and about and cooking up a storm.. she lives with my aunt an always has.. so i called my aunt asking her about the cookies iv always loved, what theyre called and how to make them.. She says she has no idea because threw out all of my grandmas recipes!! the entire box! cookies, desserts,dinners, all of them. she was like i dont cook so why would i save them? like it was no big deal. i told my father and he was like please tell me youre joking and she didnt really throw out all my moms recipes!? nope no joke... i cant believe shed do that? i just dont get it.. am i the only one who doesnt get it at all??.. im kinda pissed off that she did that.. i mean nothing to blow a gasket over and flip out on my aunt but i just cant understand why she would just one day decide to take the whole box and chuck it in the garbage without saying anything to anyone.. shes not my grandmas only child, shes got my dad too .. i wouldve loved to have her recipes and so would my mom.. not going to happen now..
and if anyone knows what cookies im talking about please let me know.... im going to guess theyre an italian thing considering thats all my grandma ever cooked was italian food.. They look like littly tiny pies.. the "crust" is whiteish, regular dough im guessing.. and the "filling part is brown.. crunchy on top but the middle was gooey and tasted like brown sugar and had a little bit of some kind of finely chopped nuts in it too
im going to call my dads cousin tomorrow and hope that she still has all of her moms (my grandmas sister's) recipes too. im crossing my fingers she kept them, she likes to cook so im assuming she did
OMG, I'd be in tears first and then I'd pop a gasket! I'm already telling my daughters, who are 11 and 15 that my recipe binder and box are worth more than gold!!
My heart goes out to you. I'd be heart broken!
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OMG, I'd be in tears first and then I'd pop a gasket! I'm already telling my daughters, who are 11 and 15 that my recipe binder and box are worth more than gold!!
My heart goes out to you. I'd be heart broken!
I'd blow a gasket actually lol. That was not cool. Should have asked the family before throwing things like that out.
Ouch, you have my deep sympathy. I hope you find good substitutes.
I cannot bring myself to just throw out anything that might possibly be of value to anyone else, so it's hard for me to understand how your aunt could do that! My mom tossed out a box of stuff when I was in my 20's that she had agreed to store for me in her attic. It wasn't at all in her way, but she did this because I was living out of state and hadn't called her for a month – it was her passive-aggressive style. That box contained every single one of my treasured childhood mementos. I still cry when I think about it. There were some valuable collector items in there. And so many treasured memories.
Yes, I'd be mad too. I don't understand why she'd do that. It makes no sense to me.
I'd be very mad too. How selfish of your aunt to not consider other family before throwing the recipes out.
How very sad. Some people are truly dense. I have a few recipes my Nana wrote on scraps of paper for me that I cherish now that she's gone. I know my uncle still has everything, but he would NEVER throw them out. Chances are, my aunts will get them (but that's another story.)
I like Dawn's idea...see if anyone has any copies you can at least get copies of. Best of luck!
Even though she has dementia, it is possible she remember some of her recipes. Especially if she made them over and over again for years. Go and talk to her, she would likely enjoy someone to talk to about the past.
I'd be upset too. Get on the computer and start sending emails. For any family member who doesn't have a computer, get on the phone. Ask if any of them have any of her recipes. Tell them that you are desperate.
You may at least get a few, or even more than a few. Then guard them with your life!
So sorry she did that. It's really awful.
Dawn
Oh, my gosh!!
Recipes are priceless!
My favorites are the ones written in personal handwriting.
It makes me think about all the times those recipes were referred to and used over the years.
I have quite a bit of experience with dementia and alzheimer's patients. They often have problems with short term memory, but somethings can trigger them to remember things from the past.
I would try visiting your grandmother if she's in close proximity or even talking with her on the phone and ask her about some of her recipes. You might be surprised what she's able to tell you.
My father in law had dementia and alzheimers. He rarely spoke. I just talked to him as though he understood me. One night, a commercial came on TV with the image of the Statue of Liberty and I said that I wanted so badly to get to see her in person one day.
He began telling me all about how he had seen her when he was on a lay over in New York before being flown to Europe for the war. He told me about a diner he and some of the other G.I.'s had visited and had a wonderful meal. The flood gates just opened and he shared so many memories. He couldn't remember day to day if he had his teeth in or not, but when it came to memories from long ago, he could vividly express them.
Before it's too late, try to enlist your grandmother to help you with the recipes. It might be good for her to try to remember and make some wonderful memories for you too.
I have no idea why your aunt would just throw the recipes away, but what's done is done. Grandma might be able to help you retrieve some of them.
Best wishes.
I'm sorry that happened. Similar things have happened with my brother.
But, I am trying to use my situation to make sure that my kids won't have to go through that -- to make it a positive lesson for myself.
So I used my scrapbooking software to make personalized cookbooks for both my kids. I create one page for each recipe, then have the recipe printed on a 5 x 7 photo card (costs just a few cents at Costco, but you could have them printed almost anywhere), and I put them in a photo album. Some cards are just recipes that I've typed, with nice backgrounds or a photo of the person who created the recipe (like their grandfather), and some are a photo of the handwritten recipe that I have. Of course there's only one original handwritten card, but now at least my kids will have a digital re-creation of it. I included some memories on the cards, like how their grandpa would always make his favorite fudge at Christmas, and how we would stay up late hoping for the first chance to lick the spatula.
So maybe if you can get some recipes back, don't just save them in a binder. Take the time to save them on a CD or make digital copies of them and put them in scrapbooks for people who fondly remember your grandma's cooking, and pass the memories down. Feel free to pm me if you have not done any digital scrapbooking and need any pointers on making a recipe scrapbook.
The "cookie" you describe is called by our family a pecan tassie. Yes they are wonderful. If you can't find a recipe let me know and I can get our recipe. (can't find it right now but know mom has it). We were lucky because grandma used mostly a few cookbooks, she made so many notes that we had the cookbooks dismantled and professionally copied and rebound so all the family got one. It is so nice to read grandmas notes about what she liked or even when she wrote gross about one.
Google "pecan tassies."
they are called blue ribbon nut cups or pecan tassie's both are the same cookie depending on whether your from the north or south lol. but the recipe is easy. when I am at home again I will send it to you.
Oh that is awful! I have all my grandmother's recipes. I would be heartbroken if someone had tossed them. I hope you can find a way to forgive your aunt's thoughtlessness.
My grandmother made something like that. We called them tassies. If you google it you will come up with a bunch of recipes like the ones my grandma made.
That's terrible. Those old recipes are priceless. Now my YiaYiandid did not write them down, so I had to cook from memory and a little help from a Greek cookbook. I think someone will come up with the recipe on this site because the ladies on here can solve all problems.
Sounds like you're aunt may be starting to go downhill mentally.
I'd ask someone to go check on her.
Definitely not cannolis, sounds like something I make from my husband's family we call Scottish Tea Tarts, I usually describe them as mini pecan pies. Google that to start...
And I'm so sorry, that sucks!
oooh how heart breaking!!! I would be upset if someone threw away what I would call "family history"!!!
Good luck in trying to reclaim them all...hopefully your cousin will be of some help to you!!!
I'm wondering if you are talking about Italian Creme puffs or Cannoli's
That would piss me off too! Could they be butter tarts?
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Butter-Tarts-2/
or pecan tassies?
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pecan-tassies-10000001673...
That sounds spiteful. There must've been some strange family dynamic between your aunt and her mother that you were not privy to. So sad that your aunt allowed her negative feelings destroy something that so many members of her family would have cherished. I feel sad for her, she is living a very negative life. Rise above, do what you can to research the recipes and then don't share your cookies with this aunt :)
I use the pecan tassie recipe from my Philadelphia Cream Cheese cookbook, but it's also online. The only difference is that they drizzle chocolate on top and I don't. I think the chocolate is a new version, but you can just skip the chocolate if you wish and it will probably turn out like your grandma's. Here's the link: http://www.kraftbrands.com/philly/recipes/Pages/Recipe-De...
