Food has always been an important part of bringing our family together, especially on the Robertson side. From Thanksgiving’s turkey and Christmas’ Sweet Potato Casserole, to oatmeal cookies and buttermilk biscuits. Recipes are regularly traded at the dinner table, over the phone or by email, and cooking is an important bonding activity.

My Grandma Robertson, mother to 7 children and grandmother to 20, instilled the significance of a homemade meal in all of us. She was known for her experimental casseroles, use of skim milk powder and vegetarian meals (for budgetary reasons). After she passed and we cleaned out the family home, my Auntie Sue inherited the multiple boxes of saved recipe cards. Almost 9 years later we have found the time during quarantine and lockdown to compile the most well-known and memorable into a cookbook.

Auntie Sue worked tirelessly to type out all the recipes, while I scanned, edited and reconfigured them to create a 100 page cookbook. It was such fun going through the original recipe cards, Grandma was known for writing things down on whatever she had available, for example a delicious oatmeal cookie recipe found on a Speedy Glass note pad and pudding on a page from her 1952 day planner. With the help of other family members we also had the chance to rifle through photo albums to find photos of our dear “Bitsy”.

This week the book was finally sent into the printing company, a great milestone reached. Orders are also in, ready for Christmas gifting. The excitement and anticipation is overwhelming, after 6 months (or 9 years) of time and effort spent, this is definitely the most satisfying of my Covid-19 projects. The 60 recipes, from Salmon Potato Bake to Plum Pudding, are going to be such a great way for our family to remember my Grandma and all the times we spent in her kitchen.

Not only has this project brought me great joy in reliving memories of my Grandma, it’s also been inspiring my own cooking and baking endeavors. Meetings about the cookbook were paired with a cookie or square recipe and a cup of tea. Having recently change my diet, in an effort to deal with some major food sensitivities, this project and the extra time we have at home has me trying out items like turmeric and zucchini pancakes, and mushroom wellington. Definitely a new hobby and skill. If you have some recipes to recommend, definitely reach out!

What now with the original recipe cards you might ask? With inspiration from Pinterest, family members have had the chance to choose their favourites and create a piece of home décor. I am sure my Grandma never thought we would be framing and displaying her well used recipes, and I hope she is proud of the legacy of love for a homemade meal that she has left for the family.