Sunday, February 15, 2009

Tradition


I've been thinking about the word "tradition" lately. We have, in general, dropped a lot of the traditions that our ancestors gifted us with-we don't attend church regularly, we keep sketchy, expensive versions of family holidays etc. DH and I decided when our children were small (they are 25 and 28 now) that even if we could not keep or did not have "traditions" we would make them. We were a little $$$ challenged in the early days, and February usually found us in debt to the pediatrician and the oil company, and I was usually housebound by weather and sick kids. There wasn't any money for elaborate celebrations-so I started making heart shaped meals. Cream chipped beef on toast cut with my heart shaped cookie cutter. Mounds of mashed potatoes formed and baked golden brown on a cookie sheet. Heart shaped pancakes. One year I was down to a couple of packages of ground venison a neighbor had gifted us, I don't care much for it, but my Valentine did. So I constructed a heart shaped meatloaf! DH was so amused and touched-it's one of his favorite meals, and I don't often remember to make it. So for more than 25 years I have been making my Valentine a heart shaped meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn. When the girls had boyfriends, they sometimes brought them to supper-just to prove their mother was that crazy. So for your amusement I am including a picture of this year's creation. I will also use this pic in the cookbooks I'm constructing for the above mentioned children. DH and I recently celebrated our 35th anniversary-it must be the meatloaf.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

That is so cool - I love your tradition that includes the whole family - that's what we try to do too - instead of making it a date night - we have a family night. I love your heart shaped food idea! Very creative!

Phyllis said...

This post reminds me of why I love you so much, and I don't even have the meatloaf :-)