I come from a large extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. On most Sundays and many holidays when I was a little girl, we would gather at my grandmother's for dinner. Grandma would spend all day Saturday, and Sunday morning, in the kitchen making homemade noodles,breads, rolls, cakes, puddings, along with roasts, chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables - you name it - it would most likely be on the table for Sunday dinner.
Grandma didn't spend all this time making all this food because she was an overachiever, she made it to please her large family. If a cousin didn't like potatoes, he or she would eat the noodles. If a uncle was on a restricted diet and couldn't have beef, he ate chicken. If an aunt was allergic to chocolate, there was yellow cake for her to eat. As my mom always said: "If you left Grandma's house on Sunday evening hungry, it was your own fault."
This saying was passed on to my mom's house after she became a grandma. When Mom hosted dinners for her family she always made sure that she cooked something that everyone liked. For Jennifer, there was always green beans or a salad since she didn't like corn or peas. At a cook-out, Mom always made a dish of scalloped potatoes for my husband, Leonard, since he didn't like macaroni or potato salad. People could choose between regular and decaf coffee. When my dad wasn't able to eat ham for Christmas Eve dinner, Mom made ham and chicken. But what people talk about the most are Mom's pies. Mom never made less than five different kinds of pies for Thanksgiving and my dad's birthday! My girls always knew that the dinner table at their grandmas would have a dish of some kind that they liked to eat.
Now that I am a grandma (Gan), I understand my mother and grandmother's willingness to please their families and make sure that there is food on the table everyone likes to eat and can eat. When we found out that Ben was allergic to dairy, I created ways (with Hollie's guidance) that he could sit down to meal and enjoy it as much as the other kids. When I make macaroni and cheese, I take some of the macaroni and mix it with a butter substitute for Ben. This happens to be one of Ben's favorite dishes at Gma's! I also use the same butter substitute to bake cookies and muffins so Ben can enjoy them also. Amy's IBS acts up when she eats Italian or spicy dishes, so I try to be sure I make something for Amy that she likes and can eat. Riley can't handle anything whipped such as Cool Whip or the cream in Ho-Ho's, but she loves "Papa's Favorite Cookies" (Vanilla Oreos). Hollie is a vegetarian, which means that she and Ben do not eat any meat other than chicken or turkey. The whole family loves turkey meatloaf now much better than meatloaf made with ground beef. Cuppy cones are enjoyed by all the kids - Ben's ice cream just comes from a different carton just as Papa's ice cream usually comes from a different carton than Jennifer's or Gma's. Birthdays are more special now because there are usually two cakes instead of one. There are usually three kinds of butter or margarine on the table, various fruits and vegetables, etc.
In the past eight years my family has grown from five, to eight, to twelve. Within the next year or so, I expect this number to increase by at least two or three more. I'm sure the list of special items will also grow. In my home, family dinners are on Tuesday nights instead of Sunday afternoons. Christmas Eve dinner now includes ham and chicken, birthdays are celebrated with not just one, but two cakes, and the grandkids know that there will be special treats that they can ALL enjoy. Just like my grandmother and mother, I enjoy cooking for my family, and I do the best I can to please everyone who sits at my table.
I hope that I can make as many happy memories for my grandchildren as my grandma did for me, and I hope they enjoy being a part of a large family as much as I did!
And Mom, I understand now why you always made so much food!
