My favorite part about going home (especially for the holidays) is the smell of my mother's homemade pie.  Cherry is by far my favorite, but at this time of year pumpkin pie rises in the ranks.  Teamed up with a cup of coffee and good after-dinner conversation, and you have a recipe for my favorite moment at home.

I dream about all things baked with cinnamon.  The heavenly aroma means an apple pie or just-baked breakfast rolls are nearly ready to enjoy.  Mouthwatering, warm and too delicious for words. 

I have always enjoyed cooking and look forward to trying new recipes.

What I love is a lazy day with my husband, children and other family and friends where we can talk and play games like Monopoly and Twister and eat a meal where each item has been chosen and prepared by a family member or friend as their contribution to the holiday feast. 

My parents, who always made every holiday something really special, are gone now, but I can feel them whenever I'm cooking. Homemade bread, Mom's stuffing, and Dad's breakfest caserole take me home again. There is just something about the smell of baking bread that brings comfort. You can feel the stress melting away.

There is just something about into your family's home for any meal and being overwhelmed by the warmth and smells from the kitchen. It is as warm and cozy as a blanket. The hugs when I walk in the door are also a huge bonus!

Zeenbean, you make a good point.  Smells and memories just seem to bring them back into the room.
My parents died while I was pretty young.   I remember a few things that she cooked.   My grandmother was living with us at the time and the two of them made some wonderful things.  My dad was a pretty good cook as well.  They did not write the recipes down.   I have no idea how he made his spaghetti sauce, or the best cold slaw in the world.  My mom and grandma made the best stuffing, that for 45 years I have been trying to do.  The recipes are gone. 
The only advice I can give to everyone is write down the family recipes.  If you are looking for a Christmas gift that will be treasured for years put the recipes in a binder make copies for everyone in the family and give the book as a gift.
It might be late to do thst this year but next year will come all to fast.  I think writing  memories in the book would enhance it as well, where the recipe came from, any funny things that happened while making it.  You get the idea. 

I enjoy baking so much that I would love to bring it from my  home to my sister and her husband's home. Just spending time there with them and sitting in front of their fireplace with a cup of coffee, homemade apple pie or even pumpkin pie and relaxing is home to me. What more could I ask for!

Iam new here and am just jumping in with a comment because I couldn't resist.

Bravo Pillsbury!!!  It is about time that some company is promoting and donating to the people here in our own cournty.  Please do not get me wrong, not that I don't think that the children or adults in other countries need some help but, charity begins at home and it just aggrevates me to see tons of goods and money leaving our homeland bound for others when our own are suffering here and are in great need.  To many of our own children go to bed hungry, cold and uneducated.  We should be helping them first before we go abroad.

lvs-2-cook

I agree with lvs-2-cook. This is a great way to take to care of people here at home. I sent this to everyone in my address book and I am hoping they will do the same.

Dwdragonlady

I have a receipe from my Dutch father-in-law, who is now deceased, but he finally gave me this receipe before he got sick.  He just told it to me & I wrote it down. It is called Beef & Maccaroni Bake.  I am sure you probably have had this in another type of receipe, but this one was his own & made from scratch.  If you want I can write it out for you when there is more room. Just let me know if you can.

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MY PARENTS DIED VERY YOUNG. THANKFULLY I REMEMBERED A LOT OF HER RECIPES AND SOME WERE WRITTEN. MY HOME BURNT DOWN SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I LOST MY COLLECTION OF RECIPES AND ABOUT A HUNDRED RECIPE BOOKS I HAD COLLECTED FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, ESPECIALLY CHURCH, TOWNS, AND MANY OTHER SPECIALTY BOOKLETS/BOOKS.

WHAT IS DADS' BREAKFAST CASSEROLE AND HOW IS IT MADE? I LOVE TRYING NEW RECIPES.

THANK YOU,

  JAN1922

To Zeenbean

AMEN TO THE MESSAGE FROM LV2COOK I WHOLEHARDILY AGREE

shirley-van-gelder:

I have a receipe from my Dutch father-in-law, who is now deceased, but he finally gave me this receipe before he got sick.  He just told it to me & I wrote it down. It is called Beef & Maccaroni Bake.  I am sure you probably have had this in another type of receipe, but this one was his own & made from scratch.  If you want I can write it out for you when there is more room. Just let me know if you can.

 

 

 

 

 

Reply

 

I always loved going to my mom's on holidays, and helping her cook the meal. Everyone else would just show up to eat, and leave. I loved just spending the time in the kitchen with her, she had been a chef when she was younger, and we lived in California, and once we moved to Oklahoma, she was always working as a cook in either a restaurant or a school. I learned to cook from her, I miss the smells and warm feeling I got just being there with her in the kitchen.