Growing up, my mom made most of the food in the house from scratch. Even boxed cakes were something that she embraced later on in my childhood. This wasn’t because she’s an “almond mom” or because she has any particular feelings about a microwavable meal - it’s just what her mom did. These recipes were held close to the heart as each had a story about the originator which would be shared over the meal. From “Aunt Dotties Fudge Sauce” which was coined by my moms cousins about my nana’s recipe to “Mama’s homemade chicken” which my brother and I lovingly mislabeled as it came from my dads side, the recipes always felt like little invitations to connect with those who I never had the chance to meet and share in their love of food. There are no secret recipes in my family, only ones scribbled on index cards or ripped out of notebooks and passed generation to generation. Food feeds your body & your soul. There’s no greater reward than sharing it with those you love.