I just watched Julie and Julia on August 15, which coincidently is my hubby's birthday. The local theater that played it had a birthday party for Julia so that anyone that brought a cake got in free, and everyone who watched the movie got to sample the cakes afterwards. A lot of fun.

My last living grandmother passed away earlier this year and I was thinking it was funny that most of my memories of her revolve around food and the special dishes she made, that I'll forever associate with her.

My great grandma Kamnn was one of the single most awesome ladies in history. Trust me, I was there for part of it. She was born with only one arm – her left arm stopped at the elbow. Yet this woman could cook, knit (with her FEET – that was the coolest thing ever to watch), paint, do pretty much anything she set her mind to. Everything she cooked was awesome but my favorite part about going to "Grammy's" was her pies. I remember being very small, standing on a step stool in her kitchen and helping her roll out the dough for the pie shells while she told me stories from her days as a teenager during the 1920's. Strawberry and blueberry pies were her favorites to make. Until the day she passed at 103 she was still making her pies.

My grandmother – Grammy Kamnn's oldest daughter – is an awesome cook in her own right. Grandma's specialty is Mexican food. My grandparents own a vacation home near Puerto Vallerta and we've spent several summers, holidays and random weekends there since I was 10. My grandma can make Mexican food alongside the best Latina cooks you can find. Its incredible. To this day whenever she visits we'll hang out in the kitchen listening to musicals and making pico de gallo or her special tamale chili.

My favorite wedding present, by the way: a scrapbook cookbook, made by my grandmother and my Aunt Jenn, that is filled with my great-grandmother and grandmother's favorite recipes, along with funny stories from my childhood and pictures of my two favorite cooks.

While I don't have a fabulous cook in my life (and could be why I'm so fussy with food), for me, it was my mum and grandma who really influenced the creativity in my life. Something I'll always be thankful for.

I think I might have to bust out the dutch oven and try my hand at that stew!!!

HUGS Fuj!
LC

Julie and Juila was a great movie. I saw it last night and am still enjoying it in my head.

Val

My personal "Julia" would definitely be my mother. I remember helping her out in the kitchen or even making things on my own from a very young age. My mum inspired in me a love of trying new things and the ability to laugh off failures (for the excellent cook that she was she also had a habit of occasionally forgetting the main ingredient – like milk powder when she made custard, or baking powder in a cake!).

I have some of the recipes that she used to make, and being able to make those dishes and bring back memories is a very special thing. Unfortunately so many of my mum's specialties were never written down, and so have disappeared. I'd definitely agree with Frieda's suggestion that you compile her special recipes (the every day ones too of course) into a cookbook for your family, it'd be a special momento and a wonderful way of showing your grandmother how much you all love and appreciate her.

Salut,
Marjorie