FOLEY'S FOLLIES

Friday, May 8, 2009

Mothers Day Tribute ...



Please join me in a Tribute to our Mothers, Grandmothers, Mother-In-Laws or anyone who is or has been a “Mother” influence in your life! I can’t think of a more fitting tribute to be the subject of my very first blog event.

This is chance for you to share photos, recipes, heirloom pieces and stories that remind you of your loved ones on this very cherished weekend.


Irish word for Mother is Mathair and German is Mutter, my ancestry


Your Mother Is Always With You...

Your mother is always with you...
She's the whisper of the leaves
as you walk down the street.
She's the smell of bleach
in your freshly laundered socks.
She's the cool hand on your brow
when you're not well.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She's crystallized in every teardrop.
She's the place you came from,
your first home...
She's the map you follow
with every step that you take.
She's your first love
and your first hear break...
and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, Not space...
Not even death...
will ever separate you
from your mother...
You carry her inside of you...
Author Unknown


Below is a photo of my Mom on her Wedding Day in 1946. The gown was a beautiful white satin and when her 18 grandchildren started arriving, she had it made into two baptismal gowns, one with a blue inset ribbon and one with pink. The other photo was taken the year she passed away, which was for a Church booklet of the parishioners.






My Mom, Donna, passed away in 2002. She was the one who gave me the “itch” for cooking and especially baking. For one Christmas she gave each one of us kids a handwritten recipe book of all the family favorites we grew up on…and left room for us to add our own family recipes. Anytime I need to make something, this is the first book I go to since I know the recipes are all “tried and true” and always delicious! I should mention I am one of 10 children, so Mom started very early that year handwriting these recipe books! It’s very soothing to just open the book and see her very familiar handwriting.


If you ask any of my sisters what recipe of Moms they use the most, the answer would be without hesitation, Potato Salad! It was THE recipe to make, so many people wanted it for any event from graduations, weddings to family reunions and just for a summer BBQ. Everything is chopped very small, NO huge chunks of potatoes or eggs! She even wrote down the ingredients to serve 150 people. When we need that much potato salad, the sisters get together and we each make a double batch and put it all together, benefits of having a big family!

POTATO SALAD

Serves 22
5# potatoes cooked and chopped
1 dozen eggs – cooked and chopped
½ large sweet onion chopped fine

Use a round biscuit cutter and chop the potatoes and eggs in very small chunks

Dressing:
¾ quart of salad dressing (Miracle Whip)
2 Tbsp Cider vinegar
¼ Cup yellow mustard
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp celery seed
¼ Cup sugar (to taste preferred)

Mix together!

Serves 45
10# potatoes, 2 dozen eggs, 1 large onion
1 ½ qts Miracle Whip
¼ C mustard – 1/3 C vinegar
3 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp celery seed, ½ C sugar


The cookie recipe she made quite often were ‘Delicious Cookies’, the name said it all..melt in your mouth deliciousness! This is also my contribution for Foodie Friday (didn't have a new cake recipe handy) hosted by Gollum at Designs by Gollum, make sure you stop by the site and link to the many other sites for great recipes, tablescapes and much more. For a change up you can add whatever your family desires in a cookie..any flavor of chips, Heath bits etc. but I think the way it is written is the best! The recipe was given to Mom from the Franciscan nuns who ran the bakery in our local hospital. I remember when I gave birth to my oldest son in this Hospital, every night they would bring me an assortment of cookies and a glass of cold milk before I went to bed. It was their treat to all the new mothers. In those days you stayed in the hospital for at least 3-4 days even if it was a normal birth!




Delicious Cookies

1 C sugar 3 ½ C Flour
1 C brown sugar 1 tsp salt
1 C butter 1 tsp cream of tartar
1 C canola oil 1 tsp soda
1 Egg

Mix together, add 1 tsp vanilla

Add:
1 C Rice Krispies
1 C Instant oatmeal
1 C Coconut
¾ Cup chopped pecans

If you want you can add 1 Cup of choc. Chips or Heath chips

Mix well – Drop by tsp or small scoop on un-greased cookie sheet
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes
Makes 7 dozen

Another 'gift' Mom gave me one Christmas was a 'real' hankie with the attached note, also the candy dish was one of hers!




And Grandma's too...
While we honor all our mothers
with words of love and praise.
While we tell about their goodness
and their kind and loving ways.
We should also think of Grandma,
she's a mother too, you see....
For she mothered my dear mother
as my mother mothers me.
Author Unknown


As you can tell from the name of my blog, I was especially close to my Grandma Foley. She was so young at heart and it was a standard joke among my siblings that any time she came to visit and walked through the door we would all call out…”When you going home Foley?” Then all would give her big hugs… things I remember most about Grandma was her love of playing cards, her skin being so soft (especially the ‘flags’ under her arms), the sight of her walking down the hall to her bedroom at night with her nylons rolled down around her ankles and most of all her Cinnamon Rolls! The scalded milk, yeast, punching the dough down twice, the aroma of cinnamon and creamy icing on top! It wasn’t until a family Thanksgiving at my brothers house in 1975 all of us kids found out that Foley played the piano! She used to play at the theatres in the silent movie era, and knew all the music by ear, didn’t read music at all. Before she passed away, she ‘ordered’ us not to feel bad when she died and wanted us to go to the local bar and celebrate her life. Of course, we did what she wanted and did what the Irish do best during a wake… and celebrate her life we did with drinks, stories, drinks and more drinks! I think every one of us had sunglasses on the next day, and it wasn’t because the sun was bright! I know Foley approved and was proud of all of us.
This was one the recipes Mom had written in the recipe book she gave us…


Foley & me on my wedding day…



I know I have rambled on and on, it brings back so many happy memories of the two women in my life that meant so much to me. I look forward to visiting all your blogs and reading about your special memories and seeing all your photos. I leave you with this…


Mother's Dictionary of Meanings

Dumbwaiter: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert.

Feedback: The inevitable result when the baby doesn't appreciate the strained carrots.

Full Name: What you call your child when you're mad at him.

Grandparents: The people who think your children are wonderful even though they're sure you're not raising them right.

Hearsay: What toddlers do when anyone mutters a dirty word.

Independent: How we want our children to be for as long as they do everything we say.

Puddle: A small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes into it.

Show Off: A child who is more talented than yours.

Sterilize: What you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it, and to your last baby's pacifier by blowing on it and wiping it with saliva.

Top Bunk: Where you should never put a child wearing Superman jammies.

Two-Minute Warning: When the baby's face turns red and she begins to make those familiar-grunting noises.

Happy Mothers Day to you all…..

22 comments:

Kathleen said...

What a beautiful tribute to your mom and Grandmother. And look at you! Just beautiful!
Happy Mother's Day, Barb!
This is such a wonderful idea!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

What a wonderful post, Barb! I love the photo of your mother in her wedding gown and how wonderful that she turned it into baptismal gowns!

The potato salad! I never would have thought to use a biscuit cutter to chop them but what a great idea. If you do this event again next year I will add some of my husband's grandmother's recipes ;)

My post will be ready tomorrow morning.

Cynthia said...

Barb, what a lovely Mother's Day tribute from the poem, to the recipes, and the definitions.

What a lovely picture of your mother, such a beautiful dress. How sweet that baptismal gowns were made from her lovely dress.

Your story of the handwritten cookbook for 10 children is so special and heart-warming. What a priceless gift.

My most used recipe from my mother is also potato salad ... very different from yours but what I grew up with and what I love ... just as you and your siblings love your mother's.

I love reading your tribute to Grandma Foley. You painted a picture of a lovely, fun, special lady. Great pic of the two of you on your wedding day.

Wonderful, thoughtful post, Barb. Happy Mother's Day to you.

Four Paws and Co said...

Thank you for sharing the wonderful tribute to your mom & grandma with us. You were such a beautiful bride!

My mom also made the best potato salad. Her cooking was amazing. I really miss her.

♥ Diane

A Grain of Salt said...

Barb, this post was such a treat to read. What loving family memories you have. Your Mother was a beautiful bride...(you too)! I already knew your thought the world of your Grandma. Oh, I'm going to go re-read to be sure I didn't miss anything. Looks like recipes that need to be copied and pasted. Thanks for hosting this lovely event!

Jenny said...

How wonderful that your Mom made the cookbook for you!

Kat said...

This is such a beautiful tribute to the special women in your life. And I'm laughing and crying reading about your Grandmother, she could be my Grandmother Anne right down to the piano and card playing! What a wonderful post, thanks for sharing this! Kathy

Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer said...

Happy Foodie Friday! Have a great Mother's Day ~ Susan

Unknown said...

How moving! The fact that she had her wedding gown made into something for another generation of her family is so very special.
Happiest of times to you this Mother's Day weekend.
Happy Twirls

Joyce said...

I loved your post and wrote mine last week when I saw that you were doing a Tribute but honestly I had an emotionally hard time posting mine today. I need to go into the kitchen now and do some FLOUR therapy. Flour therapy is cheaper then seeing a Shrink! Maybe I will try one of your recipes:) Happy Mothers day to you.
Joyce

Rattlebridge Farm said...

Oh, Barb, this was a wonderful, heartwarming post! My mom will be here today, and I'll take some pics and come back.

Lori E said...

I was happy to realize this was an event because I already had a piece on this very subject done for another meme.
It works out especially well for me because I am out of town and relying on intermittent internet service.
I love your tribute to the special Moms in your life. Well done.

Shirley said...

Your mother's wedding dress and veil and stunning. It's so sweet that she made it into baptismal gowns. Your post is a wonderful tribute to her.

I really got a kick out reading the Dictionary of Meanings.

Carol said...

Great tribute to your mom and your grandma, Barb! What a treasure to have the book in her writing! and the wedding gown. What special memories to keep from a very special lady to a very special family. Your grandma Foley sounds like a hoot, and I'd bet you're the one that takes after her!



Great event, Barb, enjoying all the posts. I have to get to work on mine.

Suzy said...

I've gone back and read it all very slowly now. What a great tribute to both your mom and grandmother! That cookbook was really a project with so many of you. How smart she was to redesign her dress into christening gowns! Usually a wedding dress is out of date by the time any daughters would wear it so that seems a much better use. Have any great grandbabies gotten to wear it yet? That cookie recipe looks like a keeper for sure! I'm a sucker for any cookie though :-) I am just getting home from the trade and still much to do outside so tonight is when I get my post together. I've loved this event!

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

This is my first visit to your blog, and I really enjoyed reading about your mother and grandmother and seeing the pretty pictures. I think the idea of making a wedding dress into the two christing gowns was just brilliant. And how wonderful to have that recipe book in your mother's handwriting. (For some reason my mother's handwriting brings back such a flood of memories when I see it). The receipes sound wonderful too. Well, I've gone and written you a book on my first visit to your blog. I apologize, but I'm not through yet! I had written a tribute to my mother to post on my blog. I wasn't aware of this lovely event you were having until I saw it on Kathleen's blog. I hope you don't mind if I link to your Mother's Day Tribute on my first visit. Thank you for a great idea! laurie

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Barb, first of all, thank you for hosting this special event. I am so touched by your mom's cookbook project, and your grandmother redesigning her dress into christening gowns for the grandchildren. That is something I will never forget! I might make your cookies tomorrow, even though I'm supposed to be relaxing on Mother's Day:-)

Wishing you a Happy Mother's Day Barb!

Rattlebridge Farm said...

I told Mother about your Mother's Day tribute, and she thought it was a splendid idea. We set the table together on Mother's Day Eve. She so loves dishes and had the best time arranging the crystal and butter dishes. We had a wonderful time recalling "Singapore Bird" and all of the brides in our town who registered for this pattern. It brought back so many sweet memories.
Happy Mother's Day to all!

Country Reflections said...

Great post! The potato salad sounds so delicious- I have to try it! Love the cookbook idea!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. I wish I'd know about this, I need to visit you more.
It's early on Mother's Day and I'm missing my mom reading through your post was sweet and sad all at the same time. Your mother and you grandmom left a profound legacy. One that you no doubt will leave one day. What a tribute to them and the lives they lived. Going for some tissue now my friend. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hugs today~Happy Mother's Day~
Robin
All Things Heart and Home

Marsha said...

Barb, what a wonderful tribute to your mom and grandma...you've done them proud. I love your shared memories, the poem and the definitions...they made me smile on this emotional day.

What a great idea you had to host this event.

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

What beautiful photos...beautiful brides...
I enjoyed this post...