Come along as we journey back in time, painting the picture of the story that brought us here. About four months ago, we decided we needed to cook old recipes, write about the experience and maybe even let you listen to the cockamamied thing, just for fun. Crazy? Yes! But here we are just the same.
Our mom recently moved and while cleaning out the items left behind in her kitchen cabinets, we found the gem of all gems, a huge, food stained notebook of Mary's Memoes (our mother's choice of spelling). Who is Mary, you ask, and why does she have Memoes? Stick with us kids, as our journey back in time continues....
Mary Thaman was a freelance home economist and the author of the Mary's Memo, a weekly publication handed out free at the local grocery store. It provided the homemaker of the 70's, 80's and 90's with tips, tricks and recipes aimed at making daily lift just a little easier. According to Mary, her memoes include, "Everything of interest to the modern Home-maker"! The recipes range from the delicious to the questionable (a polite way to say, "Did people actually used to eat that"?!?!?). The tips helped with managing a household, the hottest weight loss recommendations, and must have details from the Ohio Pork Producers. #ohioporkcouncil
"Even dieters can enjoy an occasional serving of pork" Mary, 10/16/1978
As a part of Mary's target audience, our mom was a reluctant homemaker of the 70's, 80's and 90's. While a fabulous raiser of the children and cleaner of the house, her cooking left a little to be desired. In her defense, however, her own mother could burn jell-o. Never fear, Mary was here! Looking for all the help she could get, Mary's Memoes frequently saved the day. Using another of her top-notch skills (not cooking, we weren't joking), Mom organized the heck out of her Mary's Memoes, leading us to the 3-ring binder and back to today.
After catching our breath and taking our inhaler to control the laugh induced asthma (totally calling Kristen out, here!), we found ourselves thankful to be the thoroughly sub-par homemakers that we are. We reflected on how lucky we are to not be the only person in the house who is in charge of the cooking and cleaning, and to have an internet full of the hottest diet recommendations (go Keto!). It is in our appreciation of what mothers and home-makers have done before us, that got us thinking. We needed to take the time to cook like them and poke a little fun at it for your viewing (and listening) pleasure. Plus, we like to laugh and burn things, just like grandma!
"It ain't easy being wheezy!" Kristen (though quietly because she was having trouble on the inhale)
With our Mary's Memos in hand and our solid mid-western upbringing we began the arduous task of figuring out just which recipe to do first. In the mean time, a quick trip home was in order. Imagine our surprise when, during that trip, Mary published another Mary's Memo titled "The Final Memo". After a few dropped jaws and unintelligible mumblings, we knew immediately what to do. In honor of Mary and all that she had done for so many women, we would start at the end. From this Final Memo comes the first recipe for Mom's Wooden Spoon!