A baker, a chef, an artist and 2 cooks

A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. ~Ogden Nash 

This weekend I am home at my parents house and there is no better description than the title of this post.  A baker, a chef, an artist and 2 cooks.  These are the people who led me to be passionate about cooking.

My mom is the baker.  Growing up she was always baking amazing things.  From my great grandmothers sour-cream pound cake for our teachers at school, to cookies for the boys basketball team, and "pluck it cake" for our breakfast; my mom could bake up some amazing things.  There was constantly some goodie in our house (which probably led to my being very overweight in middle school ;-) that she had just made.  She taught me you always have to take the time to measure when you're baking and you always keep an eye on the oven regardless of the timer.  Don't get me wrong my mom could cook amazing meals but no-one in the family measured up to her baking.


The chef is my youngest sister (Allie).  At age 18 she graduated high school and decided to go to culinary school. She was done by the time she was 19 and has worked at such places as the Ritz-Carlton Naples.  She currently works for Seasons52 and is pursuing going back to school for a teaching degree.  She is the sister who taught me that in order to make your veggie tray amazing you must peel the celery (who would have thought) and the correct way to hold a knife.  She doesn't like to experiment with food that much, she'd much rather follow an amazing recipe.  But I have to admit her food turns out better looking and tasting that you can imagine, and all she does is follow the recipe!  This just goes to show that she really knows her skills!

The artist is my middle sister (Meredith).  She will be the first to admit that she isn't the chef in the family.  When she got married 2 years ago her culinary repertoire consisted of macaroni and cheese and hot dogs (although now she makes a mean stuffed pepper). However, she is much more creative in other aspects.  This girl can paint, draw and design like nobodies business.  Recently she saw some wine glasses that she thought were cute so she went home and painted my mom an entire holiday set!!!  When she showed them to us we thought she had bought them but she had made them (pictures will come later I promise!).  She is truly the artist and can turn anything into something beautiful (for that I'm extremely jealous). 

The 2 cooks are my grandmothers.  These ladies made amazing dishes that can be labeled as none other than "comfort food".  From Meme's macaroni pie to Grandma's apple dumplings, their recipes remind me of growing up.  However, I would have to say that they gave me a different perspective on cooking.  They taught me that cooking isn't just for yourself, it's for others.  It's something you share with someone you love, something you take to someone who is sick, and something you teach to someone for the future.  It truly is an act of service and another way they found to give of themselves to our family and their friends.

As you can see all of my family has shaped my cooking skills in a way no one else can.  I learned when making a cake you should follow the recipe with good ingredients (Allie), make sure you put the time and effort to do it right and make sure you keep an eye on it while it cooks (Mom), make sure the presentation looks just as good as the cake tastes (Meredith), and make sure you don't just save it for yourself give it away to someone else and show them how much their worth (the grandma's). 

So from me to you I'd love to share my heart and a recipe I grew up with.

Mom's Country Fried Steak
Ingredients:
1 lb. cubed steak
salt
pepper
flour
cooking oil
1 can beef gravy
1 package of lipton onion soup mix

In skillet heat a thin layer of oil
Season both sides of cubed steak with salt and pepper
Dredge both sides with flour
Cook both sides in oil until golden brown
Repeat with remaining steaks
In separate pan combine can of gravy, 1 can of water, and onion soup mix
Add cubed steak, allow to simmer for a while
*tip the longer it simmers the more tender your steak will be
Serve over rice
I sometimes cut the cubed steak into smaller pieces before putting in gravy mixture

My mom used to make this recipe a lot growing up and now I know why.  It is quick and easy and tastes so good with potatoes, rice, noodles or any veggie.  I hope you and your family enjoy this also!!!