Who remembers when your family

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

would cook that one special thing and the whole family, heck sometimes the whole neighborhood would get involved in preparing?

I have always been drawn to the idea of a taffy-pull for the entire family to have fun together doing. I could not for the life of me understand why that has always intrigued me..until....I began relating how my family would have these P-nut boiling's then it hit me, that is why I like the idea of these happy gatherings where a big bunch of happy people are preparing food and enjoying themselves immensely.

I'd like to hear everyones stories of times like that!

[jglass]

Everyone always loved the things my Mom cooked. Heck everything was better with lard. Most of the time we never had a turkey or ham for the holidays since the majority of the family income went to the local boot legger. On the times we did she would make a turkey with her cornbread dressing. Mom was a good cook. The thing I remember most about their big family dinners at her Moms was the women always fed the men at the table first. My papaw and all of the uncles would sit at around the table while Mamaw and all the aunts would serve up the food. They never let us kids in the kitchen til the last.
That is one reason I like to cook for my brother and sister. My food reminds them of Moms so it rekindles good memories for them. It is good for me because I get to prepare the kind of meals I longed for when I was a kid. Now I can cook them for all of us to enjoy... minus the lard lol.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Good stories Cath and Janie!

I recall my family gathering on a chilly night each Fall w/ aunts, uncles and cousins for a big bonfire and weenie roast. My own Dad used to tell of similar bonfires and family-feeds in the Fall but they were always centered around hog butcherings.

[Mama Mangia]

Everyone was always at our home - all they needed to bring was their appetites. but I have so many fond memories of it all.

Italian women always served their men, but the children got theirs before the men - then the men were served and the women would then fix their own plates. Everyone ate at the same time. Most of the time there were so many that the kids had their own table. But all at the same time in the same crowded room.

An Italian man would put his wife through the wall if she didn't serve the children first. quite strict for sure

[ricksrealpitbbq]

Everyone was always at our home - all they needed to bring was their appetites. but I have so many fond memories of it all.

Italian women always served their men, but the children got theirs before the men - then the men were served and the women would then fix their own plates. Everyone ate at the same time. Most of the time there were so many that the kids had their own table. But all at the same time in the same crowded room.

An Italian man would put his wife through the wall if she didn't serve the children first. quite strict for sure

Wow Mama you brought back a lot of memories in that post. I remember the day I graduated to the big table and all the younger cousins still sat at the kids table. LOL . I remember my grandfather going down to the wine cellar with me to get the wine for Sunday dinner. When my grandmother made raviolis, it was a huge event. She used two queen size beds to dry them out after they were made. She would make them early Sunday mornings for dinner that day. The house was always crowded and so much fun.

[Mama Mangia]

Rick - didn't your home smell fabulous? The homemade breads, sauces, meats, cakes, pies, cookies..............

I got news for you - I was the oldest of the cousins - we had to grow up at that table because there were so many stuffed in the kitchen or dining room for eating! That makes you stay at the kids table until the kids start to get married and their parents start to die off (bad thing to say but its true!) to make room for you.

[The Ironic Chef]

Ah, the good ole days of clam bakes. I miss those days. We always had a big steamer pot set up and everyone would bring sweet corn, sausage, potatoes or whatever and the pot was added to the whole day. Everyone would fight over the necter from the pot as the day was ending, lol.

[The Ironic Chef]

This day and age we make Perogies. I set the kids up in the kitchen like an assembly line and we make a batch big enough to last about a month.

It's a good time and a chance to catch up due to everyones busy schedules. Chp busting makes it all the more enjoyable.

[Mama Mangia]

I thought I was the only one who made a ton of perogies! I can't make a small batch no matter how hard I try.

[The Ironic Chef]

Lol Mama. What is a small batch of Perogies?