Celebrating Ancestor's Birthdays

Our daughters are mindful of their ancestors and anxious to teach their children about them.  One way they do this is to have an ancestor day or celebrate the ancestor's birthday or hold an Heritage Dinner.  Recently, Kristen's children had the day off of school, so they had an ancestor day.  The kids got up early and made foods from recipes of their ancestors. They google chatted with me and I told them about their great- great grandmas on my side:  Libby Fox Peterson and Beena Gabrielsen.  The children made foods from recipes from these ancestors:  Libby's Potato soup and Grandma Beena's rolls (nobody made rolls like Grandma Beena!)

I loved talking and reminiscing with these kids about my grandmas.

Shonna was inspired and made Grandma Beena's rolls, too.  She sent a picture. She made half of them into cinnamon rolls.

Kristen made my mom's tamales:

Dorothy's Tamales

1 Pre-made tamale (She loved Lynn Wilson brand, but they don't make them anymore)

1 Sunny side up egg

Chopped onion

Shredded Cheese

1/2 can Tomato Sauce

Tabasco sauce to taste

Cook tamale according to package directions. Meanwhile fry an egg to desired consistency and heat tomato sauce. Then plate tamale and top with egg, onion, cheese and tomato sauce. Enjoy!

We do a food blog, too.  This made me realize I need to post more of my ancestor's recipes on there so that they are preserved for their posterity.  We have posted a few.  Kristen posted the tamale recipe:  http://hungryhintons.blogspot.jp/2012/02/dorothys-tamales-and-chilies-rellenos.html
Kristen's family also made recipes from Ken's mom.

We were in Logan with Shonna's family on my Dad's birthday- February 18th.  My dad was an excellent cook and did most of the cooking in his later years.  I shared with my grandchildren this memory:

At one time, my dad got very sick and was hospitalized for a long time.  He was so anxious to get out of the hospital and get home- and do his own cooking.  I was in Idaho with them when he was finally released.  The first thing he wanted to do was make his delicious Beef and Vegetable soup.  He really wasn't strong enough yet to cook, but he was so excited to try.  I got him all of the ingredients and we set up a stool in the kitchen, so he could sit while he chopped, etc.  

 I made his Hamburger/ Vegetable soup to eat on his birthday and think about Grandpa Gabe.  The kids really liked it.

I am so grateful my daughters are mindful of their ancestors and teach their children about them.