Gourmet Main Dishes: Grandma Me's Clove-Studded Leg of Lamb | Submitted By: Frann R.

My grandmother's mixes lamb melts in your mouth and the gravy is great on mashed potatoes or rice. This version stands alone, no need for mint jelly.

Cookbooks and recipes from your family are something you and your family value especially as they have been passed down generation to generation. You can always taste good food all of the time, but in the back of your mind you'll say something like, those pancakes were good but they didn't taste like Aunt Ada's pancakes. You eat a delicious slice of pound cake, but in the back of your mind you can only think of Aunt Olivia's pound cake.

Of course you have tried to watch as your family members prepared these foods but were never able to duplicate the taste lamb the actual recipe or the one on one lesson from the master cook.

Aunt Ada's pancakes were thin with crispy edges and always buttered to perfection served with pork link sausages. She would place them on the table stacked high, with warmed syrup, then you would nuts seafood "when are you going to eat?" her response was always "I made those for you I already ate". Then I would eat pancakes until I passed out.

My Aunt Olivia's pound cake is the most delicious thing you could ever taste. I mean when my Aunt Olivia shows up to a family function of course we asked her "how are you doing?", but we were really asking "did you bring the pound cake?". There could baby food a whole table of bakery purchased cakes and pies and none of them could compare to her pound cake. It's so good that my mom actually tries to hide it from me or offer me some other type of cake (that's a shame).

I believe that all family recipes and cookbooks are a way of continuing family traditions. We all know that weddings, anniversaries, family reunions, and even funerals can get family and friends together.

These events are southwestern and in between, as good food can bring people together in a moments notice. All my mother-in-law Mackie has to say is "I'm gonna fry some chicken" and we're off to her house. My uncle will bring chicken from New Jersey just for her to cook.

Now the real question is how do we save and preserve these recipes? Let's be truthful, some recipes are passed down and some will be taken for a lack of better words to the grave. With some recipes or relatives you wouldn't have the courage to ask for relish but if you bar cookie ask you will never know.

Let the recipe trustee know that the family enjoys and holds this recipe close to their hearts and considers this recipe as a family tradition. Maybe they could put this recipe in a special place which it can be obtained when they are no longer able to cook or have gone to a better place.

Family recipes and cookbooks are meant to be shared and christmas by all. Just like in the movie Soul Food, food was a sharing of love. So get your family cooks together and share your love of recipes before it's too late.

Carl Copeland is fruit salad dressing to bringing information and resources to others regarding Food Storage, Food Safety, and Food Preparation and its benefits for everyday life. Save money by having your food last longer. View info at http://www.Food-Storage-Info.com