10 Foods That Make Me Think of....HOME (Family)

This is the first time that I am joining in the Monday Listicles...what can I say...it's about food :)
The topic is "10 Foods That Make You Think Of..." I am going with foods that remind me of home, which of course means family to me. These foods are in no particular order and I listed some of the "bad" with the awesome!!!

Pancakes...My mom is FAMOUS for her pancakes! They are so amazing that they are the highlight of every trip home for all family and friends. I should say that she has even been known to make the powdered portion and send it out to family members who live out of town so they can enjoy them...although I have never been a recipient of said special treat...I would say that's a hint...if someone shows mom my blog :)

Mom's Chocolate Chip cookies...really...they are just the Nestle Toll House recipe...so why do they taste so much better when she makes them? Literally, it was as if everyone from miles away could smell when she was making them...they swarmed the house every time!!!

Thumb Cookies...OK, so the recipe is actually called "Chocolate Mountains" but trust me when I say that they should be called thumb cookies. It all started with my sister JJ calling out..."Mom, what do you do when you get your thumb stuck in the mixer?"

Clean the Refrigerator Out Stew...I DON'T LIKE THIS...but it does remind me of home. This was when my Grandma would just take all of the leftovers out of the fridge and dump them in a pot-calling it stew. I still cringe at the thought :(

Fried Bread...man do I miss this! This was a rare treat we usually enjoyed at our aunt and uncles house.

Lumpy Cream of Wheat...don't knock it till you try it! For some reason even when I try I can't get it lumpy!

Fried Oatmeal...this is the bomb (meaning it's crazy good) of breakfast foods. There are eight kids in the family...mom had to be creative with leftovers and we always hoped there would be enough oatmeal left! Especially with mom's homemade syrup...my mouth is watering now!!!

Rice Pudding...another thing I always wanted to have leftovers of...rice! I have no idea how mom made this...but let me tell you, store bought of any brand is no comparison!!!!

Burnt Meatloaf/Burnt Flank Steak...I know it sounds strange but we would practically beg mom to burn these meats. Now before you think I am completely strange (which you would be right...but I digress) you should know that she cooked them in a Cast Iron pan that just caramelized the meat soooo perfectly. I sure do miss that pan!!!

Rabbit...OK...I REALLLLLY DO NOT LIKE THIS...but again, it does have memories for me. My dad was quite the practical joker (so he thought), I just thought he was down right mean :) We raised rabbits, but I was only 5yrs old so to me they were pets. Dad told me we were having chicken that night and when he thought I had eaten my "drumstick" he asked how I liked the rabbit...lets just say that rabbit flew (across the room at my dad...but I missed.) Now I'm not so trusting-lemme see the wings if you want me to eat chicken!!!

There are so many more foods that make me miss my family...but these are some of the first things that come to mind. I truly regret not spending more time in the kitchen with Mom and Grandma...such a wealth of information...if only I could have understood "a pinch of this" type of measurements!!! Needless to say, I am not a cook...my husband does all of our cooking.

Now that my mouth is watering...it's time to get some sleep! Looking forward to some sweet (and savory) dreams tonight :)

If you are still awake and want to see what the "Listicles" are all about or want to read about other bloggers food memories, just follow the link below and have fun...maybe even give it a try yourself!!!

http://www.northwestmommy.com/2013/monday-listicles-120