I swear, i only went out to the market to get food for the week; i hadn’t intended to go into the cookware store ….somehow i found myself walking past the bins with assorted tea-towels and other kitchen bits ‘n pieces, through the doors that lead into the den of iniquity!

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Recently my mother was told she was sick and she started to ‘get her affairs in order’ so to speak.  For my mother this meant leaving her more sentimentally valued possessions to family members.  We were talking on the phone (she lives in another state) and she was telling me that she is leaving  her cookbooks in a box for me.  This didn’t surprise me as i’m the only daughter and my mother has views about ‘woman’s work’ that is very traditionally role stereotyped.  When my mother spoke about the ‘recipe books’ she wasn’t referring  to the commercially published cookbooks that comprise my cookbook collection; she has none of those.  The only published cookbook my mother owns in a ‘how to cook’ manual.  Mum was talking about her hand written recipes in an old green twine bound exercise book and another old notebook.  Despite my mum’s views about cooking being women’s work I do love to cook and I’m thrilled she’s eventually giving me her recipe books.  But the question that begs asking is how are her family recipes going to be passed down through her three son’s family lines?  Moreover, i have two daughters and how i do decide who gets my mothers recipe books…and then who gets my handwritten family recipe book that I’ve been compiling over the years since i left home?  I think I’ve found the answer so that both of my girls get my recipes in my handwriting. 

Introducing the:

Smartpen

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If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll know i have an addiction of cookbooks…just like you, i’m guessing LOL.  These past 3 weeks have seen 2 new additions to my collection.  I’m also going to share one that i particularly like because of it’s focus being herbs & spices…i’m a huge fan of herbs and spices for flavour!

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