My mom, like most moms, has kept a notebook full of her favourite recipes for as long as I can remember. These recipes are ones passed down from her mother and other relatives, recipes that she's created, tried and perfected, recipes quickly scribbled on pieces of paper as she watches her favourite Food Network shows. I have wonderful memories of my mom putting out big spreads for our large extended family, making meals for 20+ with ease. I only wish I inherited that gene!

And now as a mom myself who struggles to put meals on the table, I think about mom's handwritten notebook often. I'd like to be able to whip up some traditional Filipino dishes when I'm craving the comfort dishes of my youth. I'd love to someday teach Chloe how to make Grandma's famous spring rolls.


I am very lucky that my mom watches Chloe a few days a week and even luckier because mom brings lunch when she comes over too! So now I've asked mom to make dishes from her notebook...

...and I'll be photographing them along the way. The plan is to take scans of mom's handwritten notes and the photos and have them bound into a recipe book, ready for Christmas giving.

The next six months will be a culinary adventure I will gladly eat my way through. I can't think of a more precious gift that my mom will hand down to me.
What's your most beloved gift or hand-me-down from your parents? Is there an object or memento that you treasure?