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By: Annie Bennett
My mom’s favorite is her “Prairie Rose Panthers” cookbook, which she bought for a school fundraiser when I was in elementary school. All the students submitted their favorite recipes, and now, 20 years later, it is still her go-to book. Her favorite recipe is from Allison, a girl from my little sister’s first-grade class. The recipe is for caramels, which my mom makes every Christmas, and they are the first treat I pick off of her Christmas goodie platter. They are melt-in-your-mouth good! She uses many other recipes from the book daily, including my favorite recipes I submitted all those years ago. The book is so well loved, that in order for it to stay in one piece, it has to have a rubber band around it to hold it together.
Nine years ago, my mother put together a cookbook for a family reunion. This cookbook is my favorite. It includes all of my (very large) family’s favorite recipes. It moved with me to Scotland, where I lived for five years. It allowed me to make those family recipes that helped me feel closer to home, even though I was thousands of miles away. My husband and I made traditional North Dakota dishes for our Scottish friends, which they loved. It was especially nice around holidays to be able to whip up the foods I knew I would be missing, like my grandma’s buns or my aunt’s famous cookie salad. Nowadays, I love making these yummy recipes for my two young daughters. While my book doesn’t look quite as well-loved as my mom’s yet, I’m sure it will someday. If not, I’m sure it’s just because I’m not as messy of a chef as my mom!
North Dakota Horizons is searching for your favorite community/school/family/church cookbooks to feature in our fall issue. E-mail us at ndhorizons@btinet.net, or mail your story to North Dakota Horizons, PO Box 2566, Bismarck, ND 58502 and tell us which cookbook is your favorite, why it is so special to you, memorable stories, where and when you got it, and if the book is still available to purchase. Feel free to include any other fun or interesting information about the book or its story. Be sure to include a photo of the book or a photo of you with something you have made from it. The deadline for submission is August 1.