I suppose as a kid, most of us felt that their mom was the greatest cook that ever lived.   Well,  I can think of at least seven kids that would have  voted ours as being that person.

Ahhhh, the fragrances of home cooking that escaped from that kitchen ... and I  suppose she never actually used a recipe to create any of those tasty dishes prepared in huge pots, because there were so many hungry mouths to feed.  From just " a little bit of this...and a little bit o' that' came food that quickly disappeared soon after we all sat down to eat.

Back then,  rice seemed to fit in with every meal and a 100# bag never lasted very long.   She'd pick fresh vegetables out of our  own garden, combined with pork or beef  (we raised our own assortment of farm animals), add a few spices, and  before too long  we'd be filling our plates.   It was "first come, first served" and if you weren't around when the food was ready,  don't complain if there was no leftovers.

Now I must say that if there was one dish she used to cook that I didn't like and still don't.   It was one of Dad's favorites and it had bittermelon in it.  I'll never forget how I  would manage to avoid eating it only until  Dad caught on and made me eat it anyway. BUT ... just about everything else was absolutely great. I think Filipino food must have been her specialty, much to the delight of us all, especially  Dad.

Mom would also make jams and jellies( with papaya, mango, figs, etc.) and desserts like zucchini bread and  bread pudding (Uncle Eroy worked for Holsum Bread and kept us supplied) , homemade butter and so much more.    We had our own kitchen magician!

Those were the days!    It's a part of growing up on the north shore that we kids will never forget.