Welcome to Family History Food!

I’m glad you are here!

I have been researching my family history for six years, discovering stories about ancestors I never knew. Last year during a trip to San Diego, my mom and I discovered that her grandma once worked for the Marston family, whose home sits in Balboa Park and is now a historic site. She was their pastry chef, working in the kitchen pictured.

It was something my mom never knew. She knew her grandmother liked to bake, something passed down to my grandma, then to my mom, and then to me, but she never knew that is how she made a living.

Unfortunately, none of her recipes remain. She knew everything from memory, so this part of our family history has been lost.

My own maternal grandma left boxes of recipes behind, and I have been thinking about the best way to preserve this part of our family. I have many memories tied to certain dishes, and because I feel food is important to many, I think every family has family traditions and/or memories around food. This site will do just that: it will serve as a place to share recipes, but also to share tips and tricks to preserve your own family history.

On Family History Food I will cover a variety of topics:

Recipes: I will share many of my own family recipes, from dishes we ate growing up to recipes we just uncovered and have never made. Recently I have been uncovering recipes at estate sales, and will share some of those as well. Our family has strong traditions tied to food and recipes, especially around holidays, and I hope sharing some of ours will allow you to remember your own traditions as well. Plus there will be lots of great recipes.

Tips: I will share tips related to cooking, genealogy, etc. I am working on preserving my family history, and will share the steps I am taking, what I have learned, and what you can do to begin work on your own.

Shop: A shop full of a variety of vintage items, from clothing to cookbooks. I will post new items all the time! You can find the shop at familyhistoryfood.etsy.com.

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See my other projects // mereditheby.com.