Image via A place of my own
Sheppard pies with golden pillows of potatoes topped with cheese and edges oozing with the delicious promise of what hides beneath. Simple delights of cauliflower cheese or braised steak and onion. The more complex flavours of lemon soul with fennel and potatoes. A seventies delight of a pineapple upside down cake.
The focus has always been what you contained. You were always been a vessel, serving us well. My mum would use you to serve up wholesome family food and when the boys were born and she was on her own, rather than have you languish in the cupboard unused, she passed you down to me.
Once again, you became well used. Perfect roast potatoes where held within glass walls, roast chicken, lasagna, macaroni cheese. You became my go to dish, the one I always picked up first. You were a doddle to clean going in the dishwasher and coming out as good as new.
Then last night the unthinkable happened, I dropped you. This time you did not bounce, you shattered and with you so did a small piece of me. You might only have been a Pyrex dish but you held so many memories for me. So much of my childhood is wrapped up in the delicious food that my mum cooked. I hold very fond memories of the time we spent in the kitchen. She was a superb cook and tried to make sure that I was involved in the preparation in the kitchen with her.
As I grew up and had a family of my own, my mum always encouraged me to cook and I realised that she had given me a firm foundation in the kitchen and love of seasonal produce. I know you are only a dish, but I cried a little last night for a woman that I miss so much and then when I saw you in the bin this morning I cried a little more for the time in my life you represent.
Yes, I know my mum would be saying “it is just a dish Jen” and indeed it is, but also a thousand memories were baking inside it and it will always hold a place in my heart.
And now you will always remember what it meant to you as you have written a lovely and heartfelt post about it.
Oh, Jen – so sorry, I can imagine how upset you must be. I get very nostalgic and attached to things too. As Victoria says you’ll need to hang onto your memories. Juliex
Beautiful post, Jen. I totally get it x
I know how you feel, and reading this I really did feel for you but as Victoria rightly say’s you have this wonderful post and most importantly the happy memories.
But my heart knows exactly like yours does, it’s not quite the same.
xxxx
We all have pyrex dishes in our past. I think more than anything else (except maybe the Kenwood mixer with mince-meat attachment and liquidizer) they represent my mother’s kitchen of the 1960s and 70s. Some of ours even came from my grandma I think. I can well understand the emotional connection.
I am crying. Completely understand what you mean.
What a sad and well written post, a lovely and loving tribute to your mum. x
Lovely post and so well written. I dropped one of my pyrex dishes two weeks ago and it shattered. I felt like I’d lost an old friend. Christ knows how I will feel when my (very very old) food processor packs up. ‘sniff’
Oh Jen, I know exactly what you mean x x
What a lovely, poignant post. Such vivid food descriptions, and such warm memories.
A lovely post that will hold fond memories for you. I remember my mum having those dishes. I broke a dish my Nan gave me after I got married, I was so upset I glued it back together and stored it away!!! (sad person that I am!)
Beautiful post, full of memories. It’s funny how it’s always the simple things. Hugs x
Oh I totally understand this. My Mom died suddenly last summer and when clearing her house the one thing we all said we wanted was the cheese and potato pie dish. A retro pyrex dish that my Mom and Dad had had since they first married. We ended up agreeing my brother should take it. Since then I’ve been admiring them on eBay, thinking about getting one to make more memories with. It’s more than just a dish it’s a link to the past. x
Oh I am very sentimental about these things and then I mention it to my mum and she doesn’t even remember owning something before me!
Such a wonderful written evocative post Jen, I am so sorry about your dish. You will find one that you fall in love with and will use and create all of these memories and more for your boys.