The woman who wore this muumuu before me was a giant. Not in the larger-than-life stature kind of way—her hunched posture had her reaching 5’2” on a good day—but in the magnanimous warmth of her presence.

She exuded love from her every pore—the personification of sunshine on a cloudless day. Her gnarled hands cooked scrambled eggs with ham for breakfast and opened jars of dill gherkins for a snack. They shuffled decks of cards for hundreds of games of Hand and Foot.

Her Paul Mitchell hairspray was her perfume. To this day, I think of her every time I smell it.

And her long arms were always ready to wrap me in a hug, often accompanied by her whispered expressions of love, admiration, or consolation.

Even though she passed away almost 7 years ago, there are times when it feels like she’s right next to me—still cheering me on, still influencing me.

Memories of her cooking are vivid snapshots of my childhood. Those early experiences of seeing love expressed through food shaped my own affection for cooking and baking—sharing food equals love to me.

Those memories were a big part of what inspired the theme of my 2024: The Delicious Year. When I create love-infused dishes like she did to share with my daughter, husband, friends, family, and community, I feel like her legacy is living on.

I think she’d be proud of me.

Are there any vivid memories you have around food? Tell me in the comments!

#TheDeliciousYear #FoodMemories #Grammy