Maxine Hansen
A Son's Tribute
February 22, 2024
I started this site at the suggestion of one of my sisters. It didn't take me long to think about doing it, because Mom contributed a significant part of her life raising me, which included a lot of cooking! Since I was the oldest, and the hungriest, Mom designated me as her official food tester......thanx, Mom!!!
I simply loved Mom's cooking; almost everything she cooked appealed to me. I always got to eat the defective candies and whatnot, but when she got distracted, I'd eat not one....but a whole row of chocolate covered cherries, so that she wouldn't realized my overwhelming love for them! And, if there were any leftovers, guess who was commissioned to clean out the bowls. I guess it pays dividends to be the oldest kid in the family........and my girth proves it, and I was big enough to keep the kids skinny!
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Forward
I've tried to sort out the things that Mom wrote, as some was difficult to read, and some were not in her handwriting. Fortunately, years ago my sister, Barbara, typed up a significant number of her recipes. Most of the typed ones are a result of her work, but there are others that were shared in various places, or even when she went on vacation. Of course, many of her friends also contributed recipes to her, and I gave them the credit for sharing them. Many of those friends I have pictures of, and shared them on the Contributors page. Even her mother shared one....and maybe more. From Grandma, I learned to love MARY RUSHES (a sausage, hamburger, cabbage & bisquit casserole) that was named after one of her neighbors when she was younger.....and am disappointed to not find a recipe for it in Mom's collection. Evidently, Mom made it from memory.
For those who may not understand the abbreviations, a small *t* denotes a teaspoon, and a capital *T* indicates a tablespoon. WARNING: That may vary, and I may have gotten some abbreviations wrong. I have included Mom's actual recipes so that you can compare the two, then use your judgement as to what is proper.
Another oddity is that in her youth, her cooking seems to have tasted better. That may be because my taste buds have deteriorated as I age. Or, it may also mean that because of her health problems, her recipes probably changed a bit over time, as he went on a very strict diet that excluded some kinds of foods....especially, those heavy with fats.
That brings up another factor I should mention. Many things she made, were not allowed on her diet. So, many of the things Mom cooked, she was unable to eat....like her chocolate covered cherries. Nevertheless, she loved to bake and cook for others, and gained a sterling reputation over the years of making some remarkable tasty treats that you will never find elsewhere. Her candies and baked goods were examples of that.
Though Mom will be missed due to her kitchen talents, we believe we will see her again, on the other side of the veil. She was not only a great cook, but enjoyed her friends, fun activities (like water skiing and water fights), her Church activities and her family. And that's the reason for this website of Mom's recipes.....they are for her descendants; those who want to taste her renowned reputation of being the best cook in the neighborhood, and Ward.
Finally, this site is the result of the efforts of Susan, Barbara and myself. If anyone has any other examples of Mom's recipes, stories about her, photos to be shared, or whatever........please send them to me to be included on the website. I should also mention another person who contributed a lot to Mom's cooking talents, and that is her mother, Viola Johns. She too was a VERY good cook....I have many memories of eating at her table, and everything she did was simply SCRUMPTIOUS! Though, I don't recall Grandma having nearly the same range of cooking, such as Mom did with her candies and deserts.
My only sorrow is for Mom's descendants that never got to taste her cooking. However, this website will now make that possible.......so for those who love working in the kitchen, please use these recipes! And if you do that, of course I'll be happy to join you for one (or more) of those meals to give you an appraisal of how close you came to matching Mom's cooking talents!!!
And, if you run across any mistakes or something that could be simplified, please let me know so that Maxine's Recipes can be modified to work better for everybody!
Cheerio...............Dave