Starters

Why Dish for Starters?

When I decided to join the world of blogging, I thought “What topic is currently scantily covered in the blogging world?” Why the answer was obvious: cooking and baking, of course. “Yes, that’s what the world needs,” I told myself, “another cooking and baking blog.”

I am kidding, of course, as I would guess there are currently probably as many cooking and baking blogs as there are people on the planet. So what do I have to offer that is different? Probably not a lot other than my own modest viewpoint from my own little corner of the world.

 

About Me

My favorite part of baking will always be licking the beaters

I am a traditional Midwestern girl, born in Ohio, and raised in Minnesota and Texas (only a few years in Texas, though—just enough to feel I can claim a tiny bit of cowgirl). I am everything middle America is about: wholesome and fresh-faced goodness—as American as baseball, hot dogs, and apple pies, and—wait, that sickly-sweet description just made me throw up a little hotdish in my mouth. I guess I do aspire to be such a stereotype though. I do want to simplify my life, follow the golden rule, and try to have a little fun along the way.

At the end of the day, though, I am not blogging for others; I am heading down this well-worn path in the blogging world for a very personal reason. It is a journey to re-connect with my female ancestors. I desperately miss my grandmothers and mom. Some of my happiest memories are of times spent with them in the kitchen. This blog is a collection of their handwritten recipes, passed down over time, all of which I will be re-creating and cooking from scratch one at a time.

Me (Lisa), my maternal Grandma Laila, and my mom Beata

My paternal Grandma Mabel

And another word about saying that I miss my grandmas and mom “desperately”—really “despairingly” better captures my emotions since losing my female anchors. My life has been turned upside down by their exits. I am hoping to somehow re-connect to their spirits even if just for fleeting moments by re-creating their time-honored recipes. Cooking and baking was such a personal thing for all of them. It was how they showed their loves to their families; it was about socialization and big gatherings and everyone getting fed physically, emotionally, and spiritually around the dinner table. By re-connecting to something that was so personal to all of them, I am hoping to plug into a piece that was the essence of who each of them was, and, in the process, gain a greater appreciation for what they passed on to me.

 

About the Name

When thinking about the name for this blog, it seemed it should pay tribute to my heritage in some manner. Names I tossed about included “Swedeheart” which was a nod to my Swedish ancestry, “Nordic Chick” which would cover the gamut of my Scandinavian ancestry—both my Swedish and Norwegian roots, “Teutonic Chick”—that would make sure my father’s mom’s German side was covered. However, I wanted one name that was a nod to every corner of my family. That’s where Wikipedia, my source for all world knowledge, came in handy. Did you know that Germanic, in modern references, covers Norwegians, Swedes, and Germans? Perfect! Thus “Germanic chick” was born. I might get some web surfers looking for blond, blue-eyed babes scantily clad in lederhosen and nothing else. However, hopefully my food porn will satisfy their salacious appetites instead.

The funny thing when thinking about my lineage as a source for the name of my blog is that I am adopted and don’t really know for certain what my biological, ancestral roots are. I was told by my parents that they were told by the adoption agency that my biological roots pretty closely matched my adoptive roots, but who really knows for sure. It could have all been marketing on the adoption agency’s part, for all I know. What I can tell you is I have always chosen to identify with my adoptive roots because that is all I have and all I know and especially since losing those nearest and dearest to me, I cling to that heritage even more closely because it gives me something to hold on to in this ever-changing and volatile world. It is nice to have a bloodline of sorts or, in my case, a loveline—a family created by and a heritage forged through love.