Hey there, friends.

Guess what?

you know, mistakes happen in the kitchen.

They happen everywhere.

And I am going to share a mistake.

It's a big one.

So, I just came back from a conference called PodFest, which there are like

several thousand podcasters there, and we're all just absorbing everybody's

energy and learning new things from one another that we share and exchange.

And there's always the story of the person who didn't press record.

And I said, well, I've never done that.

Well, guess what?

I just did that.

Thankfully, Meredith is here, our guest, to allow me to press record again, but

I am admitting my mistake, not in the kitchen, but certainly on the podcast.

So on that note, Sylvia, why you introduce our fabulous guest, Meredith Plante.

Yeah, we just had the greatest warm up act.

sure did.

And now we get to do it again, but it'll be even better,

Meredith and I got to know each other.

I don't know, Meredith, five years ago.

Sitting across the table from one another at a leadership meeting.

Oh.

And, I tell this story, and I won't mention the name, but this person's name

was mentioned, and we both rolled our eyes at exactly the same moment because

we didn't like that person, if you recall, and I knew we were friends for life.

but let me tell you about this magnificent person.

She is the program manager in the Central Kentucky and Southern

Indiana Alzheimer's Association.

She volunteers for the Lifehouse Animal Shelter.

And get to your shelters today.

she does color commentary for local basketball.

She's tall, I'm not.

And she's getting her PhD in leadership from Bellarmine University.

And, Says she doesn't have time for hobbies, but she does love

writing letters, which is a dying art, She also has two cat children.

And she is a pioneer, Nancy, in our book.

She published one of our short stories.

to give people examples of how, a funny story, a poignant story,

a wild story about an event in their life having to do with food.

And Meredith did that on page 110, by the way.

If you have a book, check it out.

And we'll talk a bit about that, but Nancy, get going with our questions.

Little interview of Meredith.

Take two.

Yes, Meredith, take two.

Yeah, Meredith, you have a new last name.

Take two.

Take two.

we haven't met, but one of the things that fascinated me about the story

that, Sylvia shared with me about you is that you are not a foodie necessarily,

although we all have to eat, but you're not a cook or a chef or you're not

really involved in anything like that, yet you have become one of our raving

fans on Family Tree Food and Stories.

And I find that kind of interesting.

Not that you have to be a chef, but I think something in there says like there's

got to be some interest along the way.

What?

What sort of grabbed you by the fork, I'll say, or the pen,

yeah.

to make you, like, so enamored with this?

Yeah.

Well, so if Sylvia says I'm doing something that I'm supporting her 100

percent and she told me that she was doing this food book and I was like, cool.

I don't cook.

So, but I love you.

So I'm going to buy it.

I bought it the first day and so I, I like to say that I'm not a bad cook.

I just don't cook.

Like you have to do something to be bad at it.

and I just don't really do a lot of it.

So, I, I bought the book to support Sylvia.

I had her sign it and then we really started looking through it and.

The book appealed to me because first of all, you had to write down the recipe in

your handwriting and write down a story or a memory that goes with the recipe.

And I'm a former English major, so storytelling is something

that interests me and me.

And so I kind of got into the book, you know, I'll write down one or

two recipes and stories at a time, no more than that in one sitting.

And so I'm a convert because I don't really cook, but I love the book.

I love it.

and you actually contributed a story, as Sylvia said, on page 110.

If you do not have a copy of the book, you can get it at Amazon for sure.

And we'll have a link in the episode notes.

but what are some of the things that really attract you or what I should

say, what are some of the things that actually draw out the memories and

stories that you've had over the years that you want to contribute to this book?

Because it's a finite book, it's only.

273 pages, which sounds like a lot, but there's really not a lot of room

for recipes because it's four pages per recipe for memories and stories

and other things you want to add to it.

But finding and thinking about those memories is something we don't do

every day when we're sitting down at a table and thinking about food

or even putting together a party.

Like what draws out some of those that, that brings you some extra joy from those?

Yeah.

So, I think my interest in, handwritten recipes began many, many years ago

when I told my mom, when I get married, I want you to write down in your

handwriting, my favorite recipes.

I want that.

And even, um, I told my mother in law, I had her do her corn pudding recipe.

I wanted it.

in her handwriting.

So that was kind of important to me.

And I got married in 2012 and I still have a book and I no longer have the husband.

so

you don't have to cook for them either, so that's fine.

Yeah.

It's, all good.

So, you know, I just really like, I kind of just have been sentimental

in that way, for a long time.

Now, the appeal of the book, it kind of takes it to the next level.

So, for me, it's my handwriting, but my memories of the story behind it.

So, I kind of just have enjoyed taking those moments for me to

write down and remember things from my childhood or teenage years.

Um, I'm 40 years old.

So even some of the stories are kind of.

You know, funny, funny fails, you know, where my boss was like, you're

not allowed to bring soft drinks or paper products to a potluck anymore.

You've got to make some like real food here, you know, and

I'm going to remember the paper potluck next time I don't feel

like cooking, so thank that advice.

oh, oh, oh, I'm the queen of that.

You sign up immediately.

Like they send out the signup list.

You're the

first gone.

Yeah.

Pro tip.

and what are those dishes that you recommended?

Yeah, so my, my go to's for potlucks are a pasta

salad dish and deviled eggs.

And so if someone else has already signed up for those two things, then you will

get paper products or soft drinks for me or wine, depending on, the time of day.

Hello Red solo cup.

Yeah, you got two options with me, take them or leave them.

And that's how I roll.

So anyway, my interest in this type of thing started a long time ago,

but the book really spoke to me in a sense that I got a chance to record,

my memories and my, my stories.

So you had said that, When you got married, one of the things

that you wanted was to have your mother and your mother in law record in their

handwriting some of those recipes.

What was it about the handwriting that made that important?

Because I think that's kind of an unusual request of a, of a woman to

ask of a parent and a mother in law.

I've never heard that before and I think it's wonderful.

Well, maybe, it is my own original idea.

I don't know.

for me, I'm just really into handwriting and penmanship I am a sentimental person.

I'm an only child and, my grandparents passed when I was, well, before I

was born and when I was young, so I just kind of have been aware.

Of, you know, people don't live forever.

And I just wanted that.

So my mom also has the most amazing handwriting.

So does my aunt.

So does my cousin.

It's kind of the family thing.

And so that was important to me.

And then my mother in law, you know, I love her to death, still do.

And I just said, I want your handwriting.

In this book as well, that's important to me.

So, don't, I don't know what spurred it on.

It's except that it's just like part of my DNA and my personality.

Yeah.

a personal thing, which I love and, of course, Sylvia and I

had that idea that, that having the handwritten notes and the story was

something that we thought was important.

And, one of the things that I have found since now my mom has passed,

in looking through old books the joy of cooking kind of thing that

was nothing particularly special.

Although I still go to some recipes for that one, is to see

my mom's handwritten notes on it.

know, the little, it doesn't need to be a lot.

It's like, this for whatever.

interestingly enough, there was a story, talking about stories that I heard

about, if you remember Bob Barker and The Price is right and the Well, his

wife had passed a number of years before he did, and he passed, I think, like a

year or so ago, and his brother or his brother in law had found in their house

when they were cleaning out the house.

Recipe cards that his wife had created for all the different meals that they

had with friends and family, and on the back of each card, she wrote the

name of the person that she made the recipe for and what they liked about it.

So I just found that that was such a fabulous thought.

And I'm like, Oh my God, I want those.

They're not mine, but I want them.

I want to hear stories,

or you can be a model, because, I mean, that

is a great way to do that.

Meredith, you said you're, I know your father's British.

Did you know of any British recipes that came through your lineage?

Because British food is just not known for being great,

Well, wait a second.

I'm going to ask that we take a quick break on there first,

and then go back and we'll talk about, Cheerio old chap, right?

Or young chap.

So we're back with Meredith Plant and my co host Sylvia Lovely, and we've

now actually crossed the pond talking about British foods and family heritage.

So Meredith, why don't you take it from here?

You, we've talking a little bit about how the British foods have influenced

some of your family traditions over the years, or things that you like, stories

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, my dad is British, like Sylvia mentioned, and my grand who passed when

I was 13, She was like the best cook and could, could do all the things.

Unfortunately, I was a very picky eater growing up.

So I can, I just have to rely on what people say, but I loved her scones.

So these are not the Starbucks stones.

these are real British stones with clotted cream and

No sugar on top, right?

Nothing like that.

This is, no, this is the real deal.

And so she always had scones for us with a cup of tea.

I was young, so I did not drink the hot tea, the grown ups did.

I wanted my mom to make scones for me when we came back, and unfortunately,

you know, she had Graham's Recipe, but the, the measurements are different

they don't do the same that we do.

Nancy and I have talked about this, that the flower

and such different over there.

They say that, and we need to research it more, but, I hear that.

At least it's a strong rumor.

yeah.

like the measurements were hard to convert, that the flower was different,

um, so, not that my mom's bones were bad by any means, but it was not

They just weren't, they weren't that special.

no, and, and honestly, sometimes it's fun to have like a

A certain food associated with a certain place at a certain time.

Like it wouldn't be special if you had it all the time.

and so the scones, I will say when we would visit my granddad's friends and

family, if you go to someone's house back in that time, but they, they served

you scones and a hot tea that like, they always, they always had scones made.

I, I'm just like, what?

It's like cookies and milk in America, right?

Yeah, I'm like, you just happen to have scones in your house.

Okay.

I love that.

Hey, Meredith, one of the things that happens to me is I come

from a long line of non cooks.

my dad made cornbread,

Well, that's cooking, Sylvia.

You've got make cornbread.

I don't know how to make cornbread.

Well, he had one specialty, and that was cornbread.

But, sometimes what happens to me is I visualize, a cooking incident or

cooking moment, like my dad's cornbread.

I always remember the cast iron skillet.

I remember lots of butter, as they say, one stick of butter and everything, right?

Do you ever do that, or either one of you, where you visualize the moment

more than you visualize the recipe?

Right.

And then that moment gives birth to, well, I wonder how he did that, to

write down the recipe, perhaps, and

remember

Sylvia, I wish I could say yes, but that wouldn't be a lie.

Because when I say that I grew up and had no interest in cooking or baking, I mean,

I had no interest in cooking or baking.

I was playing sports.

I was doing school.

I was doing all the things that But not in the kitchen.

So for me to answer your question would be more of now reflecting back on like when

my mom made something like the caramel cookies, when I took them to soccer

camp, because the soccer coaches from Britain, they basically wanted free food.

they told us bring a recipe and I was like, mom, hey, I need this

tomorrow and I need you to make it.

So for me, it's more like reflecting back on that.

I think I've accepted my non interest in cooking and I'm sure we'll get

into, how you don't have to be a cook to enjoy or appreciate this book, but,

just reflecting on like the memories is what kind of inspires me, it doesn't

necessarily have to be like, Oh, I've got to make that recipe now, but just kind

of like, Oh yeah, I remember that time.

That was cool.

It doesn't even have to be about a recipe.

So I was sharing with somebody the other day how my mom, I grew up in

there with her, the, um, it makes me sound like a hundred years old,

but aluminum pots were the thing.

Now I'm probably going to die of something or glow in the dark when I die, whenever

it is, but there was this one aluminum pot and it was like, All raw and sketchy

and it had this kind of coating on it.

It wasn't even coating, it was like the patina of the aluminum gets really

bad tinfoil.

I remember like everything got cooked in that pot.

Franks and beans, it was vegetables, whatever it was, soup.

So the story around the kitchen, it wasn't even cooking, it was this

stupid this aluminum pot with a plastic handle that I can see that pot

Yeah.

Yeah,

My cast iron skillet that my dad used.

I see that.

Well, they pass those down through generations.

We don't pass down aluminum pots through generations.

well, I've long lost my dad's.

Anyway, I have actually managed to ruin cast iron pots and pans

Oh, but you can bring those back.

I think I know how to

Uh, not they say once it reaches the point of rust, but we have talked

about that sometimes on the show.

Meredith, you hosted a holiday party and many of the recipes were there,

weren't they, that have written about.

Tell that spread.

It was

so I did host a holiday party and all of the recipes are in the

book with a story associated with it.

And, I invited dear friends and family and they all know that I don't

cook or do anything in the kitchen.

So, yeah, so like, it was kind of like, Hey, this is, you are

special cause I invited you.

That's so, I trust you, you know?

And so they came over and it wasn't a, like, holiday specific spread.

It was more just, oh, what do I know how to make?

but I, I did make some buffalo chicken dip.

I had cheese and crackers.

I had, pimento cheese from somewhere, but I did make the chicken salad myself.

I had ham biscuits with, country ham.

I didn't make that.

My mom got that.

I made my deviled eggs, I made meatballs, because everyone loves meatballs.

So, it was just a really fun time, a few stressful moments.

I made magic cookie bars for dessert, so.

Ogentimes, all the recipes are in my book now that I've recorded and

so I can do it again next year.

and you keep your book on your island.

Yes, so I keep, I recommend to people who do

get this book to keep it out.

Don't tuck it away in a bookshelf because then you'll never fill it out.

So I keep mine on my kitchen island and when the moment hits, I will

record a recipe, and write the story.

So, sometimes that involves me thinking of something that I like and

emailing my mom or texting her and being like, can you please dig it out?

Because now I want to write it down.

So my mom is intimately involved in this project as well, whether she or not.

And so, you know, I tell people this is, this book is not for a grade,

it's not for, showing off or anything.

It's for you.

It's an exercise you.

And so do it as the moment hits and, and just enjoy it.

Now, back and read the stories yourself?

when you put them down, because we all think about those stories that

have come through the relationship over or with somebody over a meal.

And, you can think of first dates, or last meals, or everything in

between, That go along with it.

There's always some sort of story to it.

But do you enjoy going back and reading those stories again that you put down now?

Yeah.

So I'm really into this making chicken salad kick right now.

So when I, I, Pull out the book and I open it to the chicken salad recipe.

The story is right next to it, so you can't help but read it.

And so my, my good friend, David Boggs gave me the recipe and, the

story that I wrote about is how.

When I had a really devastating knee injury in August of 2023, he made

some and brought some over to my parents house just to cheer me up.

Because literally the only thing I could do was sit in bed and feel sorry

for myself forward the next meal.

So,

Yeah.

you that's kind of it's kind of sad, but that's just one instance,

I mean, I had other people bring me things to my parents house, but.

You know, it was a hard time, but it also shows when there are hard

times, your friends are there for you, so I mean, not that I love to

reflect on my knee injury per se, but I'm kind of like, Oh, that was fun.

I, the joy I got out of eating some meal

that.

Hey,

you know,

it all started when you were trying to rescue one of your pups.

I know, I hurt my knee running after a rescue puppy.

So.

Uh, by the way, Country Ham.

Let's have that for a quick second here.

Country Ham on Biscuits.

And we were talking earlier about, was that a Kentucky

phenomenon, a Southern phenomenon?

And Nancy, it isn't in your world of growing up, is

No, we didn't do ham or biscuits and gravy up north.

It was like, Ooh, what is that stuff?

I'm from New York and Massachusetts and, maybe there was, some kind of bread on the

table, but it wasn't a biscuit and gravy.

When I found out what gravy was, was flour and pork fat, I'm like, Oh my.

God, what are they trying to do?

They're going to kill me.

But it's so good!

Well, I'll eat a biscuit, but, uh, they're kind of calling belly

bums because they're very good, but they really do sit with you for a while.

Yeah, oh yeah.

But I haven't gotten into the gravy yet.

So something about that.

we would call that chip beef on toast not S--t beef toast,

I suppose no grits either.

But I think that's a Southern phenomenon, or maybe it's Midwest.

I don't know.

Not Midwest, because I've traveled before, because I love biscuits

and gravy, I just can't do it very often.

my sister's in, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

And, uh, when she first moved up out there, she put on a few pounds and she all

of a sudden got a Midwest Southern accent.

Biscuits and gravy.

what's that?

And she told me, it's oh, now I know why.

Yeah, I mean it will add dimensions onto you.

Somebody, somebody send me a good, gravy recipe for my book.

I don't have one, so.

So what's gravy recipe?

Do you remember what is?

I don't, I don't have one.

So, Leah, do you have

one?

Oh, oh, oh.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Actually I do.

okay.

Yeah.

You got

it, baby.

I'll, I'll send it to you.

You, fix it, and then

invite

and then, I invite you, over and we'll fly Nancy in Kentucky.

I will do that.

Actually, another recipe, I haven't, I don't know the recipe,

but it was something that I heard about, a while back.

we were sort of like exploring the back roads of Florida.

That's how you get to know a place, right?

You drive

around the nooks and crannies.

And we had stopped and had lunch at this little no name diner

and vegetables came with it.

And I thought, okay, so, I like string beans.

So they had the beans with the nuts on it.

And they said, you're going to really love ours.

It's a special kind of bean.

It came out, the string beans, and they were gray.

I'm like, I'm going to

Gray.

They were of Gray.

And they said, Oh no, no, these are our specialty.

I'm like, Okay.

Oh,

ate them.

Oh my God, they were They were amazing.

Gray, gray string beans.

Now it's not totally gray, but it looks like your grandmother or your mom like

cooked them to death in an aluminum pot.

And, and I said, So what is it that you do?

She said, We, we cook them in bacon grease.

Damn, that's that bacon grease thing again, you know,

so maybe

I'm going to have

to try the biscuits and gravy someday.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So so Meredith, I've got one last sort of question for you.

You have really adopted this as this book really as it sounds like a

real go to when you need a little pick me up at the end of the day

Which I love, and not to stroke my ego, but maybe stroke Sylvia's ego.

But what is something you would say to somebody who might think, you know,

I'm not going to write down recipes.

I'll just go to an app on the computer and get it.

Like, what would you, what

Sure.

Yeah, well, so, I'm 40, and so a lot of people my age are,

Parents to Human Children.

I have cat children, so they don't, they don't care about the recipes in the book.

They gotta

eat too.

know, they gotta eat too, but you know.

So, uh, Parents of Human Children.

I think that this book is, like, kind of a fun exercise that you can do together.

you know, kids, what did I say?

Kids say the darnedest things.

You know, they, So being able to pick your child's brain out.

Oh, I made this.

What do you think about this?

And recording their funny sayings or, or their stories, you know, doing

together and, and not being in front of a screen, I think, would be really cool.

Um, for people that are grandparents, I think that this is a fun exercise to do

with your grandkids when they come over.

I mentioned that my grandparents passed when I was very young, I would

have given anything to have been able to do this with my grandparents,

and to have their handwritten, like

my gran and my mamaw's handwritten recipes.

How you know, so I'm sentimental, so I'm really like, encourage grandparents

to think about that because, you know, we don't live forever, so

writing it down is important.

But also for people that are, non cooks, whether they're single, married, have

kids, don't have kids, do it for you.

This is a fun thing to do unlock those childhood memories or teenage

memories and just have it be a fun thing that you do for yourself.

I might hand this book down to somebody someday.

I don't know.

I don't have anyone in mind yet.

Not really care, because I'm doing it I might, I'll, I'll know

someone someday, it's the act of remembering and storytelling and

handwriting that just to me so much.

And I think that people will really, as I found out myself,

you'll be surprised how fun it is, even you don't cook all the time,

Wonderful.

You're an inspiration.

as we say, every meal has a story and every story is a feast.

And there's so many things that we can do, not just even if we're not

cooks, but even sharing with friends who you might want to get together

and say, Hey, let's get our books together and, and stories in the books.

And you never know where the next one's going to come from.

And it

could delicious, or maybe it's maybe not so delicious, but

there's a great story with it.

I love that.

Yeah.

Well, thank you all for joining us here today.

Sylvia, it's a delight to be a co host with you and getting

to know you and your roots.

And Meredith, thank you so much for sharing the stories that you put together

for us and shared in the book on page 110.

And if you have a story of your own, please just consider it.

It's something not just for us to sell a book, but honestly, this is a treasure

that I'm pretty sure you're going to enjoy and just love filling out.

So on that note, take care, be well, eat up and ciao.

Okay.

We actually got this one recorded.