The Pinecone Napkin

First and foremost, this blog is a culinary tribute to two women who had a tremendous impact on me. I will love and remember my grandmothers for the rest of my life, and carrying on their memory is so special to me. Not only do I carry on their recipes, I also carry on their traditions. That’s where the pinecone napkin comes in. Jeanie was a master seamstress. I vividly remember the stacks upon stacks of colorful fabric she had in her sewing area. She even made clothes for me and my dolls. One of her favorite things to make though were cloth napkins for her dinner parties. That woman loved to entertain and she had napkins for every occasion. They were simple to make and so pretty on the table.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pancake Muffins
Her stacks and stacks of cloth napkins passed to my mom and uncle, and they in turn gave a lot of them to me and my siblings. I’ve used Christmas napkins for my Holiday table and strawberry patterned napkins for summer parties. The pinecone napkin is special though.

Jeanie and my papa lived in Florida throughout my childhood, but they came up to New Jersey a lot during fall. They missed the seasons and enjoyed the respite from the heat. Whenever they came up, we hunted for pinecones because my grandmother absolutely loved them. She would make wreaths with them and other beautiful crafts. So when I inherited her beloved pinecone napkins, I teared up a little remembering those times.

Coconut Cream Pie
Now I use them for my photos on my blog about her and my nana Lulu, and it has all come full circle. I love it. It’s another way for me to pay tribute to her. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about Lulu. A lot of the dishes in the photos are from her kitchen. Having items that I inherited from them in my food styling just adds another layer to keeping their memory alive. xoxo