I love this so much. My Italian grandmother was the same way - but my mother ended up being a less than stellar cook. I learned to cook from my father's older sister. She "measured" ingredients with her hands too. Sadly - she took all her recipes with her to the grave. She did teach my cousin the secret to her rich chicken & biscuit gravy (it's MILK!) but her sugar cookie recipe has been lost to the ages.

As you know, I cook with The Magical Creatures every time we are together. I also gifted my daughters all my recipes that they loved - hand written on recipe cards in their own recipe box one Christmas long ago.

Food links us to our past. I'm so glad you have your mom's binders to hold. I have my mother's old green cookbook. It has her handwriting on the inside covers.