I’ve combined Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge, and Steve Little’s The 2025 AI Genealogy Do-Over, to create a unique 52 AI ancestors in 52 weeks party!

52 AI Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 48: Family recipe

Introduction

When my parents split up, I lived with my maternal grandparents for a year and a half. I have many fond memories of Grandma cooking and can happily tell you stories of shrimp cocktail, salmon patties, veal cutlets, and more. (Do you? When I visited an Amish restaurant while consulting one day, it felt almost like I was back at Grandma’s. She wasn’t Amish, but the homestyle cooking evoked good bits of my childhood.) But my very favorite of Grandma’s recipes was the only salad I really enjoy.

Discussion

Grandma (Edith Lillian MAKEY WEST 1913-1997) was a New York City girl for about 60 years. She married an Ohio boy who had come to the city looking for opportunity, and his family embraced her. They spent part of their honeymoon at Niagara Falls (very popular back then), and part in Grandpa’s hometown. They are buried together in that hometown now.

Grandpa’s family clearly shared a recipe with Grandma when they were there. Grandma was well-known for her “5-cup Ohio salad,” which when I was a girl was just an amazing treat.

5-cup Ohio salad

Ingredients

1 cup drained mandarin oranges

1 cup drained pineapple cubes

1 cup mini marshmallows (Grandma noted that the multicolored ones were nice)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup sour cream

Directions

Mix and chill.

What we loved most was how simple it was.

When I was an adult, I learned it was a popular recipe everywhere and Ohio had no particular claim on it. But it makes it no less special to me.

How AI can help

If you are lucky enough to be the recipient of some passed down recipes, you may find ingredients a challenge! My beloved Aunt Cheryl (daughter in law of Grandma above) shared her unbelievable chocolate chip cookie recipe with me and it called for Oleo. Oleo?! Let’s pretend we know what that is, how do we even get it?

This can be solved with a Google search, but an AI ask gives much better details:

And presto! Aunt Cheryl has some competition! 😊

Challenge for Readers

Find a recipe that has been handed down – it can be in your family, or a neighbor (my neighbor Pat gave me an Irish soda bread recipe that her mother cut from a newspaper, and I make it every St. Patrick’s Day – it’s the favorite of everyone who tries it), or from a church or school recipe book (remember them? Often the recipes were accompanied by memories or other personal touches, so do not neglect the treasure).

Let the memories evoke another time.

If there are challenging ingredients, or temperatures, or tasks, ask AI about them!

Curious cooks and curious cousins both welcome.

Next Week’s Topic: “Written”

AI Disclosure

This post was created by me with the help of AI tools. While AI helps organize research, the storytelling and discoveries are my own.