When I moved into my first apartment after college, the first real meal I made for myself was my Mom’s lamb chops. When I say “real” meal, I am talking about something that didn’t involve boiling noodles or scrambling eggs. This was a legit, little bit pricey, complete with mashed potatoes and fresh peas, adult meal. To this day, I don’t know if it was the meal itself or the fact that I did it all on my own (and was now totally self-sufficient) but it was one of the best meals I ever ate.

Mom passed away recently and there has been a whirlwind of activity with all that this entails. So, on the rare evening that I have had time to make dinner for my family, I’ve noticed that I have been gravitating towards the recipes that were Mom’s. Her meatloaf is a great example.

My mother got such a kick out of the fact that I would write this blog every week. Mainly, because she knew all of the players in the family stories I would tell. Her only complaint was that she didn’t get as much credit for my culinary development as she deserved. And, she was absolutely right.

I have often talked about the recipes that my grandmother made, and they are all great. But, my mother was just as talented and prolific. And, the reality is, it’s the recipes my mother made for my sister and me that I serve to my own family on a weekly basis. I am still on the hunt for her New Orleans Barbequed Shrimp recipe….

Tonight I will be making Mom’s Lamb Chops again. There’s not a whole lot to the recipe. In fact, there are really no measurements—all the quantities in the recipe are approximate.

Mom’s Lamb Chops Recipe
The amount of marinade Mom made depended on how many chops she had. You can use whatever lamb chops you can find: sirloin chops, loin chops—whatever works.

Mom always used loin chops and we always got exactly two on our plate. And, always with mashed potatoes and peas.
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Chopped, fresh rosemary
8 Lamb Chops

Directions
To make the marinade Mom would combine some soy sauce, garlic powder, and chopped fresh rosemary in a dish or ziplock bag.

Then Mom would toss the lamb chops in the bag to marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour.

After that she would broil or grill the chops for 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on their size. And, that was it!

I have put together a list below of a few recipes that I have written about that were either her recipes or one of her favorites to eat. (Gotta give Mom her credit.) Some of them included the family stories I mentioned above like her birthday cake post.

March 15 is Mom’s birthday and she would have been 73 years old. I plan on making cupcakes from Snow Cake, her favorite birthday cake recipe, to celebrate the life of one really special lady…

Snow Cake
Grilled Crab Sandwiches
Green Chili Rice Casserole
Carrot Soufflé
Lemon Meringue Pie
Oriental Barbecued Ribs
Beef Short Ribs Braised in Dark Beer with Bacon and Red Onions
Black and Tan Sundae According to Amy
Barley and Pine Nut Pilaf
Hot Cheezy Things
Swedish Ginger Cookies