This week in class we emphasized the importance of passing down traditions through story telling. In my family our Italian heritage is extremely important, and in my own experience my family members show their love and appreciation to other members of the family via food and baking. My own family makes a pasta dinner every Sunday night. Everyone pitches in from the oldest members of my family to the youngest. My grandfather on my mothers side (who is my grandpa Giuseppe) comes over to cook the meal, and everything is made from scratch including the sauce and meatballs. My grandmother will go to the Italian bakery in the morning to get the freshly baked bread, which makes the meal. Dad is in charge of the side dishes, which almost always consisted of a salad of fresh vegetables. In the summer my mom will go to the farmers market for fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and whatever else is in season. When she gets back she makes dessert with the help of my sisters. My favorite is when she makes tiramisu ,and occasionally she makes canopies. My job is to entertain the younger cousins after they finish setting the table. All of us have held this job at one time or another, but it always falls on the youngest family members. After a days worth of work the meal comes together and we all get to enjoy it as a family.

It is when we are all sitting at the table enjoying each others company that the best memories are made. Grandpa Giuseppe loves to tell us stories from his childhood, and we have all heard his favorites several times. This is how our family's stories get passed down through the generations.