Cut-Out Cookies with Katie

My Grandma Lupsor is an incredible woman. My mom has described her as “the perfect mother-in-law,” and she is known throughout our family for generosity, her compassion for others (she has received numerous awards for all of the volunteering she has done through the years), and, of course, her food. She has been a lifelong member of St. George Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church in Canton, Ohio, where she (and my grandpa, when he was living) helped organize numerous weddings, funerals, and events. My grandparents helped keep the books at the church, and my grandfather sang in the choir. This episode, my cousin, Katie, joined me and we reminisced about all of our Romanian family favorites - pigs in the blanket (which are cabbage rolls, not cocktail weenies, by the way), doughnuts, crepes, hardtack, chocolate strip, and so many more. My grandma was always telling me, “don’t be bashful” and pushing me toward the epic snack cabinet available exclusively to use grandchildren, stocked with all manner of treats (my favorites were oreos, bugles, and cheese puffs). Katie remembers a lot more of the details than I do, but as we were talking, I felt like I was 7 years old again, sitting with my cousins at the card table in the living room, yelling “GRACE” as quickly as possible, and slurping noodles out of the most delicious bowl of chicken soup I have ever tasted. Katie is the leader of a nonprofit organization, a fitness instructor, a marathoner, and the mother of three. She recently got married (yes, during COVID!) and shared all about what the year has been like for her. How has she made it through? By cultivating community, with her family and with her fitness friends. “I think it’s important to stay connected to the things we really love, and the things that motivate us.” Katie, like most of the members of my family, also loves to cook. Specifically loves to bake - especially cookies. Every year she makes and decorates her Aunt Kim’s sour cream cookie sugar cookies, which her mom claims Katie makes better than she does. As she reflected on growing up in our family, Katie shared this: “The more I start to reflect, I realize this all makes me who I am. You don’t realize that as a kid. You think, “I’m not going to make the same mistakes as my parents. I've made different mistakes and had different experiences from my parents, but the framework we had growing up was so important. That really shaped me. Embrace your traditions and your culture; that helps you identify with who you are, and to move forward with who you want to be.”