A few years back, we went to Mistletoe Marketplace and found a vendor called Rag Muffins out of Florida. She had so many adorable tea towels, and if you’ve been in my kitchen you know I have a tea towel for every occasion and I purchase one on every trip. She can take handwritten recipes and turn them into tea towels. So your favorite recipes can also act as artwork in your kitchens.

That Christmas, I sent the recipe for my MawMaw’s Okra Gumbo she had written in 1986 on a notecard and left in her recipe box for me to find 20 years later to be made into a tea towel for my mom. To say we had a tearful Christmas morning when that gift was unwrapped is an understatement. So while I don’t have any pictures of her making this gumbo, I have her handwriting to go by and hang on my stove when I miss her.

Okra Gumbo

1 pint frozen okra gumbo mix, thawed

2 cups water

1 16-ounce can tomatoes, not drained

1 pound medium shrimp

Salt to taste

Bay leaves

Combine mix, water, and tomatoes in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add shrimp and simmer for 20 minutes. Salt to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve over cooked rice.