About Eleanor Francis Traditions
Welcome to my website, Eleanor Francis Traditions. I created this to celebrate the simple joys of homemade food, family, tradition, and the wisdom passed down through our family generations.
Here, you’ll find traditional homemade meals that are delicious, nourishing, doable, and inspired by cultures and kitchens from around the world. My goal is to make cooking from scratch enjoyable and attainable while sharing the recipes, skills, and traditions that bring people together around the table.
The name Eleanor Francis Traditions honors two very special people whose lives left a lasting impression on our family.
Who Is Eleanor?
Eleanor was my grandmother, born in 1920 to German immigrant parents. She grew up during a remarkable time in American history and lived through the Great Depression and World War II.
Her life was not always easy, but Eleanor was resilient, hardworking, humble, and deeply devoted to her family. She was a farm wife who knew how to make the most of what she had and how to keep a family fed, cared for, and loved.
Eleanor raised 13 children over the course of four decades. Somehow, she managed to be a wonderful cook, baker, gardener, listener, and trusted advisor along the way.
She understood that a good meal could bring people together and that there was always something worth learning from life’s challenges. Her kitchen was a place where food was made with care, lessons were shared, and family came first.
Many of the qualities I admire most about Eleanor are the same qualities I hope to carry forward in my own family: working hard, being resourceful, caring for others, and finding joy in the ordinary moments of life.
Who Is Francis?
Francis is my husband’s late grandfather’s middle name, and he was born in 1931.
Francis belonged to the Silent Generation and was a devoted family man, father of five, and successful business owner. More than anything, though, he was known for his kindness and the love he had for his family.
His faith was an important part of his life, and those who knew him remember the joyful smile that seemed to accompany him wherever he went.
Francis had a reputation for treating people with kindness and generosity. He worked hard, cared deeply for his family, and was always willing to help when someone needed him.
Although Eleanor and Francis never had the opportunity to meet, their lives share so many beautiful qualities. Faith and family were at the heart of both of their lives. They worked hard, loved generously, and understood the importance of helping others.
That is the kind of legacy I want to continue.
Keeping Traditions Alive
Traditions are what mold our identities.
Sometimes they are so simple, such as sitting together around the dinner table after a long day. Sometimes they mean making a recipe that has been handed down through generations. Other times, they look like picking vegetables from the garden, teaching a child how to knead bread, or filling the pantry with jars of food preserved during the summer.
Those little moments matter most in life.
I created Eleanor Francis Traditions as a way to share the recipes and skills we use in our own home while celebrating the traditions that make food so much more meaningful.
You’ll find plenty of homemade recipes here, along with baking, gardening, canning, food preservation, and recipes inspired by different cultures and places we have enjoyed.
Our Family & Our Mission
My husband and I belong to the millennial generation, and we are doing our best to raise four children in a world that changes faster than we can sometimes keep up with.
One of the things that matters most to me is teaching our children where their food comes from and how to prepare it themselves.
I want them to understand that food doesn’t simply appear on a grocery store shelf. There is value in knowing how to grow a tomato, bake bread, preserve a harvest, prepare a meal, and sit down together to enjoy it.
Our family grows as much food as we reasonably can in our suburban home. During the growing season, our garden keeps us busy, and when harvest time arrives, I love finding ways to preserve that food for the months ahead.
Canning, freezing, fermenting, baking, and cooking from scratch have become an important part of our family life.
Real Food from a Real Kitchen
As a Registered Nurse, nutrition has always been an important part of how I think about food and healthy living.
I believe food can be both nourishing and delicious. We try to choose ingredients that are as close to their natural form as possible and limit preservatives, artificial food dyes, and highly processed ingredients.
That doesn’t mean everything has to be complicated or perfect. Quite the opposite.
Some of my favorite recipes are incredibly simple. A homemade loaf of bread, a pot of soup, fresh vegetables from the garden, or a batch of cookies made from scratch can turn an ordinary day into something memorable.
A Love of Food and Travel
Food has also given our family a wonderful way to experience the world.
We love to travel, discover new places, try unfamiliar foods, and learn the quirky little facts that make each destination unique. I especially enjoy experiencing a culture through its food because a recipe can tell you so much about the people and traditions behind it.
When it comes to my favorite cuisine, Mexican food has my heart. I love the vibrant flavors, colorful ingredients, and generous use of herbs and spices.
At the same time, I never want to stop exploring. There is always another recipe to try, another ingredient to discover, and another kitchen tradition to bring home.
From Our Kitchen to Yours
Ultimately, Eleanor Francis Traditions is about much more than recipes.
It’s about family.
It is about learning old-fashioned skills while making them work in modern life. It’s about growing food, preserving food, cooking from scratch, sharing meals, and teaching the next generation what we have learned.
Most of all, it is about appreciating the little things.
I hope the recipes here inspire you to spend a little more time in your kitchen, try something new, grow something of your own, or pull up a chair and enjoy a meal with the people you love.
Eleanor taught our family the value of hard work, resilience, generosity, and caring for others. Francis showed us the beauty of kindness, faith, family, and a joyful spirit.
Their traditions may have started generations ago, but I believe the best traditions are the ones we continue to pass along.
Thank you for being here, and welcome to our kitchen.
Enjoy the simple things in life, make real homemade food, and always leave room for something delicious.
Keeping traditions alive, one recipe at a time.
~Jenny
