I have a lot of stuff...my Mom's wooden spoons and all of her iron skillets also her granite roasters. Her Blue Ridge pattern luncheon plates...my grandmother's iron skillets and their tea pots...hmm..have to think...all of their table cloths..:) I am a repository of all things inherited ! Great thread...and I love love that sweet dish. c

Wonderful, Trailrunner! Those things are so priceless.

I am a sentimental sort, so I am sentimental about a lot of my kitchen stuff (where/when/why I got each tool, gadget, pot and pan.....!).

Most treasured, family "heirloom" item would have to be my grandmother's wood chopping bowl, and metal chopper/blade. Second would be my favorite or family recipes, especially the ones my mom wrote out on index cards for me when I moved out of the house.

I have two platters that were my mothers. A lime green one and a blue and white one that my uncle gave her when she was married in 1951. He was only 17 when she got married and he paid about $2 for it and for him it was a lot of money. I use both of them all the time.

I have to say I love pulling out hand written recipes from my grandma and my mom (mom is still living). There is something comforting about it. I am going to categorize them as 'sentimental pieces'.

As for cookware - I don't yet really own anything that old. I did have a couple of soup bowls that were my grandma's that held great memories for me but they have broken. :( They weren't fancy or expensive or even attractive (my grandma loved the 'dime store') but it was more the memories tied to them.

A high-sided brown and tan pottery bowl that Mom used for bread dough. She was a serious baker and that bowl was her main baking accessory for as long as I can remember.

I have several lovely, sentimental things. But by far, the most sentimental has to be my mother's ugly, seriously hideous and HUGE cast aluminum dutch oven.

I'm of Cuban descent. This thing makes enough food for 15 people. Seriously. It measures about 20-22" in diameter. I can only use it on the middle burner of our Lacanche because it is so huge. It's ugly (did I mention that?) but so help me, food tastes better when it comes out of it. Enormous vats of Cuban chicken and rice and black beans to feed an army.

I keep it in the walk in pantry because there is simply no room in any kitchen known to man to store this thing....

Two items, and I use them both.

A cast iron skillet my mom found in the Sierras when she was 10 or 12, in an abandoned and falling-down cabin.

My great-grandfather's hand-forged, elkhorn handled buffalo skinning knife. The knife is a fabulous heavy cooking knife and really sharp.

I didn't even think to mention the cookbooks and recipe cards that Mom and Aunt Marie and Aunt Bessie and Grandmother Hawkins and Grandmother Dillinger all wrote out...and then there are some from their friends in there too. My DS1 uses some of the recipes in his restaurant..which I think is cool and he has his grandfather's knives now..I still have his steel...life sure has a lot to offer us if we stop and look around ...thank you for such a great thread.

And...Madeline..I just want to say that was my Momma's name and is my daughter's name too...so you are close to my heart...c

Trailrunner, how truly cool and so special that your son uses some family recipes at his restaurant! And I'm sure he treasures his grandfather's knives :-)

Always anted to name my daughter Madeline but was never blessed with one, so Madeline is my little dog's name :-)!!