There’s nothing quite like your mom’s cooking. No matter who you are or where you are, having familiar hands make a familiar dish is one of life’s true blessings.

I’ve been enjoying the luxury of my mother’s cooking while I’ve been moving back home, after being away for the past seven years. It means I’ve seen some Sipe family classic recipes, including a few that I’ve forgotten. And a few I didn’t appreciate enough as a kid.

I hate to say it, but I was a tough child to feed. While now, I love eating adventurously and trying new dishes whenever I can, that was not always the case. When I was little, I had about a million different textural issues with food, along with some strong feelings about what counted as too spicy or slimy for my six-year-old brain to accommodate.

My father knew enough to teach me not to be rude about foods my mother cooked, especially when she was going through the effort of feeding five or six people three times a day. But I was also a very quiet child naturally (I know, you’re all shocked). To deal with my textural troubles, I would simply keep passing the bowl of whatever I didn’t want to eat to my brothers and let them eat it instead.

A few things were more obvious because they came up more frequently. Mashed potatoes were a real sticking point for me. Mushrooms were a no-go. Other vegetables were a toss-up. But there were some foods that just quietly vanished from my diet without anyone realizing.

One of those foods was my mom’s Mexican Spinach Cornbread, which she often served as a side for taco pie or enchilada nights. I tried it once as a kid, decided bread with spinach in it wasn’t for me and figured the boys could dispose of it instead.

But earlier this month, my husband and I came to my parents’ house for dinner, and she had pulled out this long forgotten side dish, remembering how much her kids had liked eating it. She had ordered the mix online, since it’s hard to find in stores these days, specifically for us.

My years of silence had betrayed me. Now, there were only four of us at the table, and there were no rowdy brothers to hide behind. And here the green bread was once again, taunting me from the table. I couldn’t reject it – she had made it just for me.

“I’m an adult,” I told myself. “Calm down. Just eat the spinach cornbread.”

I did my best to clear my mind of six-year-old Abigail’s misgivings. After all, I’m 25 years old. I’ve gotten over the mashed potato thing and the mushrooms. I could eat a single dang piece of spinach cornbread. I could give it a fair shot.

I took a bite before I even tried the enchiladas. And suddenly, I realized what I’ve been missing out on all these years. I wish I could kick my younger self.

Mexican Spinach Cornbread is delicious. The structure of the cornbread with the spinach is fairly light, while still being filling. It’s well seasoned, and it includes some small pieces of peppers for extra flavor. And it’s warm and pairs well with other Mexican dishes.

Don’t be like me. Don’t deprive yourself of a delicious side that could enhance your meals. If you can get your hands on some cornbread packets, try the thing.

Also, hug your mom if you can. No matter who you are or where you are, she put up with your younger, dumber self.

MEXICAN SPINACH CORNBREAD

Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) package chopped spinach (from frozen)
1 (6 ounce) package mexican cornbread mix
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 cup butter (melted)
4 large eggs (lightly beaten)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
■ Cook spinach according to directions then drain and press out excess liquid.
■ Mix all ingredients together and pour into lightly greased 8-inch-by-8-inch pyrex dish. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

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