Delicious smells and tastes marked the launch of the Ranch Ehrlo housemother’s book The Consistently Consistent Cookbook on Friday, May 17th.

House mothers gathered at Schaller School to handout samples of their tried and true recipes and signed copies of their brand new cookbook.

Housemothers have been a significant part of Ranch Ehrlo from the beginning. Their role includes being a positive and caring figure in the lives of youth, providing care and support as a ‘mother’ figure, and teaching the youth various life skills they will need to prepare for life on their own – like cooking.

Five house mothers formed a committee to create the cookbook (April Fike- Peterson House, Gladys Foley – Cavendish, Krista Hill-MacKay House, Debbie Delorme – Jewison House,  and former housemother Rayna Jordan) to give the youth something to take with them when the leave the agency.

“When kids graduate from the program we like to give them a little something to remember us by because we always get those phone calls, ‘I really need this recipe or that recipe.’ It’s good that they get a little piece of us when they leave here,” explained April Fike.

The recipes in the book are not only from the housemothers in Regina and Pilot Butte, but from the Buckland and Corman Park campuses too.  Recipes are housemother specialties, youth and staff favorites, and also staff recipes.

The cookbooks sell for $12 and can be found at the accounting office at 1809 MacKay Street in Regina and at the Hudson Building on the Pilot Butte campus. All proceeds from the sales go to the Mary Miller fund.

Fike added, “The fund helps former Ranch kids, who require financial support for personal emergencies.”

The name of the fund comes from a former employee and original housemother, Mary Miller, who was dearly loved by staff and youth.