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Liver Cheese: A Family Tradition

Today is an anniversary date. One of those dates you wish you did not have to remember but there is no way you can forget. 

Fifteen years ago today,two days after his birthday, my father died of lung cancer. He was a lifelong smoker and his cancer was aggressive. His battle was short. He fought for six short months after his diagnosis. He knew the chemo was not working and that his time was limited. When he came to this realization he became the best dad in the world. 

                                             
In the days before my father's passing, my family shared some memorable moments. One of those moments centers around the deli meat: Liver Cheese.I would not be surprised if you have never heard of it, or even never tasted it. But I was raised on it as it was one of my Dad's favorite things. 

What is it? Well, it is a German food that is actually called Leberkase. It is bacon, corned beef, pork, and onion that is ground together and baked. It comes with a lard ring around the meat {which kinda grosses me out, so I remove it}. For my family, fresh deli Liver Cheese is way better than the packaged stuff any day!

As my family gathered fifteen years ago, someone from our small caring community brought us some fresh deli Liver Cheese. My poor dad had not eaten anything in days.  {A fact that Hospice told us would happen. As the cancer progresses the patient looses interest and sadly food just feeds the cancer}. I, however, was hungry and made myself a Liver Cheese sandwich. I took my sandwich into our living room as sitting space was very limited. I ended up sitting on my dad's hospital bed expecting him to be asleep or incoherent due to all the morphine he was one. 


As I was eating my sandwich, my father awoke, and in a moment of clarity, he asked me what I was eating. I told him and asked him back, "you want a bite?" He did and I offered him my sandwich. He took such a huge bite he almost bit my finger!

Sadly, a day later he died. 

Now, every year on either the anniversary of his passing or his birthday, my mother, brother, son, and myself eat Liver Cheese.

I like my sandwich on white bread {which is weird because I normally prefer whole grain}, mayo, onion,, and Liver Cheese. 

Just the way Dad liked it.




Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Hi I was wondering where to buy liver cheese I live in Lebanon Oregon thank you

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    2. At a deli or grocery store

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  2. Great story,I am also a liver cheese lover, from my mother,now gone fifty years.

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  3. Great story thanks for sharing it with us...

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  4. My family loves that meat too we are here in Phoenix,Az and can not find we need help please my momma has been asking everyone we are from Chicago Illinois help please Email me at andrefulbright2@gmail.com thanks and God bless you.

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  5. Many of my older family members loved it but I never cared for it much. However, as a kid my grandfather would take us on overnight fishing trips on the Tallahatchie River and his idea of someting to eat was a can of sardines and a pack of crackers. I begged him once to please buy 10 cents worth of bologna or liver cheese because those sardines...No.

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  6. Great story loved it I also myself love it 👍👌👍

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  7. I felt this post as I read! Soo moving. Thank You for sharing with this livercheeseloaf lover. I grew up watching My "greedy mother" eating this and I always wanted to try it but knew Better than to touch her Special Foods. Soo when I became a Mom I saw this at my local grocery store and put the bad memories of it, aside and bought it. That was 38 years ago and it is now My Favorite sandwich meat. Ur memory of it is Beautiful but I needed to share mine.

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  8. Beautiful story. I love liver cheese, my grandmother use to tell me that if your were suffering from iron deficiency that it would help, so the older I get I remember that because I find myself suffering with it I have been eating it for about 3 weeks now 3 times a week I hope it helps 😊

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  9. I have German from my dad and I been eating liver cheese sandwich s since I was a baby so that is 54 years and love them as I write this I'm actually eat one right now.

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  10. There is pig liver in liver in liver cheese

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