It is one of those memories you never forget. Grandparents are great for that, giving you memories to cherish and last a life time. These memories you can go back to years later with a new understanding and appreciation for the grandparent that gave you that precious memory in the first place. Next I will be sharing once such memory.
Long ago I would go to visit my grandma and granddad on their farm. Now their farm was only about 30 miles from the farm I lived on but as a kid it seemed a LONG way away. We would spend a week there in the summer plus have other visits throughout the year. My grandmother always had me in awe. This particular memory is of her baking. It is why I love to bake today. Baking shows LOVE. Our family was never big on saying I Love Yous and mushiness but boy could we eat and my grandmother was a fabulous cook. Every day she would cook a huge lunch for her husband, son, brother-in-law and anyone else helping on the farm. Her rule was be in the house and ready to eat at noon on the dot or else! Those men were always on time.
When I was there she would find some time during the day to let me "help" with her baking. Some days it would be cookies. Others her famous cinnamon rolls or hot butter rolls and on special occasions - PIE. Grandma was a dumper/pourer. I always wondered how she could just pull ingredients out of the cubboard, mix this and that, once in a great while peek at a recipe and WA LA. Delicious food every single time! I was amazed. Of course she would let me stir this or flour that and taste all I wanted. (No wonder I'm fat...) On those days she made pie, she would always make extra crust and the left over pieces she would sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake on a cookie sheet. Now if you have never had this it is to die for...and it was made even better because Grandma's love went into this special treat for her granddaughters. Still I would often just look at her in amazement on how she did it. I even remember asking her a time or two, "How do you know how to make this stuff?" "She would just smile and say I've made this a thousand times. It gets easier." Of course as a kid this made no sense to me and I just stuffed more into my mouth.
My grandmother has been gone almost 15 years now. I still miss her smiles, naughtiness, laughter, and home of love.
The other day I was making apple crisp. As I was getting the ingredients out and mixing the "crisp" part I thought..."Gee I'd better check the recipe to see if I happened to forget anything." BAM
It hit me. I was only peeking at the recipe myself! My grandmother and this memory I have came flooding back and almost made me cry. Her words now make perfect sense to me now as an adult who has cooked and baked for more years than I care to remember. I have even mastered pie baking in honor of my grandmother. My crusts are just as amazing as hers according to my parents. (insert big smile here)
Thanks grandma Betty for instilling in me the love of baking, dumping and pouring, being naughty while smiling with flour on my nose, cackling at funny things with no abandon, and showing my love through the food I make.
Long ago I would go to visit my grandma and granddad on their farm. Now their farm was only about 30 miles from the farm I lived on but as a kid it seemed a LONG way away. We would spend a week there in the summer plus have other visits throughout the year. My grandmother always had me in awe. This particular memory is of her baking. It is why I love to bake today. Baking shows LOVE. Our family was never big on saying I Love Yous and mushiness but boy could we eat and my grandmother was a fabulous cook. Every day she would cook a huge lunch for her husband, son, brother-in-law and anyone else helping on the farm. Her rule was be in the house and ready to eat at noon on the dot or else! Those men were always on time.
When I was there she would find some time during the day to let me "help" with her baking. Some days it would be cookies. Others her famous cinnamon rolls or hot butter rolls and on special occasions - PIE. Grandma was a dumper/pourer. I always wondered how she could just pull ingredients out of the cubboard, mix this and that, once in a great while peek at a recipe and WA LA. Delicious food every single time! I was amazed. Of course she would let me stir this or flour that and taste all I wanted. (No wonder I'm fat...) On those days she made pie, she would always make extra crust and the left over pieces she would sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake on a cookie sheet. Now if you have never had this it is to die for...and it was made even better because Grandma's love went into this special treat for her granddaughters. Still I would often just look at her in amazement on how she did it. I even remember asking her a time or two, "How do you know how to make this stuff?" "She would just smile and say I've made this a thousand times. It gets easier." Of course as a kid this made no sense to me and I just stuffed more into my mouth.
My grandmother has been gone almost 15 years now. I still miss her smiles, naughtiness, laughter, and home of love.
The other day I was making apple crisp. As I was getting the ingredients out and mixing the "crisp" part I thought..."Gee I'd better check the recipe to see if I happened to forget anything." BAM
It hit me. I was only peeking at the recipe myself! My grandmother and this memory I have came flooding back and almost made me cry. Her words now make perfect sense to me now as an adult who has cooked and baked for more years than I care to remember. I have even mastered pie baking in honor of my grandmother. My crusts are just as amazing as hers according to my parents. (insert big smile here)
Thanks grandma Betty for instilling in me the love of baking, dumping and pouring, being naughty while smiling with flour on my nose, cackling at funny things with no abandon, and showing my love through the food I make.
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