Monday, January 16, 2023

Deep Within My Genes: In My Grandmother's Kitchen

Today is my paternal grandmother’s birthday.  Depending on whether you believe her marriage certificate or her baptismal record, she would have been 114 or 112.  Both of my grandparents lied about their birthdates on their marriage license.  In a previous blog post, A Question of Age,  I covered this very subject. Spoiler alert, Grandpa had a good reason for his lie. Of Grandma’s lie, shoulder shrug, I have only unsatisfying speculation.  

My children were 9, 12 and 15 when my grandmother died.  I don’t think many children are lucky enough to have a relationship with a great grandmother, but my children had that privilege.  We still talk and chuckle about “grandma stories.” 

My grandmother was a good cook and an even better baker.  When she died, my mother found herself the recipient of a basket with Grandma’s recipes.  When my daughter married, I made a loose-leaf notebook for her entitled, “In My Grandmother’s Kitchen” and put together some of our favorite “Grandma Recipes.”  Since I have already written a birthday post about my Grandmother previously (My Grandmother, Anna),  I thought this time I would post recipes from the book. 
















These cookies were my personal favorite. (No, I really mean FAVORITE!)


















My daughter was partial to the Zucchini Bread.



The boys were partial to anything that contained sugar. 














The last two cookies in my grandmother’s handwriting.  


This is my Great Grandmother’s Pie Crust Recipe. 
























Nobody (at least in my family) practices the art of canning anymore.  I have not had these Mustard Pickles in close to 40 years, and my mouth is watering at the mere thought of them.  


























My grandmother was not the soft, cuddly kind of grandmother.  I don’t remember her ever hugging me or telling me that she loved me.  Yet, I always felt her love.  It came through in the tiniest of moments, the reams of advice (often unsolicited), the little things she did to lighten a single mother’s load, the sweet taste of a favorite cookie dropped off just when it was needed – that was my grandmother.

Happy Birthday, Grandma.  Your eldest granddaughter still misses you.

 

© 16 January 2023, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

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