Grandma's Kitchen
For the first Foodie Friday I would like to make a tribute to everyone's grandmothers, because no one makes food like they can! If you had grandmothers like mine you understand what I'm saying. They deserve a round of applause for the many years of perfection. It doesn't matter if they ever did make mistakes in the kitchen - no one even noticed. Grandmas are famous for having that magic touch. They can make everything without even glancing in a cook book because they already have all of their favorite recipes and personal tweaks memorized.
I have learned quite a lot from my grandmothers, as everyone should. But no matter how close things may come, nothing that I make tastes just like theirs did. I'm sure we all have this problem. Not only are our grandmothers cooking our food in a magical kitchen they're also putting that famous secret ingredient in: love.
We all have fond memories of our grandmothers, or someone like a grandmother to you, in the kitchen making her family famous foods. Did you ever ask your grandma to teach you how to make something and she would say "just add a pinch of this or a bit or that?" That was how my grandmothers were in the kitchen. I remember my sister asking her, "but how much do I put in?" My Grandma Lee reached inside the container of flour and casually tossed in a pinch saying, "About this much. Just a pinch." I remember it seemed to confuse us at the time because our young minds needed to hear a measuring amount, however, now I understand her perfectly. Some things you don't need to be so perfect about. You know about how much the recipe calls for and that's all that matters. Grandma's have done it all before. They won't steer you wrong in the kitchen.
Here are some things about my Grandma Lee that I remember about her cooking. She could peel and dice something right in her palm faster than I've seen anyone else do it in my life. She made the best apple sauce, apple butter, strawberry jam, canned peaches, green beans, banana bread, roast beef, barbecues, and peanut butter fudge than anyone I've ever met. I'm sure I left many things out because everything she made was wonderful. These were mostly her canned things that I grew up with and were always a staple at grandma's house.
My Grandma Bartlett made the best cinnamon pancakes, waffles, seven bean baked beans, brownie pie, goody bars, rum balls, and stroganoff. She made every thing more delicious. She even made coneys and Terrells Potato Chips taste better because she made them with love.
I miss my grandmother's food so much. Every time I smell warm applesauce I think of her dinner tables, which were scarcely without it. Whenever I smell coneys I think of my grandma's house - they still don't taste the same as when she made them. Their work in the kitchen will be forever remembered.
Hope you enjoyed this Foodie Friday! I'd love to hear what great dishes your grandma's would make and kitchen anecdotes that you remember.