Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love. – Julia Child
Grandmother Recipes, you all know what I am referring to: those special treats that come to mind when we think of one of our grandmothers. For me, it is my:
- Grandma Rightmeier’s chicken and dumplings, or any one of her array of homemade pies.
- Grandma Hancock, Nonna’s, decorated cakes or homemade candies.
I am blessed to have known both of my grandmothers well.
Grandmothers In Marriage
On my husband’s side, I was also able to know both of his grandmothers during our time in Southern California in the 80s. I don’t remember exactly the first time I met his grandmother Cullen. I do remember the house.
It is a modest, one-story 1920s stone structure situated in the midst of a walnut grove. Tucked right alongside but out of sight and sound of the Santa Ana freeway, it was a step back in time, just as grandma houses ought to be. I remember feeling a bit more at home there.
It may have been her Kansas roots or Methodist upbringing, but there was something familiar about her. Her hospitality felt like a warm hug. She was no pushover. In fact, she was quite the sturdy woman, having
- survived homesteading in Wyoming,
- helped to run a cafe-hotel in Burlington, KS,
- completed normal school at Emporia, KS
- taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Great Bend, KS.
- raised four boys
- saw two of them off to World War 2 as pilots and, thankfully, them coming home.
Legacy Leavings Including Grandmother Recipes
We don’t have many physical items from Grandmother Cullen, but those we have always bring back that feeling of a warm hug. For example, I have several of her sewing tools:
- A wood darning egg
- Several tatting shuttles
- A set of darning needles
I’ve even used them!
On a trip to David’s father’s home, we were helping go through some boxes and discovered several of Grandma Cullen’s baking and cooking booklets. These include grandmother recipes for cookies, oranges, and avocados, with handwritten notes and recipes. The cookies harken to her Midwest roots, with oranges and avocados embracing California.
I snatched these grandmother recipes up, not so much to use as to cherish. These were well used, so I am sure she made many of the delights for family gatherings, church socials, and neighborhood parties. These spoke of hospitality, treats for grandchildren and their friends, as well as family dinners. These spoke of love.
As I write this, I am thinking I may need to make some of those cookies. After all, the holidays are almost here!
What food item tells your most personal story? Do you or someone in your family still make it? Let me know!