Funnel Cakes
Now, nothing was better than going to Grandpa and Grandma's to spend the night. Things that were special treats at home, were common practice at Grandma's. If I wanted to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, we made rolls. If I wanted to have curly hair, Grandma would give me curls. If I wanted to play in sprinkler, we would make a game out of watering that turned into playing in the water. Even chores were more fun at Grandma and Grandpa's farm. Grandma taught me to snap green beans, hang clothes on the line, and haul water to the tree row of evergreens that needed to be nursed through a hot summer. And after a long fun-filled day, there was a treat to beat all! For most, funnel cakes were reserved for the county fair. But if you were a grandchild of Dale and Ruby Lamer, you got funnel cakes as a special snack before bed. It was heaven on earth.
My grandpa had taken an old metal coffee can, cut it down, and grandma used it to make the cakes. A sifter decorated our cakes with powdered sugar, and there was honey for a special treat.
After my grandma died, a box of recipes remained in the pile of things that no one had 'claimed'. My mom took them and I started rummaging. Rarely did my grandma use a recipe for anything, so the cards held very little sentimental value, until I came across 'Funnel Cakes'.
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When I started looking for my grandma's recipes, I shouldn't have been surprised that the task was not an easy one. Many of Grandma's recipes were not written down. When she mixed up a cake or bread, she went by feel and taste. A recipe was of little use to her.
When I found this recipe about marriage, it made me laugh. I was looking for food recipes and she had one about marriage in her collection!
Marriage Recipe
2 cups love
2 cups warmth
1 cup forgiveness
1 cup friends
4 tbsp hope
2 tsp tenderness
1 pint faith
1 barrel laughter
Combine love and warmth. Mix thoroughly with tenderness. Add forgiveness. Blend with hope and friends. Sprinkle all remaining with tenderness. Stir in faith and laughter. Bake with sunshine. Serve daily in large helpings.
-------------------------------------------------Poor Man's Cake
(Ruby's Famous Raisin Cake)
Boil and Cool:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/8 cup water
1 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
Add:
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
Until I typed this recipe, I thought it had coffee in it. When I was a little girl, Grandma and I made this cake for a family dinner. Grandma grabbed the coffee pot and poured a little into the batter. Little did I know it was one of her improvised solutions. Folks often asked my grandma to bring this cake to family gatherings, and it became her special cake. It wasn't until I researched the recipe that I discovered it was originally made by my grandma's mother, Margery Temple.
