Cooking with Grandma
One childhood memory that I will forever hold dear is spending time cooking with Grandma. She had an endless amount of patience to share. No matter what she was making in the kitchen, Grandma had me at her side, making the same thing. If she was making banana bread, she had a miniature pan for me.
When cherry pie was on the menu, there was a full-size one for the family and a tiny pie plate for me to make my own.
How about an angel food cake? Yep, there was even a small version of one of those.
I never realized what a labor of love this was until I had a child of my own. Cooking in the kitchen with a youngster is tons of work and allowing him/her to make a miniature creation can be a potential disaster. And yet, the kitchen chaos never seemed to phase Grandma. The lessons I learned by her side are some that I still hold close.
Summers at with Grandpa and Grandma
At staggered times throughout the summers, Grandma and Grandpa would invite their twelve grandchildren to come and stay on their seven acre farm. It was a fabulous time of freedom to catch fireflies late at night, make mud pies behind the shed, and explore the tree row and creek. The highlight for me was developing a special menu for my parents to enjoy on the night they picked me up to whisk me back to reality. It didn't matter how odd the combination of foods were. Macaroni and cheese, green beans, and new potatoes would make a 'perfect meal and they will love it'! Grandma helped me prepare each dish and everyone oohed and awed at the results.
