In the kitchen

Grandma really knew her way around the kitchen. I think back to Sunday dinners at her house. Her dining room table could seat twelve, and that sucker was FILLED with food. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes were probably her specialty--except for desserts, of course. Iced box cake. Lemon meringue pie. Blackberry cobbler. Date pinwheels. Pecan pie. Pumpkin pie. Peach cobbler. Not to mention all the holiday candies she made... Divinity. Fudge. Peanut butter fudge. English toffee. Peanut brittle.

That list could go on and on and on. But here's what really sticks out in my mind... One time Grandma told me about her life on the farm.

She was married to a dairy farmer. And he served in the military for a least five years during WW2. During that time, she carried additional responsibilities on the farm. I guess the farm had quite a few hired hands. Probably seven to ten. Part of their wages was lunch. My grandmother made a full Sunday spread for seven to ten hungry men every day that she was on that farm. Even when my grandfather was overseas helping to fight a war. Oh, and in her spare time she made the occassional wedding cake. And she made sugar bells by hand and piped everything (no fondant back then!).

Now, I don't mean to brag. I learned a few things from Grandma, and I think I can hold my own in the kitchen. But when I try to imagine feeding the mouths of ten hungry men for lunch on a daily basis, I get a little squeamish. And, she made several pies per day, too. I don't make one pie per week, let alone several per day!

So, yes, my grandmother knew her way around the kitchen. I love the sign in her kitchen that read, "No matter where I serve my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best." I sure did.