I recently received a very special gift.
Ben’s late Grandma’s – Gwendolyn’s – collection of cook books.
His family has started the long process of sorting through her belongings after she passed away last year, and among the many items a woman in her 80s possesses – letters, knickknacks, pictures and notes – was her well used collection of cook books, which they thoughtfully entrusted to me.
Cook books she used everyday, jotting down notes to indicate a “family favorite“,
or re-writing ingredients to better suit her tastes.
Cook books stuffed with handwritten recipes that Grandmas seem to always make best,
like “Mystery Bars”
and “Honey Peanut Bar Cookies.”
Cook books with pages that were stained and splattered with the evidence of lovingly made family dinners and desserts.
Let me tell you about the desserts… If there was any question in my mind that Gwen had a sweet tooth, I am now completely clear on the matter.
The worn and well used tabs for “Cookies,” “Cakes & Frostings” and “Candies” stuck out in every cook book I opened.
A woman after my own heart.
Her favorites, from what I can tell, were Chocolate Cake, and Lemon Bars. Variations of the same two recipes were ear-marked in book after book – saved to be easily found and made again and again.
“Yep, she loved her Lemon Bars…” Ben confirmed after I informed him of my suspicions. And we all know about Grandma’s famous Cookie Cake which, if the chocolaty fingerprints covering the cake page of her favorite cook book are any indication, she made often.
There was a big lump in my throat as I was going through Gwen’s collection, flipping through the faded pages and catching glimpses of her handwriting every now and again, but it was more sweet than sorrowful. And given my love for cooking, I only feel closer to her now. Is that cheesy?
Hang on, I think I saw a recipe for a cheese ball a few pages back…
~~~~~
“My Grandma/Grandpa makes/made THE best _______.”
My Grandma on my Mom’s side makes THE best chicken noodle soup. My Grandma on my Dad’s side made THE best homemade caramels.
I was given one of my grandmother’s beloved cookbooks with all her additions and modification last year. I have gone through it numerous times just looking at her handwritten notes tucked inside. It makes me feel like I am back in her kitchen ‘taste testing’ her creations. She made the best potato salad, sugar cookies, angle food cake, cinnamon rolls, applesauce, bread, and just about everything else. My sister, uncles and cousins are having a “little” family competition on who can recreate her wonderful creations – her cookies, bread, and rolls are the prestigious recipes to master.
My grandma makes the best rhubarb cake. When I was younger she would always bring one over and my dad and I would go crazy over it. Yum!
My Grandma makes the best potato salad and the most delicious rinderwurst!
My Grandma Mabel made the best cream puffs, and Grandma Bernice made delicious scalloped potatoes, and melt in your mouth spritz cookies. What I wouldn’t give to taste those things, made lovingly by them, again.
This post came at the perfect time! I have been thinking about my Grandma a lot and must track down her recipe box. My Grandma made the best pineapple upside down cake (featured in the Gazette) and my Grandpa made the best Peanut Butter Fudge. Keep on blogging, you do great work!
What a sweet (literally) blog entry.
My maternal grandmother was a great cook and baker – my absolute fave was a Harvey Wallbanger cake. Like the drink, but in cake form. Delish! My paternal grandma makes the BEST spaghetti and meatballs. Love, love, love.
That is most definitely a wonderful gift. Everything my Nanan (dad’s side) was wonderful. Going through her deep freeze in the basement and digging up all sorts of goodies was always one of my favorite things to do. And my Grandma on my mom’s side makes all sorts of yummy bars (lemon, rhubarb, etc). She always has the bread box full of them when I go to visit.
After my Grandma passed away, my aunts coordinated a gift for all of the grandkids. They made photocopies of her favorite recipe cards, which were in her own handwriting, and included a picture of her on the other side of the recipe card. I have her most sought-after recipes but admit that I haven’t made any yet. I just know they won’t taste as good as when she made them! She literally made the best EVERYTHING but if there is one thing I miss the most, it is her beef gravy. I know that sounds strange but it was literally the greatest gravy ever. She had a real way with food. I made the Texas sheet cake recipe you had posted (from Pioneer Woman) and it reminded me of homemade chocolate cupcakes my Grandma made once for my birthday. They were cream-filled and probably took her hours to do. So thanks for sharing a recipe that brought back so many great memories for me and thanks for this post. It was really touching.
My grandma, a farm wife, makes awesome sauerbraten and apple cream pie!! It can’t be replicated! :)
My grandma made the best everything! :,( Miss her so much!
Candy! Fudge, brittles, sea foam, marshmallows, you name it. She rocked it when it came to candy. Unfortunately I was too young to learn any of it from her, but I have her recipes and marble (!) slab now. She made amazing pickles, too, according to my mom.
My Grandma Smith used to make the best Molasses cookies. I can still picture her in her apron in her very small kitchen baking up a storm. I was lucky enough to get one of those aprons when she passed away and when I see it on the hook in my kitchen, along with the one from my other Grandma who passed before I was born, one of my Mom’s aprons and my Aunt Dororthy’s…well, it makes me proud to know I love cooking and baking just as much as they did/do!
Thanks for sharing IowaGirlEats! You rock!
My Grandma, Betsy, makes the BEST kransekage!…for the Danish, it’s traditionally a wedding cake or for other special celebrations.
Yum.