I don't remember you, but...

One time when I was living in the distant and foreign land of Buffalo, Minnesota I went to a rather large church activity.  I recognized a woman I had known many years before in Nebraska.  Her husband had been a student at UNL and I recalled that they had said they were from Minnesota.  I remember I had thought, "People live in Minnesota?"  That very thought is probably the reason I got moved there.  Anyway, I approached her and said, "I"m Laurie Stoker.  We were in school in NE together.  Do you remember me?"  She looked at me blankly at first and then said, "I don't remember you, but I remember your chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.  We make them all the time."  I realized then the power of food and the importance of sharing recipes if you want to make a difference in the world.

Food's tricky.  We have to deal with it several times a day.  The best tasting food is probably the least helpful to our health, but I have some really fond memories and dearly held traditions associated with some very delicious comfort foods.  I know, I know, thin people eat a lot of protein, small meals, raw foods, blah, blah, blah.  I believe it and sometimes live it, but I'm not writing about that right now.

I have some early and delicious memories with my Grandparents that help anchor their spot in my heart.  Grandma and Grandpa Miller lived off the land.  Spinach smoothies seem like such a new, cool thing, but 45 years ago my grandparents were drinking lettuce milkshakes.  They put garden lettuce, milk-ice cubes and a little sweetener in the blender and whipped it up for a refreshing treat.  Okay, it used to freak me out, and I only had them at their house. But they were good in a what-the-heck-is-this way.  Breakfast was cracked wheat cereal.  If the hard times come, just know that you can grind your wheat coarsely, mix it with water, simmer it over the stove for about 20 minutes and have hot cereal.  In the meantime, Life cereal it is.  My favorite dinner at Grandma's was creamed new potatoes and peas.  I've tried to make that for my family, but the trick is the new potatoes and fresh peas from the garden.  My frozen peas just aren't cuttin' it.  At Christmas Grandma Miller sent boxes of homemade candy and cookies.  My Dad's favorite were the raisin filled sugar cookies.  I'm still looking for the recipe just for nostalgia's sake.  The penuche was my favorite.  One Grandma Miller treat that I do have the recipe for is this.


Rhubarb Ice:  Make a syrup of 1 c. sugar and 1 c. of water.  Bring it to a boil.  Add 4 c. of chopped rhubarb and cook until tender.  Add one 3 oz. package of strawberry jello and stir until dissolved.  Put in the blender and liquefy.  Freeze until firm and whip again.  Return it to the freezer and freeze solid.  Serve when desired.  It keeps well in the freezer.


My Mom's mom, Grandma Fawson,  contributed heavily to the Christmas food traditions we had growing up.  My Grandma's Christmas eve dinner was tuna sandwiches and 7-up and cinnamon rolls.  My Mom's Christmas Eve dinner was tuna sandwiches (always on white bread, because it was a special occasion), 7-up with grape juice, and potato chips.  Christmas dinner was ham and whatever, but the best part was the Cinnamon Rolls.  When my brother was on a mission to Columbia my mom sent him Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas.  She anticipated that they would be greatly altered by the trip, but she knew how much love could fit into a cinnamon roll so she sent them anyway.

Mom’s Cinnamon Roll Recipe:

Heat together until butter melts the water, milk, raisins and butter. Cool until luke warm then pour on three beaten egg. Add the dissolved yeast and enough flour to make soft consistency. Allow to rise until bulk doubles.

Roll out on large cookie sheet and spread butter on surface then sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon. 

Roll up like a jellyroll and slice up in one half inch thick slices. Place on cookie sheet and allow to rise to double bulk. Bake approximately 15 minutes (until golden brown) at 325 degrees.

Ingredients for dough:

6 ½ cups flour.

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1 cup raisins

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

2 pkgs. Yeast

Ingredients for the glaze (Mix to the right consistency):

Powdered sugar

Milk

Vanilla

Ingredients for the sprinkle mixture on the rolled out dough:

butter, cinnamon and sugar.

My mom's dad and step-mom, Grandpa Miner and Nana lived in the city.Their foods were more modern, like them.  Nana introduced us to carrot juice and a fresh soup made with v-8 juice poured over chopped celery and grated carrots.  Once when we visited she had us try these new little vitamin balls that you could eat instead of food.  They were okay, but I was still hungry.  For a treat she would take me to the mall for Orange Julius, only the most delicious drink on the planet.  Grandpa always came through for the kids with his little bowls of bridge mix and boston bean candy.  I wonder if he ever noticed that after I spent a little time watching TV on his easy chair the candy dish was greatly depleted.

I had the privilege of living by a dear friend who created some of the most wonderful things in her kitchen. Actually this could apply to several dear friends.   If I went to this friend's house around noon there would be homemade soup simmering on the stove.  She was from Canada and introduced me to maple dressing, maple chicken, and maple candy.  Her world of food was new and vast and beautiful. While I learned so many things from her she took a couple recipes from my tiny repertoire.  Those were some good years.  Recently this lovely girl sent  this message to me on facebook, "Funny how little things can bring us back in time.  I frequently think of you when I cook your recipes.  My favorite are the two breakfast casseroles.  I usually cook them when I have big family gatherings and I feel like you are part of it."  Pinterest is great and all, but I think a little love is lost.  Friend and family food fills me the best