My grandparents passed away years ago. By the time I was out of college, I had no grandparents left. So, I never got the opportunity to truly learn from them. There are all sorts of crazy hacks and ideas that my grandmas did, but, being as I was young, I don’t remember them. My mom has some good tips, but there is a lot she really doesn’t know. She’ll often say, “Your grandmother had a way to do that, but I don’t remember what it was.”, especially when it comes to baking. Both my grandmothers were bakers. My one actually worked at a bakery. Even though they were bakers, they never baked with me around. There would always just be baked goods when I showed up. My mom has never liked baking. Growing up, I thought homemade cookies were Pillsbury Slice N Bake. Sadly, this is not an exaggeration. I remember being 10 and asking my neighbor to help me make a cake for my mom’s birthday. I assumed we would open a box. She used FLOUR. I had literally never even realized people made cakes that didn’t come from a box! Fast forward to life after college. I learned I really like to bake. My dad’s mom made the absolute best peanut butter cookies. But, having two sons whose idea of cooking was making toast let alone any sort of baking, the recipe was lost when she passed away. My mom’s mom made Polish Easter bread to die for. I actually have that recipe, but the measurements don’t make sense. I’m sure they did to my grandma, but not to anyone else.
A couple of days ago, a friend posted a picture on Instagram of a pot of pasta sauce on the stove. It was her grandmother’s recipe. She mentioned that it smelled like home. With this memory, I can see a little [F] standing at the stove while her grandmother showed her all her secrets to her sauce. And more, I can see the love. I can see all the time they spent together with one generation teaching another. I never met [F]’s grandma, but I can see it through that one picture of pasta sauce. I could actually feel the warmth of the kitchen and smell the pasta sauce. That’s how powerful traditions are.
I wish I had memories like that. I wish my kids would have memories like that. We can’t change the past, we can just move forward and try to make the future what we want it to be. Therefore, I’m teaching my kids now. All sorts of tips and tricks, maybe like a grandma would give. I cook with my kids. I bake with my kids. I clean with my kids (because grandma’s had tons of cleaning tips, too!). I stand side by side and show them all the little things I’ve learned on my own. I not only share my recipes with them, but also the process involved in the recipes. I plan to do that as much as I can with my grandkids as well. I want my grandkids to grow up and make things “like grandma used to make”. Here’s a free tip that I just shared with Sunshine. Add a little sugar to the top of your pie crust. Coarse sugar is best, but plain granulated sugar works, too. Just a pinch. It makes all the difference. Life is easier, and a little sweeter, when you have people in it to show you the ropes.
A couple of days ago, a friend posted a picture on Instagram of a pot of pasta sauce on the stove. It was her grandmother’s recipe. She mentioned that it smelled like home. With this memory, I can see a little [F] standing at the stove while her grandmother showed her all her secrets to her sauce. And more, I can see the love. I can see all the time they spent together with one generation teaching another. I never met [F]’s grandma, but I can see it through that one picture of pasta sauce. I could actually feel the warmth of the kitchen and smell the pasta sauce. That’s how powerful traditions are.
I wish I had memories like that. I wish my kids would have memories like that. We can’t change the past, we can just move forward and try to make the future what we want it to be. Therefore, I’m teaching my kids now. All sorts of tips and tricks, maybe like a grandma would give. I cook with my kids. I bake with my kids. I clean with my kids (because grandma’s had tons of cleaning tips, too!). I stand side by side and show them all the little things I’ve learned on my own. I not only share my recipes with them, but also the process involved in the recipes. I plan to do that as much as I can with my grandkids as well. I want my grandkids to grow up and make things “like grandma used to make”. Here’s a free tip that I just shared with Sunshine. Add a little sugar to the top of your pie crust. Coarse sugar is best, but plain granulated sugar works, too. Just a pinch. It makes all the difference. Life is easier, and a little sweeter, when you have people in it to show you the ropes.
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