MY STORY
The first thing you should know is that you will not find anything that I stake claim to in my recipe box. There are ones in there that I have added my own twist or special touch to, but they are not mine. They belong to generations of family that have been passed down over the years. They are recipes shared at church luncheons, potlucks, family picnics and any other places where friends and family gather. So that brings us to the second thing….why am I doing it? Simple, some things shouldn’t die, just as some people should live forever; but since that doesn’t seem to be possible, this is.
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I grew up in the heart of Iowa farmland. This is where no matter how badly I want to leave, no matter how many times I do, I always return. This is where every farming event, such as harvest, bailing hay, or even hunting season or putting new shingles on Grandpa and Grandma’s roof means that the entire family gathers like it’s a holiday. This means that Grandma has filled the house with the smell of home raised fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy with all the trimmings. Grandma always had jello salads and pies or cookies or a big pan of fresh baked apple dumpling. For deer season we would all gather at Grandma’s long before daybreak where she would have a big pot of oatmeal with raisins in it, Casey’s doughnuts, and her homemade cinnamon rolls. My Dad never went to Grandma’s without heading straight to the oven to see what goodies she had hidden in there. That was his first stop, well, after grabbing a fork out of the silverware drawer of course.
That is what Grandma’s Pantry is all about. Keeping that alive in our hearts and homes. Nothing I bake ever tastes like Grandma’s, even when I bake it at her house with the same pans and ingredients. That must be where Grandma had to stick her finger in it to add that special something. Grandma fed everyone that came through her door, whether they were hungry or not, and everyone in our county knew that Grandma was the best cook around. That’s just the way it is with grandma’s. So this is a tribute if you will to my grandma, and all the others out there.
I bake at your request the things you love, but don’t have the time or desire to bake for yourselves. These aren’t the elegant, fancy desserts you find in the city. These are the farm style desserts that you would find hidden in Grandma’s oven. So if there is something that you don’t see, just ask, I may have it or will scour the countryside to find it.