07/09/2007

Grandma's Kitchen

Time with daughters always time well spent

By Edna Shaffer
Local columnist
coachngrandma@
charter.net

Read Edna's past columns here

Well, Grandma escaped from the kitchen for a while.

What an exciting time I have had since our last visit. I'm just settling in after my visit to New York. I loved being with my daughters Cathy and Molly, Cathy's three daughters and their seven little ones — some I haven't seen for two years and one I haven't seen at all. They are all so sweet, smart and beautiful.

I collected lots of hugs and kisses, deciphered stories told with a lisp through missing front teeth, and felt my heart grow a few sizes larger. There was so much energy in that group, I wish I could bottle and sell it. I would buy the first bottle!

We got to see our 13-year-old gymnast granddaughter practice and now know why she has a collection of ribbons. We had lots of great organic food, cooked with much love and garlic by our granddaughters, topped off with one of Becky's famous cheesecakes. Our time went too fast.

Molly drove the entire 1,150 miles, and coming home turned into a 14&1/2-hour trip. It was 97 degrees when we left New York. We ran into a storm after we crossed Ontario, the likes of which I have never seen; we could see nothing. The temp dropped to 68! We had a sourpuss at Customs, who, we decided, liked to intimidate women. Otherwise everything was perfect. and Molly and I talked nonstop through it all.

These mother-daughter trips are rare and wonderful. We have another one coming up in a few days. We're going downstate to celebrate our "baby” daughter's 40th birthday. (Yes, we have old babies.) That will be another hectic celebration, complete with the family birthday cake — a lemon poppyseed with cream cheese frosting perfected by daughter Vicki (whose poor husband Larry had to eat about four in the process).

This 40-year-old "baby,” Sarah, called me this morning as she was taking her early morning walk before she went to work. Right in the middle of our conversation I heard barking and growling dogs coming closer, and realized they were after Sarah. I was saying "Don't run, don't run” when her phone went dead.

Needless to say I had a pretty frantic time until she called back. She did manage to turn them away and the police came. It was a rottweiler and a pit bull — not a friendly twosome and there are lots of children in the neighborhood. The police told her to carry a spray bottle with a mixture of ammonia and water; it's as effective as pepper spray and not as dangerous. they said.

May's column generated an unusual amount of mail. I agree there are a lot of memories connected to making bread. It's hard to mention it without "mom” or "grandma” in the same sentence. My girls still talk about coming home from school just as I pulled hot cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Yep, "nothing says lovin' like something from the oven.”

I'm still trying to find all the recipes you asked for, so hang on a little longer. I could use your help on another request, so drag out those cookbooks again. A dear lady in Traverse City, (who, I discovered, grew up just 20 miles from me) is looking for a chocolate cake roll-up with a cream-cheese filling. It's not from a mix, and every recipe I find is.

I hope you can help me again. It sounds delicious and I know we'll all want to make it.

I have a recipe for you from my "Frugal File.” It's an old family favorite, and maybe yours, too, that I haven't thought of for a long while.

It's Hamburger Gravy, the hamburger being ground round or sirloin. You don't want the extra fat in cheaper grinds. You can feed six people with 1 lb. of meat! Serve it over biscuits or mashed potatoes — or both.

Hamburger Gravy

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1&1/2 T. oleo
• 3 T. Flour
• 3 c. water
• 1 t. Kitchen Bouquet
• 1 t. salt
• Pepper to taste

Over medium heat, brown the meat in a heavy skillet, stirring and breaking apart. Cook until done, drain off any fat or liquid that cooked out. Stir in the oleo, salt and pepper. Add flour, cook and stir until it starts browning. Gradually add water and Kitchen Bouquet, continue stirring until it thickens. Taste for seasoning. Makes six servings over potatoes or biscuits.

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When I eat something with gravy, I like to eat cole slaw, too, so maybe you would like to try this one. There are a million variations, so toss in what you like.

Savory Cole Slaw

• 4 c. shredded green cabbage
• 2 c. shredded red cabbage
• 2 apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. finely chopped Vidalia onion
• 1 T. dried cherries
• 1 T. chopped walnuts
• Dressing (bottled poppyseed dressing is also good):
• 2/3 c. light Mayo
• 2 T. red wine or cider vinegar
• 1&1/2 T. sugar
• 1/2 t. salt

Mix and taste for tartness; you may like more sugar.

Mix the dressing in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cabbage, apples, onions, cherries and nuts. Toss to mix thoroughly. Cover and chill up to two hours before serving. Serves six to eight.

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Parting shot: Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its mold.

Edna Shaffer is a local mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who occasionally writes about cooking from the perspective of an older adult. She can be reached via the Record-Eagle at 120 W. Front, Traverse City, Mi 49685; or by sending email to: coachngrandma@charter.net