Grandma's Freezer

Molasses Cookies

If I was asked what one memory stands out of Grandma Becker I would reply her baking. To narrow it down further, it would be her molasses cookies. She always kept a few dozen in the freezer chest. The older one. The "newer" freezer was where the corn was kept we froze every summer.

I decided to make a batch today for Bryce, Brooklyn and Briley. I'm not sure if they have ever had Grandma Becker's molasses cookies. Shame on me.

Briley, Brooklyn and Bryce

It's past time!

It's times like this memory that makes me wish I lived closer to them so they could reach into this Grandma's freezer for a cookie. Or three. 

It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day!

Melody
xoxo

Grandma Becker's entry from October 29, 1990
"Windy again but warm and sunny. Good wash day after I could get them on the line. Gerald burnt leaves again. Helen and Ruth both called. Went to Aldies and Kmart. Got a few groceries at Aldi, not much at Kmart. Talked to Eva-Pat still very miserable. Going to W'loo tomorrow to a specialist. Alberta home from Georgia ok".     

Grandma Perin

Connie, Grandma Perin and me

Thinking about Grandma Perin tonight. Her first name was Elizabeth, which is my middle name. She lived about a mile and half from us on an acreage by herself. In her later years she moved to Cedar Falls and lived with Grandpa and Grandma Becker.  My mom and dad used to drive her to all of her appointments, all of her shopping, and looked in after her for many years.  Connie, DeAnn and I were there quite often. We used to help feed all of her cats, which was dry cat food mixed with bread crumbs, milk and one egg. We used to play in the horse barn with the really cool hayloft. We used to drink  out of the hydrant on hot summer days, which was the coldest, best water ever. We used to mow her lawn, which sometimes could be intimidating when we saw her looking out the back door watching us. We used to help pick weeds in the garden and pick up sticks when storms blew through. A teacher by trade, she used to tutor me in math. I used to look forward to those afternoons - once the session was done I went in the pantry to make us a snack. It was usually her homemade jelly or jam on a piece of white bread. It was so delicious. 

She didn't have air conditioning, nor indoor plumbing. You know what that means. Outhouse time. Or the commode. I don't remember ever seeing her in slacks or with her hair not in a bun. 

I'm thinking of her tonight, and every other time I make homemade popcorn. Mine doesn't even compare to hers. She used to make us popcorn on Sunday nights. Her stove was located in the porch and she had the ultimate popcorn pan. I used to watch her stir the kernels with her index finger. It's weird what we remember.

An old popcorn pan like Grandma Perin's

    

Afterwards we used to gather around her small kitchen.  Her radio was usually on and we would talk or us girls would watch The Waltons which was her favorite show. Her television set was very, very small. With the antenna.

Every time I make homemade popcorn I think of those wonderful Sunday nights and Grandma Perin.

I still wonder to this day why I put popcorn in a glass and added milk and salt. Maybe that's why I don't drink milk to this day.

But I do eat popcorn. And I still hate math.

Love you and miss you Grandma Perin. 

It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day!

Melody

xoxo

Grandma Becker's entry for October 17, 1990

"Cloudy and windy most of day. Fixed barbecued ribs for dinner and baked potatoes. Legs hurt today - Gerald went to Dr. Basu. Stopped at Ohrts - they and Jim's got home about five. Got us a bag of apples at Gay Mills $5.  Gerald watched ball game Cinci Reds and Oakland.  I won the Scrabble game - at 10 it has been raining. Wind and very chilly".

Grilled Pizza

Pizza.

Happy Joe's. Shakey's. Zeno's.

The good old days. Sure, there are good pizza joints now, but nothing like back then. Zeno's was the place that used to cut their pizza into little squares. Shakey's was the place where you could watch movies - no pizza place today shows black and white films while you sit at long picnic-like tables. Together. Like one long extended Walton family, plus your second and third cousins. And the cousins you don't really even know. You get it. Happy Joe's had the ice cream parlor and taco pizza. 

Everyone has their own favorite.

Last night we decided to make homemade pizza on the grill.

It turned out really pretty good. I made the pizza crust while Harley Man created the sauce. The crust didn't turn out too bad, although next time I'll add more garlic and basil. We didn't have fresh garlic, and used what was in the pantry - which was garlic powder. I think it would taste better with the real deal. The sauce was tangy but sweet and we added hamburger, onions, and fresh mozzarella.



This is the dough recipe I used. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pizza-on-the-grill-i/ 

Yum. 

Melody
xoxo

It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day!

P.S.  I'll always miss Happy Joes taco pizza. 

Grandma Becker's entry for October 15, 1990
"Cloudy morning. Washing. Gerald went to Jeff Buss' - Denver to look at cows. Home all day. Gerald slow and draggy - head hurts."

Lemon Cake

After seeing a recipe for Lemon Pound Cake I knew it was mine. I had to try it. This cake is amazing and refreshing. I make lemon bars that are dreamy but after trying this cake it's like dreaming in color.

The recipe is from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contess http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-cake-recipe.html. It feels like she and I have grown closer from this recipe. She has no idea -  why be a spoil sport. The only difference in the recipe was I used large eggs instead of extra large. I figured she didn't know so it would be ok. 

It was. It is divine.

Thank you Barefoot Contessa!

Melody
xoxo
It's a great day to be alive, make it a great day!

Grandma Becker's entry for October 6, 1990
"Went to Richardson's Funeral Home. Loren Clabough's son. 
Warm again. Worked outside some. Cleaned up Phlox (they've been so pretty) Big aster plant by the fence and flowers down the driveway. Lunch at home. Gerald at Reggie's. Kenny putting in a new front door-we washed living room, den and our bed room windows. Went to see Helen at 3. Bacon tomato sandwiches for supper."

Not your momma's apple pie.

This isn't your momma's apple pie. This is jacked up.

 "Make Ya' Holla Apple Pie"

1 gallon Apple Cider 

1 gallon Apple Juice

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 Bottle (750 milliliter) Everclear

1 Bottle (750 milliliter) Vodka

Hot Damn to taste

Cinnamon Sticks

Combine apple juice, apple cider, sugars and cinnamon sticks in a large pot, bringing almost to a boil. Cover pot with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Remove pot from heat and cool completely. 

After it's cooled, strain (I used a cheesecloth).  Stir the Everclear and vodka into the syrup and add Hot Damn to your taste. Pour into glass jars or bottles. I put a cinnamon stick and apple slices in each jar as well. The longer it sits the better it tastes.

Cheers! 

Happy tailgating! 

Melody

xoxo

It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day!

Grandma Becker's entry for October 5, 1990

"Bring sunny morning and windy. Washed sheets, dusted a bit clean sheets on bed. Went to UPS & HyVee-Chelsie here 5:00 - 9:45 -Connie had to work. Quite a warm day-85".

Baking. No Pumpkins Allowed.

No matter how much I love our family recipe for Pumpkin Bars, I couldn't get myself to open a can of pumpkin yesterday. With the cooler weather (and a little dreary) I was ready for fall baking.

I'm just a little tired of  E V E R Y T H I N G  pumpkin. 

Let's see. There is pumpkin...

1. Coffee
2. Lattes
3. Coffee Creamers
4. Kahlua
5. Vodka
6. Last count 590 different kinds of beer
7. Frozen Waffles
8. Instant Oatmeal
9. Toaster Pastries
10. Soda
11. Seltzer
12. Peanut Butter
13. Margarine
14. Coconut Milk
15. Almonds
16. Gum
17. M&Ms
18. Marshmallows
19. Oreos
20. Milanos
21. Last count 892 different candies. This should include caramels too.
22. Ice Creams. I haven't counted yet.
23. Yogurt
24. Pasta
25. Cookie Mix
26. Cake Mix
27. Bagels. Probably English Muffins too. 
28. Pudding
29. Gross Energy Bars
30. And of course Pie. This doesn't count as it may have been the original delight. 

Oh yes. Don't forget the...

1. Candles
2. Oils/Diffusers

This is taking up way to much time. But I think the market is pumpkin-saturated. Time to expand our horizons.

So.....hello apple!

If you are ready to try something different, and like apples you should try this recipe. 

        Salted Caramel Apple Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ cups unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature
2½ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
4 cups unsweetened applesauce

For the Salted Caramel Buttercream:
1½ cups granulated sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
⅓ cup heavy cream
1½ cups unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup salted caramel sauce

To Garnish:
Salted caramel sauce
Chopped peanuts
Directions:

1. Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until combined.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in three parts, alternating with the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix on low for an additional 30 seconds to combine.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack, remove the parchment, and allow to cool completely.

6. Make the Salted Caramel Buttercream: In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixtures comes to a boil and has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter and vanilla; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the salted caramel sauce and continue mixing until combined and fluffy.

8. Assemble the Cake: If any of the cake layers have domed on top, trim the top off to create flat surfaces. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Spread 1¼ cups of the frosting on top. Add the next layer and top with 1¼ cups of the frosting. Add the third layer on top and spread a very thin layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, until firm. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Drizzle some additional salted caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Return to the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.

 
I've saved a piece for you. Here's a hint...pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy. Or a cup of coffee. Just not pumpkin flavored. 

Don't worry pumpkin, I will be back. 

Melody
xoxo
It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day! 


Grandma Becker's entry for October 2, 1990
"A windy day and quite warm..Baked choc chip and oatmeal cookies this A.M.  By the time the dishes were washed it was towards noon & Gerald went to Waverly.  Helen called.  Lola went to the hospital this A.M.  Eva called. Pat hasn't been feeling too well, in hospital overnight.  Gerald had bit of trouble with old car. Jason went to get him at Beaver Valley.  Rain starting at 10".

Stegosaurus what?

    

October 1st. Fall is my favorite season, but today has chosen to be a little dreary, drippy, somewhat chilly day. Guess it really didn't disappoint, just got me movin'.

I've been wanting to try a new recipe and it was the perfect ingredients for a day to get in the kitchen, turn the music up and have a little fun.

While in the middle of frosting and putting the final touches on the cake, I decided to once again try a different approach to making these adorable dinosaur-plastic glasses for Bryce, Brooklyn and Briley. 

This has been a work in progress for at least a month. Every glue product I've tried hasn't wanted to play nice with the plastic. This is the third set of glasses I've purchased.

Finally. Fingers crossed.

Nail glue is the bomb.


Keeping my glued fingers crossed this glue holds and the Salted Carmel Apple Cake turns out.
I'll be making Apple Pie Moonshine this weekend. I think I'll need it after today. 

Recipe to follow for the cake. If it turns out. I'm still in the final stages of that masterpiece.

Grandma Becker's entry for October 1, 1990
"Another nice morning. Washing. Charles combining beans at Laymasters. Beautiful wash day. Fixed Pot Roast dinner, it was good and had beef sandwiches for supper. Helen called. Lola is very bad, it's hard on Helen too. Gerald to bank. Picked quite a few cucumbers again.

It's a great day to be alive~make it a great day!

Melody
xoxo