Remembering Grandma, One Waffle at a Time
My memories of my grandmother exist in snippets. I recall reading books with her on the living room couch; Granny was a librarian. Then there were the times she would come and stay at our house. Granny always stayed in my room. Before leaving, she’d sneak me a five-dollar bill and tell me, “I know it’s hard to give up your room. Thank you, Krissy.”
What I don’t remember is Granny ever cooking. I’m sure she did, but she visited our house more than we ever got to hers. A few weeks ago, my sister sent me a little care package of cookie cutters and a measuring cup from Granny’s kitchen. And then my aunt sent a few more things from Granny, including some of her recipes.
When my youngest and I opened my aunt’s package, she immediately started asking questions that led to a discussion of my Granny that continued as we mixed up her tried and true recipe for waffles.
Our family history conversation sprinkled right over into dinner.
Looking to tap into your kids’ curiosity about your ancestors? There’s no better place to start than in the kitchen, whether your relative was a cook or not. For example, we talked about my Granny’s ancestry and what kind of foods her Swedish ancestors ate - and why.
You might also invite your child to call up one of his or her grandparents or another relative and interview them about favorite foods (or dishes) from when they were young. They might even have a recipe or two to pass along.
For now, you can try my Granny’s waffle recipe.
Recipe: Grandma’s Waffles
Prep time: 10 minutes + baking
Servings: 8-10 waffles
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
4 eggs, separates
½ cup butter, melted
1 ½ cups milk
Directions:
Preheat waffle iron.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Drop in egg yolks and milk.
Add melted butter. Stir.
Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff then fold into egg-yolk mixture.
Add batter to the waffle iron and cook.
Kristen J. Gough is the Global Cuisines & Kids Editor for Wandering
Educators. She shares her family's adventurous food experiences--and recipes--at MyKidsEatSquid.com.
All photos courtesy and copyright Kristen J. Gough
Granny's tried and true recipe for waffles.
Posted by: Kristen J Gough
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Terry at Overni...
Nice story -- and the recipe sounds great!