In a Baking Kind of Mood

I think if I lived in a simpler time, I'd be a canner of all things preservable. Baker of golden-brown pies and cobblers. I'd stuff my visitors' hands with baked goodies. Everyday would be a day that my home would smell like my granny's. Scrumptlicious.

However, 2010 time corners me and forces me to schlop the ingredient heavy applesauce off the shelves at Walmart, and anonymous cans of soup line my pantry.

Lately, though, I really have been in a baking kind of mood. I think I started making Pumpkin Bread the very weekend the pureed pumpkin hit the supermarket - seasonal item, you know. And even before granny's fall, I was simmering up pots of brown beans and muffin cups of cornbread. Just tastes like granny, you know? This weekend, I cooked up a big batch of homemade noodle soup... and yummy, we ate every last tidbit.

I don't want to forget granny's favorite dishes, so I decided to post the recipes right here, right now. There's no sugar-free or fat-free claims on any of these, but hey, she's been eating this stuff for years on end, and she's 99. Just saying!

Here are a few of our favorites:

Brown Beans and Ham
Soak brown beans overnight. In the morning, drain beans, rinse and cover again with water a few inches above the bean line. Add hamhock, salt pork or other source of flavoring (ham cubes and crumbled bacon are other possibilities.) Bring to a rapid boil and then turn down heat to simmer. In there somewhere, you will need to add salt and sugar to taste. Granny guesstimates that she starts with about 3 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. sugar, but she really has no idea. Simmer down for about 4-5 hours. A family favorite.


Old Fashioned Applesauce
Peel apples, as many as you want. Cut into pieces. Add H20, but not completely covering the apples. Just so you can see it through the apple pieces. Cook down til done, or soft and mushy. Mash up as you cook if you want. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste. That could be 1-2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 C sugar for starters.


Mashed Potatoes
Peel 5-6 potatoes, if that sounds good to you. Dice into chunks. Cook down til soft. Real soft. Pour most water out, but leave a small amount. Add 1-2 sticks butter. Add milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix with mixer. This is potato heaven or as Ellie calls it "creamy goodness."