Jimmie is the oldest grandchild and I am the youngest. Fifteen years and sixteen cousins separate us but back then we were close in that adult/kid sort of way because we were the favorite grandchildren of Jim and Dan Taylor. When Jimmie was young, he was sent on a bus to his name sake’s house for the summer so his mom, my Aunt Betty Jean could have some breathing room. She was a divorcee’ in the 60’s which was a huge no-no in those days. I spent many weeks and/or weekends with my grandparents during the summer as well. When Jimmie graduated high school he entered the Air Force through the mandatory draft and was stationed at Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Here is a picture of the two of us at my parent’s wedding right before he went into the Air Force. This post is mostly about him and my Nana.
Every Thursday morning Nana would get up and fix Jim-Pa breakfast sending him off to his job as Sheriff and then she would sit down on the front porch – weather permitting – and write letters. One each to her sister John, one of her daughters-in-law Pat, two of her daughters Betty Jean and Shirley, several to some nieces and one to Jimmie “because he was homesick”. When she finished, about 9:00AM she would go into the kitchen which was a huge 20’s style that had appliances, those appliances still running thanks to this website, around the edge of the room and a dining table in the middle big enough to seat two adults and six children.
Under the tristone countertop at one end of the kitchen was a door instead of drawer and inside was a big metal can that was taller than me until I was 6 which held the flour and on top sat a huge Tupperware bowl with lid and it held the sugar. She would pull out her wooden bowl and board from under there and set them on the table and as she would sift the flour for the cookies or cake we were about to make she would begin to sing old hymns in her Mezzosoprano voice. Most generally her choice was The Old Rugged Cross, but she liked Amazing Grace and In the Garden too.
There was no air conditioning so Nana usually wore a sleeveless house dress with a beautiful full apron over that. She would mix the sugar and butter then eggs and then taking her big serving spoon that came from the Navy when my Uncle Dub was doing KP duty, she would measure out so many heaping table spoons of sifted flour in the bowl and begin stirring with that big ‘ol spoon. When it was all mixed up, it was my turn to help. I went to one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out the tea towel that I placed over the bowl and placed in the fridge. Nana would wipe her floured hands on her apron, take a hankie out of her apron pocket and dab her forehead while pushing a lock of hair out of her face and announce she was hot and it was time to swing on the porch. After a few minutes, Lassie – Mrs. Lassiter was her name but I couldn’t pronounce it as a child, and Mrs. Cox would come over to the porch and sit in the cool morning breeze as they discussed how their flower and vegetable gardens were doing, what they were fixing for lunch, and why in the world Mrs. Thompson’s son was over there at her house bothering her again – probably asking for more money. Then as soon as they came, the women left and we went back to the kitchen to roll out the cookies.
We each would take a spoon and dip out some of the cold sugar cookie dough then dip them in sugar and place on the baking sheets. Sometimes should would have to re-shape mine because they would not be uniform like hers but sometimes she left them the same. Into the oven they would go and as they baked, she would cook lunch for us and Jim-Pa. He would be home about the time all the cookies came out of her double oven and while we enjoyed a lunch of garden fresh salad, sliced tomatoes, and fried chicken – the cookies would cool. As he left, Nana would turn to do the dishes and just out of her sight line he would grab two cookies, look at me and wink, then scoot out the door as she yelled over her shoulder to him, “I saw that”!
Nana would go to her closet and choose a “go-to-town” dress hanging it in one of the very large bathrooms in the house. My job then was to cut out wax paper wide enough to put two cookies in. Together we would wrap the cookies like an envelope 2 by 2. Nana thought radio music made it go faster so she would turn it on to The Ranch where Billy Parker would spin tunes like Merle Haggard singing Mama Tried or George Jones singing Walk Through This World With me or my favorite (but certainly not Nana’s because the word whiskey was in it) Like a Coat from the Cold by Guy Clark. Once they were wrapped and packed into the box, Nana would dress, do up her hair and make-up while I found the parasols. She would put on her gloves, open the parasols and off we would go walking to town with the box. Nana never learned to drive so she walked everywhere – part of what kept her active and alive without illness until age 96.
When we would arrive at the post office she would hand over the box of cookies to the postman who asked if she was sending Jimmie a goodie box to which she would reply, yes, she had done it for her boys and she would do it for her grandsons as well. He would tell her the price, $2.72, and then he would note it on her account which Jim-Pa would go in and pay once a month when he went to pay the grocery and pharmacy accounts too. We would turn left from the Post office and walk the two blocks to the Pharmacy where we would sit at the counter and share a dish of ice cream and a Coke. Then we would walk the mile or so home where Nana would wash or iron or sweep the floors while I laid on the porch swing and generally took a nap. No matter how hot it was, I would wake up with one of her smartly pressed aprons over my legs – so I wouldn’t catch cold, she would say.
Supper would be cooked and eaten, the garden would be hoed and weeded and then more front porch time with Lassie, Mrs. Cox, and Mrs. Thompson until it began to get dark. At last, we would go into the house and read the letters she received at the post office from the same people she had written to earlier in the day. The last one she would read was from Jimmie. He would tell her how much the cookies or Chocolate Potato Cake meant to him and “the guys”. Occasionally, some of the men in his barracks would jot a note to her in scrawled writing and we would get tickled trying to read what they said. The day was over and it was time to go to bed because we would have another full day on Friday.
And so went my Thursdays during the summers from 1967 – 1977 when Jimmie left the Air Force and I became too active with my friends to have time for Nana and Jim-Pa. She was disappointed but I made it up to her when Top Girl was born. She came to live with us to help me take care of the baby while I went to college. Jim-Pa was gone by then and she was lonely. We never made sugar cookies again after that but I still have fond memories of them and that’s why I’m spending the year learning to make sugar cookies. I want Rocket to have special memories like that about me. There’s nothing better than that!
This is the recipe from the recipe book that Top Girl put together before Nana passed away. Below is a picture of me and my cousin Kent on the day of her funeral.
Nana’s Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups of Sugar, divided (I always use Imperial Sugar)
¾ Cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 Cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Mix 1 cup of sugar and the butter with a hand mixer until smooth
3. Add the egg and beat until creamy
4. Slowly had the flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Place in a bowl covered with a tea towel for about 30 minutes
6. Shape cookie mix into 1 inch balls and then roll in remaining sugar.
7. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
8. Only let them cool a few minutes and get them off the pan and onto a wire rack to cool or they will stick to the pan. Cool completely.
9. If you like, you can melt some chocolate and dip them in like I did but that’s not a part of the original recipe.
I have fond memories of those aprons that Nana wore. Top Girl loved them so much that she has them all and wears them all the time. Some of them have the most beautiful needle work! That’s why I’m so excited about the giveaway!
Remember my Easter Truffles recipe? I said I got the recipe from the Imperial Sugar website and I always used Imperial Sugar. They liked my recipe as well and I recently asked them if I could do a giveaway with them. I’ve never done that before and they were so extremely nice and eager to send me this beautiful apron to give away:
Its wonderful cotton and that little flower thing has a clip and pin on the back so you can use it or not. It will wear beautifully and best of all it will get softer and softer just like Nana’s. Some of her aprons were made out of sacks too. I’m so happy to get to offer this to you with no strings attached except, if you would like to win the apron, you will need to leave me a comment on this post. That’s it. You don’t have to follow me on everything because why would you need to do that? You would start getting Kalamity Kelli overload and that pain is solely reserved for my family! The contest will commence with the publishing of this post and end @ 7:00 PM CDT on April 15, 2013. After that (probably the next day) I will use that random number picker everyone uses to choose the winner posting that person’s name. They will have 24 hours from the time I post it to contact me by email. If I don’t hear from them in those 24 hours, then I will choose another name and so on until SOMEONE answers! I don’t care where you live, if you want to enter and you win, I will send it to you so don’t worry about it if you don’t live in the 48 contiguous states of America – go ahead and leave a comment, but be sure to check around the 16th. I would hate for you to win and then not get it because you didn’t check in. If you feel inclined, go on over and check out the recipe on the Imperial Sugar website!
One last thing, after Rocket’s birthday (Sunday) and my annual Personal Care Assistant Conference (next Thursday) I will purchasing a few more giveaways that I want to give to you for being such loyal and kind readers. This past week I have been exposed to those who have mega-blogs with a kazillion views and they have told stories that would make a person’s hair stand on end about rude and mean-commenting readers. So, I knew I wanted to do something nice for you and this is what I came up with. I hope you will understand my seriousness of feeling because I am buying all the giveaways myself – that also means you shouldn’t expect a full set of Le Creuset or a Kitchenaid stand mixer. But, if I ever win the lottery …… Thank you all for being so kind to me as I show you my triumphs and disasters! Love to you all and good luck!
I’m also partying here!! http://www.stayingclosetohome.com/2013/04/friday-food-frenzy-spring-into-kitchen.html
I always love your recipes, especially when they involve memories like this! These cookies sound fabulous. I’m trying to get in shape for Alaska this summer, but I might have to treat myself one of these days by making these, haha.
And, thank you for being an awesome supporter of all I do, too! You have so many nice comments because you’re such a sweet, caring person yourself!
Awww….you are so sweet! These cookies are pretty small – and not TOO high in calories, but I must say the ones dipped in chocolate are the best and they DO have lots of calories!!
That is such a sweet story! I love reading/hearing stuff like that. And the cookies sound good and easy! I just moved and plan to try them out in my new ovens. Thanks!
I’m glad you enjoyed it – I had a great time reliving those summers of the past. Thank you for dropping by and please come again!
I loved this post-you brought back all my memories of spending my summers with my grandparents from ages 5-16. I also had an older cousin who joined the military & was the other grandchild close to my grandmother. My grandmother was really the most stable & important person in my life. She lived until 93 & thankfully was able to travel north from Fl Until about a year before she died. After my Grandfather died she would come north in may, spend 4-6 wks witha cousin in upstate NY, about the same with a close friend in NY then she came to Maine & spent 4-6 wks with my family. I’m so thankful that my 4 children spent that time with her & were very close to her. My daughter gave her daughter that middle name Grace which was my Grandmother’s. I would enjoy winning the giveaway as I love aprons esp. Old ones or old-type, but more I’m very happy to be reminded of happy memories. Thank you
Oh, that’s so nice! My grandmother was a very strong presence in my life as well and probably the one I am most like in our family. Isn’t it wonderful when your kids get to be close with a person that was so important to you? My mother now keeps my grandson 3 days a week for my daughter and son-in-law and it’s very meaningful for her AND for him. Thank you for dropping by and please come again soon. Good luck!!
You know that I have a favorite sugar cookie recipe, so why are you trying to muddy the waters? LOL What I really love are the huge fork and spoon on the wall in the background of the photo with you and Jimmie! Boy, do I remember those. (probably shows how old I am)! And little Kelly in that photo is exactly the way I remember you! Do you remember how many weddings you were in? People begged your mom to let you be their flower girl because you were so divine! (BTW, if I happen to win [ah-hem] I’ll be in Tampa on 4/15 and 4/16! Hope I can find a computer there to check my email!!)
You are so funny! Yes, I was in 12 weddings as the flower girl starting with Pat’s when I was 2 or 3. That fork and spoon hung in Aunt Irene’s and Uncle Ray’s carriage house which is where the reception was – they introduced mom and dad so they held the reception. You really must try these cookies. They really just plain but tender and good! have a safe trip – I think I know your email though…….:)
What a simple and delicious recipe. I love the chocolate dipped cookies! Thanks for sharing with Simple Supper Tuesday.
What wonderful stories you tell, Kelli. Reading this I was reminded of the beautiful southern sing-song tone of Harper Lee and it made me nostalgic for a past I didn’t have. You grew up in America. I grew up in New York. 🙂 The photo of you is lovely!
Awww……you are so sweet to me. I’m glad you liked the story. Being able to tell something mundane in a compelling way was a talent my Nana had and it must have rubbed off on me. I’m kinda’ feelin’ my oats (which is a southern phrase for feeling really good) since you compared my writing style to Harper Lee a bit – Thank you very much!
I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed this post. You have definitely got an old-timey story-telling knack that is riveting. I read every word. Your childhood sounds magical, blessed by the presence and knowing of your Nana. I am not an apron person so please don’t include my name in your draw, but accept my thanks for making my evening.
That’s so nice of you to say! Thank you for your kind compliments. When I saw that apron, and with summer coming, the story just kind of fell out of me all at once. It didn’t take me a minute or two to write it. Yes, compared to many I had a story like birth. Grandparents who favored me and a dad who doted on me. I grew up in a medium sized town (for Oklahoma) and my daughter was lucky enough to experience a few of those things still when she was young – but most all that’s gone now, even in small towns. Thank you for coming by and reading – I hope you will come again.
Of course I will come by again! I added you to my daily-stops bookmarks toolbar (right next to Pioneer Woman) so I have your little clickable icon sitting there at all times now! I meant it when I said you made my evening; I simply adore your writing style.
Your post evokes memories of my own childhood, growing up in cajun country in Louisiana. I imagine we share similar southern cultural and historical references.
My granmaw, for my entire life, had an big old aluminum percolator pot of coffee on the stove all day for folks who dropped in. If I stopped by in the morning that coffee was perfect …but if i stopped by mid-afternoon, well …let’s just say there were days when the spoon could have stood up alone in my cup. LOL! She served it super-sweet, Community Coffee, with lots of sugar and lots of Pet evaporated milk. I love my coffee like that to this day.
We are HUGE Community Coffee drinkers! My son did an internship in Lafayette, La when he was an undergrad and he got hooked on it – then the rest of the family! I was just thinking of making some Boudain soon – Love it!
I have to tell you (in response to your last reply to me, but I can’t seem to reply there) …I grew up in Lafayette and it is one of the best places in the world! I bet your son loved it! Mine is in college here now.
I am glad you know Community Coffee! C’est magnifique!
And, guess what I just had for an early dinner? Boudin. Yes ma’am, the best you can buy pre-packaged …Savoie’s. C’est Bon!
(Although the Boudin Festival was just held in Scott, down the road from Lafayette ….and I guarantee you there was some world class boudin to be had that day!)
Oh, I bet there was! We get Hebert’s up here because their distribution for mail order is in Tulsa and we are over there often. There are some lovely potato donuts there that we all love AND Pre Jean’s (I think that’s how it’s spelled) I make their Gumbo from their recipe book every year in February!
Prejeans! Yes, one of the old-timey cajun restaurants (last I was there they served alligator balls, like boudin balls) (No, I won’t even go there. They were balls of alligator meat – hahaha!)
Hebert’s … good for you! They are the originators of the turducken and a family run business that we hold in very high regard. Make sure you pick up a good supply of tasso next time you are in the area; it is perfect for adding that extra bit of delicious flavor to gumbos, stews, and soups.
One of our best kept secrets is a wonderful bakery called Poupart’s. (The owner came over from France, she calls it a patisserie.) I have been a faithful customer of hers for nearly 40 years! One of life’s great culinary delights is her dobashe cake. Once you have one bite you will be hooked (and you will sit in Oklahoma thinking to yourself, “I HAVE to go back to Lafayette to get one of those cakes!) I have tried and tried to duplicate that cake but I think she sprinkles some magic into the dough It is THE. BEST. CAKE. EVER! Nothing I gave bakes comes close (and I am a pretty darn good cook/baker!)
Let me know next time you head this way. I will give you tips. 🙂
(feel free to write to me at my email)
Thank you I will – next time I’m there – I must find this wonderful cake! And I hope you will remind me to get some tasso!
It is funny…Imperial sugar is located in Sugarland, Texas…right down the road (as you say when you live in the country) from the ranch I grew up at. Small world. 🙂
This was a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing.
If it were up to me, you would have a blog of nothing but family stories – but I do love your recipes, too.
Lillian
Thank you Lillian – I appreciate your kind words!
Such great memories! I will have to try the cookies! I love sugar cookies! Thank you for the giveaway!
Thank you for dropping by and please come again – good luck! 🙂
Was going to comment even before I read you were giving prizes 🙂 Very much enjoy the detail in your stories. Sweet stuff and the cookies look good, too!
Thank Liz – I appreciate your compliments – I am glad it was so well received because I was very nervous about posting it! 🙂 Good luck!
why nervous? As Wonder Woman (am assuming you share qualities with your Gravatar), you are all-powerful 🙂
Heh, heh – yep that’s me, all powerful! 🙂
Lovely post Kelli, I love how you told us this story (I felt as if I was reading a book/story), love the pictures you added with you and your cousin too! I make a lot of sugar cookies in my house but I always make sure to keep half of them for my younger brother and send it to him with my parents, he loves them! I will make sure to try this recipe for him, they look great! 🙂
I think he will like them – and the chocolate dipped ones are the very best! 🙂
I read this post and the last one about how you met your father on my iPad and I just can’t leave good comments typing on that little screen. As usual, you have touched me with your story-telling. Food is such a deeper issue than just what we buy or put on the table. It brings back memories (some good, some bad) and certain dishes or cooking experiences can evoke emotions in a way that few other things can. I love that your nana took the time to bake cookies and treats to send off to cousin Jimmie and included you in the process. That is love! The including and the baking and the sending! I can picture your nana so clearly and she looks just like my grandmother in her sleeveless floral house dress and big apron. 🙂 Good times. Sweet times.
My grandmother had large decorative utensils too. They were from a ceramics phase they went through when I was a teenager. My mom, my grandmother and my aunts, even great aunts, were all painting ceramics! And everyone had to have a giant fork and spoon apparently. Ceramics came right before decoupage, I think, and right after macrame. 🙂 Or the other way around.
When I am in Houston, I always buy Imperial sugar since it’s practically local. I remember when Sugar Land, Texas was its only little town and I guess, technically, it still is. Houston has just expanded to join it. I’d love to win this apron!
Yes! Ceramics were all the rage for a while – I will have to take a picture of mom’s white Christmas tree with little red lights – she still has it and that’s what she now decorates with. The ladies of the church ALL did ceramics together – very popular. I had a good time writing that piece and I might write more like them ever so often. Good luck with the apron – I’m excited that they just sent it to me to give away!
I was completely transported to another time and place while reading this beautiful post, Kelli. What amazing memories you have of your grandparents! And I love when those memories are tied to closely to food because it’s like reliving them when you’re going through the motions of making the same item, smelling it as it bakes, and then eating them (and hopefully they taste close enough to the original because I know very well from experience that it’s never the same). I hope you get to sugar cookie perfection soon and have lots of fun taste testing along the way!
Thank you so much! It is gratifying to me to know how something that is so special to me touches others as well. My cousin Jimmie – who we made the cookies for – is retired now and not in good health. I am posting this on my personal page tonight so he and his wife can read it – I don’t think he knows how much love was put in those cookies back then!
What great stories. We had many flour sack aprons and tea towels in our culinary history too. In fact, my mom still maintains they make the best tea towels. Don’t you often yearn for these days once again?
Are you kidding? If I knew Marty McFly I would shoot back to those days in a second so I could worry about important things like how many fireflies I was going to catch or how to dig strawberries – you know, like changing things like that instead of all the crap that fills my head now! And your mom is right, flour sacks DO make the best tea towels!
The cookies look really good and I loved reading the memories of your Nana.
I think she was probably the strongest influence on me when I was a kid – although my mom was strong too, nana was my favorite! 🙂
Kelli what a wonderful entry, I was there with you in your Nan’s kitchen, as you walked down the post office and pharmacy. Talking of pharmacy I have a wee tale to tell which made me laugh. The other day my daughter said to my three year old grand daughter “We have to go the pharmacy to pick up some medication for mummy”. As they left my grand daughter threw a paddy. When my daughter asked what was up she said “You said we were going to see the farm horsey”!
Ha! David that’s hilarious! Kids can be so cute! Thank you for the compliment!
Hey gal, that was such a sweet and touching memory you shared. Makes me think about and Ms my Grandma..as well, how I need to take the time to call her more. Xoxo
Yes you do! You’ve still got her honey and right now you are just laying round the house waiting on that baby! 🙂
I have very fond memories of my nanna as well. She taught me how to cook and bake. It makes recipes like this taste all the better.
Yes it does Linda – thank you so much for dropping by and please come again. Good Luck!
Don’t remember my grandma baking to much but I do remember her Potato salad. It’s was the best potato salad on those reunion days of yesteryear. Love the sugar cookie recipe, just a few ingredients, that I like.
Even though they never taste like your grandma made them, but it gives you enough to taste the memories, doesn’t it! 🙂 Thanks for dropping by and please come again!
I would LOVE to win your apron! It reminds me of my ‘Grammie’ who wore an apron from the time she got up in the morning until she went to bed at night. I have the original “pattern” for her apron. A little story goes w/that… When Grammie & Grandpa were moved into the nursing home, all her kids were cleaning out their tiny house. I called my mother for some odd reason & asked what they were all doing. She said they’re all fighting over Grammie’s treadle sewing machine. I told her to look for a note glued under the left-top drawer. It stated that the sewing machine now belonged to me!! In that top drawer, held the pattern for her apron which had been passed down to her from her mother when they married in 1913. Anyway, I hope I’m entered in your drawing now…. LOL ~ I also LOVE your posts & look forward to seeing them daily. (along with my ever expanding thunder thighs thanx to your awesome recipes! 😀 )
Hahahaha!!! Thank you Karla – that story reminds me of a story just like it only it is a 4-poster bed! Everyone wanted it but my name was taped under one of the bedposts on a Christmas Tag: From Nana to ME!! Thank you for dropping by and I do hope you will come again! Good Luck!