As a kid growing up in the 60′s & 70′s, we did not have a lot of luxuries. My dad worked at least 12-13 hours a day and my mom was a stay at home domestic goddess. We lacked in the luxury department but we never went without food, clothing or love. Growing up in Maine during these times left us “unworldly”, but not unknowledgeable. My maternal grandmother was the matriarch that lived within the confines of our home, which my parents had purchased from her after my grandfather passed away. Indeed my grandmother was teacher to all. She taught many worldly subjects related to life.
It was great to have grandmother around day in and day out. After all what more can a child want? I shared my bedroom with my gram as well as my deepest secrets and emotions. We were like sisters and had so much in common. I miss my granmother greatly, but that alone can not bring her back. She passed way at the age of 96 in 1989. Her and my grandfather worked hard to raise their children and had next to nothing in their day. So I considered my self extremely lucky to have gram around as I was growing up. I have many fond memories of her cooking and teaching me things about food. In fact, some may even classify as “bizarre foods today”. She loved to cook oatmeal with brown sugar, shredded wheat (softened in water), molasses cookies, liver, pig’s feet, tripe, and other delicacies. She also sent me to the store to buy her candy, which she would share with me. Mainly Kit-Kat’s when they first appeared on the shelves in the store. She loved fried potatoes as well. We had a woodstove in the kitchen and she used to like to take potatoes and slice them thinly and place them on the surface of the hot stove, cooking them until crisp, then coating them in melted butter before eating them. The kitchen would have a smoky appearance after this culinary adventure, but then who cared?
She also kept a pint of cream on hand to have with fresh berries or on her oatmeal. She cooked everything in lard, salt-pork and ate real butter. Drank plenty of tea and coffee, and sometimes had a pinch of brandy when she had a cold. When we were sick, she would prepare us molasses and ginger to swallow…..yuck! Or Castor Oil, for whatever else ailed us. Imagine that!
My gram was from the old French/Irish school of thought. Work hard and things will be ok. She planted her own garden behind the house and harvested her own veggies. This day and age, this is almost unheard of. She canned her food, made homemade jam, and baked her own bread. A much simpler life…the way it used to be….the way it should be. I miss her food, stories and her life. I am grateful for all that she gave me.
A simpler life….
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