Tuesday, December 15, 2015

A Trip Down Memory Lane and a GIVEAWAY

Carla Stewart here, dreaming not of a White Christmas, but getting my baking and shopping and wrapping done. Then it's over the hills and through the woods...

Who wouldn't love to go back to those simpler times when all we had to worry about was what would be waiting under the tree on Christmas morning? This time of year, I always get a little nostalgic for those times...and Christmas Eve at Granny's house. So why not a trip back in time to yesteryear? (PS: I had four grandmothers until I was in college - two great grandmothers and two grandmothers, but for today's post, I'm sticking just with my paternal grandmother.)  

Granny & Gramps Wedding Picture - Jan. 3, 1924


What I remember about Granny: 

  • She had white hair for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I loved to watch her open the gelatin caps that she mixed with water for a hair rinse - she was one of the original "blue hairs" that have become today's cliche. In her older years, she went to the salon and sometimes had a lovely pink or lavender tint. 
  • She always wore hats to church. And a girdle. 
  • She loved to go fishing. 
  • She had a concrete goldfish pond in the side yard of her farm house and a cherry orchard on the other side where we picked (and pitted) cherries every summer. 
  • She was the first person I knew to have an aluminum Christmas tree with a rotating light in different colors. 
 
Photo from Wiki Commons (Table top size) - Granny's was full size.

Color Wheel for Aluminum Christmas Tree - Photo from Wiki Commons

  • She and Gramps raised five kids during the Great Depression (a sixth came along later). 
 
My dad (2nd from right) and his siblings during the Depression


  • Her hands were gnarled and scaly with psoriatic arthritis, and I spent many an hour sitting on the floor beside her winding crochet thread into a ball. She crocheted stunning doilies, table cloths, and even bedspreads and taught me how to block them after they were washed. 
  • She made yummy frosted cut-out sugar cookies - so pretty I hated to bite into them. 
  • She loved to play the old upright piano in her living room and sing "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder" in a rousing voice. 
  • She was a wonderful cook, but whenever I think of Granny, it's her rice pudding with hard sauce that floods my memory. Here's her old-fashioned recipe for you to enjoy. 

GRANNY’S RICE PUDDING

1 cup boiled rice
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 tall cans milk (3 cups light cream or half and half works as well)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons melted butter
2/3 cup raisins, softened in boiling water and drained
Beat egg yolks; add sugar and butter. Pour in rice with milk, vanilla, raisins, and salt. Beat egg whites and fold in separately. Bake in 300 degree oven for 30 minutes or until pudding begins to set.

Custard Sauce (optional but sublime)
4 beaten egg yolks
dash salt
¼ cup sugar
2 cups milk, scalded and cooled slightly
In heavy saucepan, mix egg yolks, salt, and sugar. Cook over low heat, gradually adding milk. Stir constantly until mixture coats a metal spoon. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into small pitcher and cool slightly before pouring over bowls of warm rice pudding. Enjoy!

I was a pretty lucky girl to have the influence and warm memories of both my grandmothers who lived until I was a mom myself. I treasure them and the time I had them on this earth. 

I'm leaving the blog after this month, but want to thank each of you who have read my posts and encouraged me in numerous ways. I will miss you, but invite you to visit me at my website or FaceBook Author page so we can keep up. 

As a farewell gift, I'm offering a $15 Amazon card, chosen from comments on this post. To make sure you get it in time for Christmas, I'll draw for a winner at noon on December 20. It will come as an E-Gift to your mailbox so please leave your contact info (name at dot com format). To enter, please share a favorite memory you have of one of your grandparents. 

May all your days be merry and bright! 
Merry Christmas! 


Carla Stewart is the award-winning author of six novels. With a passion for times gone by, it is her desire to take readers back to that warm, familiar place in their hearts called “home.” Her 2014 release, The Hatmaker's Heart, was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award and the Selah Award. Her newest release is A Flying Affair. Daredevil Mittie Humphreys navigates her heart as well as the skies in this beguiling adventure of grit and determination during the rollicking Roaring Twenties. Learn more about Carla at www.carlastewart.com

"A well-written romance with characters willing to do what they need to achieve their dreams. The storyline is believable, and some of it is based on true events. Stewart did her research and brings to attention a forgotten piece of history, the Women's National Air Derby."―RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

"Compelling action scenes, clever dialogue, and believable characters add spice and depth to a multidimensional tale....The historical detail and vivid action scenes anchor an enjoyable story."―Publishers Weekly
 

51 comments:

  1. My grandmother made some of the best chicken noodle soup when I was growing up.
    Jerrywinfield(at)rocketmail(dot)com

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    1. Yum! My other grandmother - the one we called Grandma - made chicken and noodles. I still make them sometimes and they're still a family favorite! Thanks for reminding me, Virginia!

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  2. I had two wonderful grandmothers as well. My Gram had a cow until she was in her 70's. She was a real old-fashioned country gal. My maternal grandmother, whom I called Nana, was the one I was closest to. She taught me to crochet and to be adventurous in my cooking, trying new recipes. But she made her favorites regularly as well, like the old fashioned vegetable Jello salad. Yum. She also taught me about thinking of the coming generations; she saved green stamps and got each of her granddaughters a set of silverware. Loved my Nana!!! bcrug(at)myfairpoint(dot(net

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    1. Connie, what wonderful memories! Yep, I remember green stamps and sticking them in the books. Do you still have the silverware?

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  3. I love the memories of your grandma! We will miss you here, but wish you continued blessings. My grandma always made banket every Christmas. She was famous for it. About five years ago I insisted she teach me the art of making banket. It was a special day! One year later she passed away suddenly. I am so thankful I was able to learn from her. Lattebooks at hotmail dot com

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    1. Thanks, Susan. I will miss you all, too. I'm not familiar with banket. Can you tell me more about it?

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  4. I enjoyed reading your sweet memories of your grandma. During the Summer I was able to spend a week with my grandparents. I would get to have a doughnut with my Nandaddy down at the cafe on Main Street. He moved to Heaven in 1981. I treasure those memories. psalm103and138 at gmail dot com

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    1. What a sweet time with your Nandaddy. Summers with grandparents is so special.

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  5. A favorite memory I have of my grandmother is her overriding my mother and letting me and my brother jump on her bed. We had so much fun and she would just stand by and laugh. I think it was fun for her too!
    reneerachoyolsenATgmailDOTcom

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  6. When I was growing up, our family spent every Christmas with my maternal grandparents. Looking back on it, I'm amazed that my grandparents' four children, spouses, and all the grandchildren celebrated together every year. My grandmother always had a big dinner, and afterwards we opened gifts. It was the only time I saw all of my cousins, and I have a lot of special memories.
    derobin7 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. Donna, I remember those "big" family gatherings, too. It's sad that we don't do that so much anymore. Merry Christmas!

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  7. Loving all your grandma memories!! Keep them coming!

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  8. Aww, the wonderful memories! We had a tree with the color wheel too, and my Mom would make me the best rice pudding for breakfast before school.. I hope I can make some great memories for my grandchildren :) Thank you for the walk down memory lane..
    dkstevensneAT outlook(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, Deanna! I'm sure you're already making great memories for your grands! I wonder what memories they'll think of when they're grown?

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  9. I think it's neat you have great memories of your grandma. When I was born, my dad's mom was already 79. I remember her because she lived to be 95, but I never got to stay with her since she was so old. My mom's mother died when she was just two, so I never knew her. I try to be the grandma to my granddaughter that I never had.

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    1. You are a wonderful grandma to your granddaughter! Both of my grandmothers lived within 20 miles of us, so I spent lots of time with both of them. I worked as a nurse's aide during high school and took care of my GREAT grandmother when she was hospitalized at different times. Merry Christmas, Vickie!

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  10. My paternal grandmother always had a read christmas tree. She always had shorts for me at there summer home in maine. SHe would dry the clothes in maine outside on the line. she made the best norweigen cookies.

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    1. What delightful memories, Kim! We had real trees growing up, too. Still love that smell!

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  11. My maternal grandmother just passed this year at 99 1/2 years old - will miss her forever! She was one of the first black teachers in Seattle, WA, and the first principal, and taught around the world after she retired with Global Volunteers. It was always fun to read cards and letters that she received from students around the world and everyone knew they could drop in to see "Miss Virginia" at any time and be treated like family.

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    1. What an amazing woman your grandmother must have been - and a pioneer in education for sure. I know you will miss her. Treasure the memories!

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  12. My grandma passed a couple of years ago and was 6 months old shy of turning 100 years old. She had an old truck with things she had when she was little and old quilts her mother had made. It was always a treat to go through that with her and listen to her stories.
    campbellamyd at gmail dot com

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    1. I don't think we ever get over missing our grandmothers. It sounds like yours had an amazing and productive life. Merry Christmas, Amy!

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  13. I received your friendship invite on facebook and accepted. I would love to read one of your books. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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    1. So glad to connect with you! I do hope you enjoy my books. Please let me know. Merry Christmas to you, too!

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  14. I received your friendship invite on facebook and accepted. I would love to read one of your books. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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  15. When I was growing up, we always spent the Sunday before Christmas at my mother's parents' house. The whole family, aunts, uncles, cousins, would get together and have a great time. Not everyone could make it every year, but it was always a fun time and I have great memories.
    susanmsj at msn dot com

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    1. Yes! Always a houseful of cousins! I love hearing about everyone's traditions.

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  16. In central California, one grandma lived a block away and whenever we went to visit her, which was often, she made us root beer floats. At Christmas she gave us money, which was an extra delight because we were poor. My other grandma & grandpa lived forty-five miles away by car, up a mountain in orange groves. Grandpa was the foreman and caretaker of the property. At Christmas I got assorted colored socks and flannel p.j.'s. Always think of my grandparents when I see brightly colored socks and pajamas! :-)

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    1. What a great place to grow up. Orange groves! And I love that you still think of your grandparents when you see bright socks and pj's! Merry Christmas, Janet!

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  17. Going to my paternal grandmother's house was a treat! We lived in NC and she lived on a farm in Alabama, so my sisters and I always saw the anticipation and actual road trip as such an adventure. Since we lived the farthest away, we could count on all of the local aunts, uncles, and cousins to show up too. Those trips were very loud, very chaotic, and very fun. My grandmother was an amazing cook. One of the things I remember most about those trips was the hard work she put into our huge family meals. She carted enough to make sure even her most pickiest of grandkids had at least one favorite item on the menu. Mine was always butter beans. My cousin's was her famous squash pie:)

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    1. Your trips and the loud, chaotic fun sound wonderful. I love butter beans. Might pass on the squash pie, though. Thanks for sharing, Brittany!

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  18. When I was growing up we lived in MI, and my grandparents were in SC. So it was quite a trip with four kids packed up in the car to go visit them. I too remember my grandmother's wonderful sugar cookies. It's still a recipe we use as a family to this day! I also remember the plastic canvas Christmas ornaments that she made. My Mom still has them on her tree to this day...

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. I'd forgotten about the plastic canvas ornaments - I still have some in a box somewhere. It sounds like your trips and memories were wonderful. Merry Christmas!

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  19. I loved the time we visited my grandma in Utah for Christmas. Snow and sledding and fireplaces and basements were such a novelty to our California family. She made the holidays special for us that year :)

    colorvibrant at gmail dot com

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    1. Wow, that sound like fun! Nothing like snow for Christmas!

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  20. Because my mother married three times, I had four grandmas. The last one died three years ago, just shy of 100. My maternal Grandma was as PA Dutch as they come. She and Grandpa both grew up speaking PA Dutch at home, and learned English at school. They weren't Amish or Mennonite, but part of some of the other German groups (German Reformed and Moravian) that moved to PA and whose dialects of German amalgamated into PA Dutch. Grandma was the most amazing cook, and her holiday meals were legendary. In her kitchen the bird or the ham were actually shoved off center stage by her amazing Grumbere Fillsel, or potato filling, which was made from mashed potatoes, torn bread, celery sauteed in butter, parsley, milk and eggs. She always served corn pudding and the obligatory green bean casserole. At least one year, she served stewed parched corn. She'd have dinner rolls made from scratch, and cranberry sauce, and she'd usually follow up the meal with homemade mince pie for Grandpa, and something else for the rest of us. She'd always have an advent wreath with red candles this time of year, and I still have the form and even the red candles from her last year, which I haven't had the heart to throw out. At Christmas, she had white ceramic angels with the wreath on a red cloth. Somewhere in the house, we'd have a Moravian star suspended. When I was little, they had a vaulted ceiling in the house, and they'd put the star up in the vault. Back then, Moravian stars were made of paper, and had a golden glow to them, but you had to be careful not to catch them on fire.

    We'd always bake "salt cookies" at holidays, a recipe which I know goes at least back to her mother, and possibly farther. It was leavened with Cream of Tartar and baking soda in vinegar. That leavening gave it a wonderful tartness, which coupled with the richness of the large quantity of butter, the sweetness of the sugar, and the savor of just a touch more salt than the average cookie, made it our family favorite, and a nice respite from some of the overly sweet concoctions.

    The best part was the years when they lived in Emmaus, Pa, where they were raised. We'd go to church at midnight, to sing carols in the darkened church. From the choir loft behind us, some sweet child would lead the congregation in singing "Morning Star," a solo my mother lead when she was six. We'd have a lovefeast of potato rolls and coffee with cream, and then they'd pass beeswax candles trimmed in tissue paper ruffles down the aisle and the church would suddenly flood with the sweet scent of burning beeswax and the glow of hundreds of flames.

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  21. What amazing memories and such wonderful traditions. Thanks so much for sharing - I really want to go to your grandmother's house. I've had the "filling" you mentioned from a friend who grew up in Minnesota. It was divine. Merry Christmas!

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  22. My grandma made all kinds of goodies for Christmas! I especially liked her almond bark covered pretzels, she'd make both vanilla and chocolate ones :-) Also her fancy cut glass candy dishes filled with ribbon candy or nuts. I loved how we all gathered at her house for Christmas in my growing up years!

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. Oh, I love chocolate covered pretzels! I remember ribbon candy, too. Thanks for sharing your memories!

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  23. Oh for the good old days. I miss all the excitement of Christmas as a child and when our boys were young. I have grandchildren now but am not always with them on Christmas morning. sm wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  24. Christmas is whenever you're together with family - hope yours is merry and bright!

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  25. Rice pudding always reminds me of my mom who'd stand by the stove, stirring away, for what seemed like hours. I loved her rice pudding then, and treasure it when I visit.

    Thanks, Carla.

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    1. So glad I'm not the only one, Anita Mae! Merry Christmas!

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  26. One of the many memories I have of my grandmother was hearing her at work on her sewing machine. She made me the most beautiful fancy dress when I was a young girl. And an exact copy for my doll.
    mandaandtom(at)gmail(dot)com

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  27. What a fun memory! Matching dresses. Love it! Merry Christmas, Amanda!

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  28. Loved your post, Carla - thank you!! It certainly brought back fond memories of my grandmother's aluminum tree with the red ornaments and color wheel revolving light on the tree. She always baked tons of various cookies and distributed them to neighbors, the mailman, other friends, etc.. My grandfather always purchased numerous kinds of candy from the glass cases in the grocery store and would pass around a platter full - after Christmas dinner. One Christmas dinner/family get-together was missed by my parents and self - on Dec. 25th, 1943 - the day I was born, at home. It was a cold day filled with snow and icy roads in the small country town in which my family lived/lives - my grandmother surely thought the reason we hadn't arrived for dinner was due to the weather, UNTIL: the doctor stopped by on his way home (from my delivery) and greeted her with "hi, grandma"!!

    Blessings to you this Christmas season, Carla - thanks for all your beautiful posts on this blog!!

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  29. Loved your post, Carla - thank you!! It certainly brought back fond memories of my grandmother's aluminum tree with the red ornaments and color wheel revolving light on the tree. She always baked tons of various cookies and distributed them to neighbors, the mailman, other friends, etc.. My grandfather always purchased numerous kinds of candy from the glass cases in the grocery store and would pass around a platter full - after Christmas dinner. One Christmas dinner/family get-together was missed by my parents and self - on Dec. 25th, 1943 - the day I was born, at home. It was a cold day filled with snow and icy roads in the small country town in which my family lived/lives - my grandmother surely thought the reason we hadn't arrived for dinner was due to the weather, UNTIL: the doctor stopped by on his way home (from my delivery) and greeted her with "hi, grandma"!!

    Blessings to you this Christmas season, Carla - thanks for all your beautiful posts on this blog!!

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    1. P.S. Forgot my email addy: bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    2. What fabulous memories! Not to mention your birth - oh, my goodness. Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas!

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  30. Thank you ALL for sharing your wonderful memories! Blessings to you in the new year! Now, for the drum roll - the winner of the gift card is Connie R!!! Enjoy!

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