Monday, March 21, 2011

Grandma Erma

Last week I made a lemon pie....mind you it wasn't just any old lemon pie, but my Grandma Erma's lemon sponge pie. This pie is a perfect combination of sweet and sour and turns out every time I make it. That might be because memories of my Grandma become vivid as I enjoy making and eating this pie. But here's the thing about my Grandma - she never had a written recipe for anything - it was all in her head. It took my mom (the daughter-in-law) many "trys" before she would achieve Grandma-like clones of many of her homemade dishes. Mom told me that she would visit Grandma and hang around her kitchen while Grandma was involved in baking. Grandma would never tell her how much of anything a recipe took - it was always a little of this - a little of that. In our family many recipes were treasured and kept a secret...always a guessing game. I can remember my Dad teasing my mom that she didn't hold her mouth 'right' when something didn't turn out like Grandma made.
I have my 'secrets', but if anyone asks me for a recipe I will gladly share it......well, except for Grandma Erma's Lemon Sponge Pie!!

6 comments:

  1. Mmmm... working in the kitchen, especially baking, evokes such lovely emotions for me. I love baking because it makes folks so happy! Like you, I am always happy to share my recipes, although things seem to taste sweeter when someone has made if for you! Your pie sounds amazing.

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  2. You don't share the Lemon Sponge Pie recipe? The older I get the closer it comes to being my favorite (right behind raspberry pie)!

    It's good to know where the expression, "You gotta hold your mouth right," comes from.

    Love, me

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  3. Liking my lips as I read your slice!

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  4. Oh- there are stories like this about this 'n that are in my family too. I've been trying to equal a grandmother's biscuit recipe for years. Your lemon pie sounds scrumptious & I love the way you led us into the story by simply "Last week, I made a lemon pie..."

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  5. This was such fun--my mom swears that my grandma (her mother in law) would "forget" to tell part of a recipe from time to time. Now that grandma's gone, a few of us that have her for real recipes count ourselves lucky. :)
    By the way, the lemon pie sounds delicious--need taste testers?

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  6. Mmmmmmmmm, thanks for the slice of Grandma Erma's Lemon Sponge pie, sure could go for the real thing!

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