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No Body Made it Like Grandma

© Eileen O'dea

Everyone gets the warm and fuzzies when they remember Grandma's specialty dish. Whether it was a desert or a full blown meal, we loved them. I have a theory that, we just loved Grandma so much, the memory is what tastes good. Oh I could be wrong, and probably am. However, I have some of my Grandmother's recipes. I follow them to the letter, and they never taste like her's. I'll bet, a dozen of Grand's spice cookies, you've done the same thing.

If we only could bottle up all of the love she put into everything she made. We could be rich. She never baked from a mix, or used boxed potatoes. Her recipes were all from scratch. Her pantry was always filled with cake flour, real vanilla, cornstarch and all the ingredients needed for anything. Nothing imitation went into her cooking. No canned fruits, in pies. No canned beans in her soups. She wouldn't be caught dead, using frozen bread dough. Along with all of that love, was an intense sense of pride in her work.

Depending on your age, many of our Grannies made their own mayonnaise, catsup, mustards. Canning was a yearly chore she took on like a champ.

My Grandmother had several seasonal specialties. In the summer months, she could bake five pies in one morning. All different flavors. In the fall, she canned batches and batches of Chile Sauce. She made a yearly Thanksgiving for her, four Kids, their spouses, and seven Grandchildren. All without breaking a sweat. She also could crank out a batch of cookies in a moment's notice. And she could whip up the tastiest Creamed chipped beef, I have ever tasted. All from scratch, of course.

I am lucky enough to have enjoyed my Great Grandmother until I was seven. Gram made baked beans that have never been equaled, to date. When my Family gets together, we still, 32 years later, remember those baked beans. We all have her recipe, but not one of us have even come close to the taste.

Now that I have your mouths watering. How about some recipes? And our Contest winner's Grandma's recipe.

Gram Bradtt's BBQ Sauce

In a large sauce pan combine; 2/3 cups apple cider vinegar 3 cups tomato juice (Gram made her own) ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup prepared mustard (brown) 2 tsp. Salt 1 ½ tsp. black pepper 2 small onions ( chopped finely)

Turn on the heat to medium high. Now add; 1 stick salted butter