A Look Back

It's my "blogiversay!"  This blog began nine years ago today when I was keeping Little Sister full time. Very small babies aren't very good company because they sleep a lot. A LOT. I needed something to do to keep my brain active. So I started a blog. A project I could work on during the baby's nap time. I enjoy writing and I discovered that I also loved the editing process that a blog requires. There are now over 1,000 blog entries here.

The blog has become a great place to house my recipes, too. It makes them easy to access when I'm at the grocery store. My friends and family can look up recipes easily with the index here. Sometimes the recipes here are THEIR recipes that they've let me share. A couple of times friends have told me, "I couldn't find my recipe for -----.  I was thankful it was here on your blog, or it would have been lost forever." Another friend told me that her son called her to get a favorite recipe. But she was on a trip and couldn't give it to him. Instead she told him, "Go look on the Grandmother Gig. I'm pretty sure it's there." And it was.

This spot in cyberspace is a tiny one, but I've made friends here. Online friends I may never meet. It's also a way to keep up with friends that I do know in the real world. Or rather, for them to keep up with me. And it's been my journal. So many family stories and memories that I would have forgotten except for the fact that they are documented here. If my handwriting were better I might have kept a paper journal. But my handwriting is dreadful. And I find a computer keyboard much more efficient.

How long will this blog last? I have no idea. But we just welcomed a new granddaughter last month. She deserves to be included here, so I hope to keep going for quite a while.

Looking back I see that I don't post as often as I did years ago. Times change. I've never done this blog to make money. So there are no annoying ads popping up all over the place. The down side is that the older format I still use has no "print" button for recipes. "Copy & paste" works fine. (Ask a grandchild to help if you still don't know how to do this.) I can live with that because I want to keep it simple.

So let me say thank you to the readers who visit here. Thank you to the readers who give me ideas. Thank you to the readers who share recipes. Let's keep meeting here!

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In the spirit of looking back, here is my very first blog post from nine years ago today....

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

And It Begins

In my life I have been a daughter, a sister, a student, a home economist, a wife, a stay-at-home mom, a volunteer, and a musician. I bake, I knit, and I paint (well, I used to). I have taught people to play guitar. I've taught them to sew, to cook, to hang wallpaper, to cane a chair seat, and I've taught them how to start a music jam.  

I've led a horse judging team (state champs), a song circle, a Sunday School class, and a ukulele band. I've taken children to camp, fed teenagers by the hundreds, hiked to the top of Diamond Head, and helped move a herd of cows. I've tended to sick children (sometimes not mine) and cared for older folks. I've learned to use a smart phone and an iPad.  

I think it was all to get me ready to be a grandmother.

Little Socks - Tiny Socks

Knitting surely hasn't been top of my to-do list lately, but some happened during my extended grandmother stay. I had started a pair of socks for Baby Girl (still thinking about new names) right after Christmas. Kid socks are so quick to make and she is a big fan of my hand knits. I thought I'd send them home with her when they left at the end of the holiday visit. Well, that didn't happen,

As Mommy and J-Daddy were loading their car to head home after the holidays, we got the call that Jessica and Todd were headed to the hospital. I threw a few things in a bag and dashed out the door. I did have the presence of mind to grab the unfinished socks. I figured I could finish these socks quickly. And I did get them done, but not as quickly as I had hoped.

But the socks were finally finished and delivered and Baby Girl was really happy to have a new pair. All of the kid socks I've made have been from Susan B. Anderson's Ribbed Socks for Kids pattern. If you are on Ravelry, it's a free pattern. If you're not on Ravelry, find a friend who is and ask her to print it for you. And there are some yarn shops who will find these patterns for you. This is the 8th pair I've made with this pattern. I've used it to make socks for 2 year olds to 9 year olds, only adjusting the cuff length and foot length. 

Grandmother's Favorite dishcloth pattern.
It IS this grandmother's favorite.

And then I realized I was out of knitting projects. Except for dishcloths. I made 7 while I was here. Most of them knitted in the middle of the night when I was up on baby duty. (One was in use when I made this photo.)

The only other yarn I had was a dab of pink sock yarn and the leftover yarn from Baby Girl's new pair. Thankfully I had tossed a set of DPNs in with my knitting stuff. So I figured I could make even tinier socks. For the tiny baby. 

Oh my goodness, these are fun to make!

The Perfect Newborn Socks pattern is also free on Ravelry. It is written for stitches to be divided and worked on 4 needles. I knit socks on 3 needles, so I used the numbers and adjusted the directions. I weighed the finished socks and this pair weighed 4 grams. Yes. Tiny, tiny socks. 

I wouldn't say I'm a tight knitter, but you could call me a "snug" knitter. These little socks were good for this very small baby. (She was 5.5 lb at birth.) I used a size 1 needle as that's what the pattern called for. Next time I think I'll go up to a size 1.5 needle. And it is really important to use a stretchy cast on and be conscientious of not doing that too tightly. Maybe I'll even try the one-size up needle for the cast on and a few rows of leg ribbing and then go back to the smaller needle. Knitting is a perpetual experiment.

**Heads up if the babies in your world arrive bigger than ours. At one month old and weighing over 7 lbs, her little foot fills up these little socks. It was great to have some that were truly "newborn" size for her but I think I'd make the foot a little longer for other babies.

Baby Girl was excited that she and her new cousin have matching socks. I can't wait to see them together in their pink socks. The sock yarn is Cascade Heritage Hand Painted from my deep stash. It's been discontinued in this particular color.

FYI...the newborn socks are easier to put on if you fold down the cuff. Then you can roll them back up if you wish. They did stay on really well.

My Grandmother Tour Of Duty

It's my last day here. For the past four weeks I've had the honor and great privilege to be here to welcome this new baby girl to the family. To be helping hands to the brand new parents. To help in the middle of the night when the mommy and daddy were both so tired. To keep everyone in clean clothes and to keep the refrigerator stocked and meals cooked.

But being a grandmother is more than doing the practical. It's about offering encouragement to the new parents. It's about loving. It's about passing on that feeling of being loved beyond measure that I always felt when I was with my own grandmother. I adored my grandmother and hope that years down the road all these girls will feel the same about me.

In my time here I've felt all the feels that come with rocking a tiny (less than 6 lbs.) baby in the middle of the night. I've remembered how terrified I was my first couple of weeks as a new mom. I've remembered the rush of love that overwhelmed me when I would watch my tiny sleeping baby. (When she ever would go to sleep.) And I've remembered that at the very same time I was overwhelmed with love, I could be overwhelmed with anxiety. How will I do this? What am I even supposed to do? And here we are, over 30 years later, and my babies are grown, well-adjusted adults. I know we didn't do everything right, but we did okay.

And in these weeks I've watched my own baby—yes, Jessica is my baby—grow in confidence and skill as she learns to do the things that mothers do. When it's your first, it's all new and unknown and.... Well, you moms know. She's made me proud.

I've been interested in watching mothering in the age of the internet. All I had was the Dr. Spock book and the weekly long distance phone call to my mother. Now there is a crazy amount of information at your fingertips. Maybe too much information. But it's also wonderful that you can text your new mom friends and ask questions and share what's going on. Friends are only a tap-on-your-phone away. How wonderful that would have been for me back in the day.

Sausage Butternut Squash Breakfast Casserole

I've made several new-to-me recipes while I've been here. Recipes from Jessica's repertoire. I'll share a few of these as I get home and my life settles back down. I'm putting the recipes here so that I can find them again. The easiest of these new recipes was the sausage/vegetable breakfast bake. I'm going to share how I did it. I couldn't find chorizo and we swapped out the fresh spiralized sweet potato for frozen squash. Certainly no time around here to spiralized fresh potatoes! Here is the link to the original recipe.

SAUSAGE BUTTERNUT SQUASH BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

1 lb sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Regular)
1 bag frozen spiralized butternut squash (12-oz, I think)
8 large eggs
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup milk or heavy cream (I used 2% milk)
1/2 to 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (who measures this?)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the sausage, breaking apart, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and milk until very well combined and frothy. Set aside. 

Spread the frozen squash across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Next, spread the cooked sausage over the top of the spiralized squash. Then, pour the egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. 

Place into the oven and cook until the eggs have just set, 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven). 

This was a delicious supper. It also was good reheated for breakfast. The squash was a fun substitute for the more traditional hash browns. I think this may have started as a Whole30 recipe. Maybe I should say it's now "Whole30-ish."

Food And Friends And Family

Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

One of the best things you can do for a new mother is take her a meal. Or even part of a meal. First time mothers have lots to learn about caring for a newborn. Mothers who have other children have their hands full, too. All new mothers could use a kitchen boost. Plus, it tells them they've got friends and family who care about them.

This delicious chili was delivered by Jessica's friend. She brought food and encouragement and helpful advice for the new mom. I asked for the recipe and she sent the link and told me about her adjustments to the recipe. I want to make this when I get home. My older daughter (again...need to rename everyone here on the blog...ugh.) said she has made this recipe several times and her family loves it.

The original recipe is from Skinny Taste. We've used many of her recipes and have found them to be dependably good.

TURKEY SWEET POTATO CHILI

1 medium white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. goat cheese, divided
optional garnishes:  sliced scallions, diced avocado

Brown meats in a large pot or Dutch oven on stove top. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT goat cheese. Simmer 2 hours. Before serving, stir in half of goat cheese. Use the other half as garnish when serving. Can use scallions and avocado as garnish also.


To complete this meal, friend Ali brought cornbread and an arugula/orange salad. Oh....and chocolate chip cookies. Can't forget the cookies! This was an easy meal for us to heat up and eat. This new family is learning to eat in the minutes available here and there. This meal works.

There are so many times that homemade food says "I care." Mommy (my older daughter) had already brought Baked Rotini plus sides one night. And wise, experienced mother that she is, she divided the recipe into two square pans—one to bake, one to freeze for later.

Of course, I've taken many meals to people over the years. People with new babies, people home from the hospital, people with a bereavement. I learned from my mom who was a generous cook. But ages ago I got a phone call one day from a friend and she said, "I'm cooking your supper tonight." There was no new baby, no one was sick and no one had died. I was just doing the busy after-school chauffeuring thing. Jane wanted to do a kind thing for me. And it was AWESOME. All these years later, I don't remember what the meal was but I DO remember the dessert. It was a no-bake chocolate eclair cake. I don't have her recipe, but it was similar to this one.

Well, I've managed to make myself hungry. I'll be back soon. After I've found a snack.

Easy Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

Easy Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

This is surely not an award winning food photo. But I'm proud there is a picture at all. This was supper the first full day home from the hospital with new baby. Everyone (including me) was beyond tired. But people still have to eat. I knew what was in the refrigerator, so I did a recipe search for "quick easy chicken broccoli." And this recipe popped up at the top of my choices. What a perfect meal. Yes. It was quick and it was easy. And it was really, really good. I want to make this for Daddy-O soon after I get home. 

Here is the wee baby, doing what she does best. She's a champion napper. Now, all the grandmamas know that won't last, but for right now it's good that the new mom can get a little rest, too.

And I'm taking advantage of a weekend R&R. I'll go back for a few more days, and then head back to the farm. I know I won't get to see this little lady so very often, so I've been delighted to have some time with her at the very beginning. And to have some extra time with my daughter. 

Now, for the recipe. I made it pretty close to the original. I did cut chicken tenders (that's what was in the fridge) into chunks which was even easier than cutting up the boneless breasts the recipe calls for. Obviously, either works. Her recipe also called for toasted sesame oil. New mama's pantry had regular sesame oil and that was fine. Don't go buy toasted if you have regular sesame oil on hand.

The 12-minute part? (The original recipe is called 12-Minute Chicken & Broccoli.) Not the way I cook. Looking at the original recipe and doing the math, there is 9 minutes cooking time which leaves 3 minutes prep time. I don't work that fast. And I probably cooked everything a little longer, too. I'm still learning how their stove works.

Here's how I did it:

Set out all ingredients before you start. Measure and stir together sauce ingredients. Start cooking rice before you start the chicken. Rice takes about 20 minutes to cook on the stove top. I toasted some sesame seeds while the chicken was cooking. Put a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat and stir them occasionally until they are a golden color. Remove from heat.

CHICKEN & BROCCOLI STIR FRY

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 (1-lb) packages chicken tenders, cut into chunks
salt & pepper (I used House Seasoning—see below)
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (discard stem)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (regular or toasted)
optional toppings: sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds

Stir Fry Sauce:
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
         Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Put 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt & pepper. Cook chicken chunks about 5 minutes, until browned and almost cooked through.

Make sauce (if you haven't already done this) while chicken is cooking.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the chopped broccoli and stir together. Cook about 3 more minutes until broccoli is bright green. Stir in sauce and cook for about 1 minute, until sauce is thickened. Stir in sesame oil.

Serve over rice and top with garnishes, if using.


I am really happy to have this recipe in my recipe box now. I thought it might need more sauce because similar recipes I've made never seem to have enough. But this was perfect.

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I always keep a jar of house seasoning on the shelf. Sometimes I make a big batch. Most times I make it in this smaller proportion.
 *House Seasoning:  
1/4 cup salt 
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder
Mix well. Store in an air-tight container, such as an empty spice bottle or small jar. 

The Grandmother Gig

I am away from the blog at the moment while I truly am on a "grandmother gig." We welcomed this sweet thing into the family just over a week ago. Yes. Another girl! She arrived weighing 5 lb 8 oz. 

This blog was started when I helped with the first grandbaby born into the family. I'm thinking I might have to reassign blog names for the grandchildren since Baby Girl is no longer the "baby" in the family. I'll have to think on this a bit!

My days are full right now but I'll be back here on the blog in the near future. 

Happy New Year!

New Year's Day meal.

This was the Christmas I discovered that many of my "must do" holiday things were not particularly necessary. I probably knew that intellectually but I never wanted to skip any of it. Until the flu made that decision for me. The funniest part is that no one else seemed to notice what didn't get done. Lesson learned.

I am thankful for daughters and sons-in-law and a capable husband who all pitched in to make sure everyone was fed. I was laying low, looking at friends IG posts of their families seated around beautifully set tables and feeling like I had let my folks down a little. I was sad that my Christmas china never made it out of the cabinet. And then yesterday one daughter told me that one of the best parts of her holiday was eating the Christmas night dinner—standing rib roast and the (fewer) trimmings—on the holiday Corelle dishes, in her pajamas. Nothing fancy required. But we were all around the table. That's what mattered.

Yesterday, it was the traditional Southern New Year's Day meal of peas and collards meal that promises good fortune in the coming year. And I cooked most of it. So good to be back in the kitchen. As we feasted yesterday everyone said this was their most favorite meal. Maybe because it's the opposite of rich holiday foods. And we all wondered why we don't make this menu more often.  

Here are the links to the foods that are on our plate each year. And the recipe to an old, old recipe that hasn't been on the blog in this version. (Before you cringe at the amount of butter you should know I cut it in half from Aunt Bibby's original version.) I often have macaroni and cheese with this meal but this year I subbed "brown rice." It is easier to put together. It isn't really brown rice...the brown color comes from beef consommé. I was completely grown before I knew that real brown rice was rice that retains the bran layer. In my family brown rice was white rice baked in the oven with beef consommé. And butter. This dish still shows up on every church covered dish dinner table.

NEW YEAR'S DAY MENU:

Bourbon Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Collard Greens

Black-Eyed Peas (cook a bag of frozen peas)

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Brown Rice

Pickled Beets (from a jar)

Corny Cornbread

BROWN RICE 

1 cup white rice

1/2 stick butter

2 cans Campbell's beef consommé

1 can of mushrooms, drained (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Melt butter in a 2-qt baking dish (I put the butter in the dish and slide it into the oven while it heats.) Stir in the rice, consommé and mushrooms. Cover dish (I use foil tightly wrapped over the top) and bake for 1 hour.

You may now return to your clean eating plan for the rest of the year.