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Country Kitchen: Family Memories
The Robin's Rain Song & The Cookie Lady
By Mary Emma Allen
"That robinÂ’s song means rain," I remarked.
My family looked at me and wondered about Mom communicating with the
birds.
"Yes," I said. "When the robins sang like that, Grandma always told us
it meant
rain was coming."
They then wondered about my mother and me.
"And she was usually right," I insisted.
Later in the day it rained! A gentle spring storm outside my kitchen
door.
Memories From Childhood
ItÂ’s amazes me how memories from childhood pop, unannounced, into our
minds,
triggered by a word, a sound, a song, a picture. I hadnÂ’t thought about
the robinÂ’s rain
song for awhile. However, as I sat at my computer and heard the robins
singing,
MotherÂ’s words came to mind.
I also realize how much we absorb in childhood that later influences our
lives.
My memories, IÂ’ve discovered, continue to play a role in my thoughts and
writing.
The Cookie Lady
When I read my poem, "The Cookie Lady," to school children, they ask me,
"Who is the Cookie Lady?"
I realized, after I wrote the poem and drew the illustration, "This
looks like
Auntie and describes her baking."
Memories of my auntÂ’s delicious cookies had lingered to make their way
into my
writing and illustrating. She had all kinds of goodies for afternoon tea,
lunch or dinner
whenever we visited.
Auntie was a great bread baker, too. Warm from the oven, with her
churned
butter and homemade jam, bread was as good as any dessert.
So those memories, unbidden, influenced "The Cookie Lady" poem. The
illustration/poster I drew did resemble Auntie.
Finding AuntieÂ’s Cookbook
After Auntie developed AlzheimerÂ’s and no longer cooked, her notebook
with
recipes collected over the years was given to me.
What fun to find recipes sheÂ’d copied with notations regarding where
sheÂ’d
acquired them. Some even were from her grandmothers, making this truly
a family
treasure for our recipe collection.
Family Recipes
MAÂ’s SPONGE CAKE - GrandmotherÂ’s recipe, made by both Auntie and Mother:
Beat 3 egg yolks and 3/4 cup cold water together for 5 minutes. Then
add
1 1/4 cups sugar and beat (by hand) for 15 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups
sifted flour, 1
teaspoon baking powder, 1 scant teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold
in 3 stiffly beaten
egg whites.
Pour into greased tube pan. Bake 40 minutes in moderate oven.
(Imagine beating first 5 minutes, then 15 minutes with a hand beater!
Makes us
really appreciate the electric mixer. With it you donÂ’t have to beat so
long, just until
mixture is light and fluffy.
Since their baking was done in a woodstove oven, the recipes in those
days gave
out slow, moderate, and high or hot as temperatures. Generally moderate
meant around
350 degrees F. Many modern sponge cake recipes say 325 degrees F.)
(C) 2002 Mary Emma Allen
About the Author
Mary Emma Allen has been writing her "Cooking Column" for newspapers
and online publications for 30 years and
has compiled a family cookbook. SheÂ’s currently compiling a
cookbook/story book,
"Tales From a Country Kitchen." Visit her web site for more cooking
articles. Contact her at me.allen@juno.com
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
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