Summertime in Magnolia was fun, but because it was a long way to go I would be there for two weeks once a year. Usually the grandparents there would come up to the "Cities" to see us during the year because they had other grandchildren living there. But my "Mankato Grandma" was a different story. I saw her a lot. Partly because she lived closer and partly because I was her favorite grandchild. She had nine, but I was clearly the favored one. She was always willing to have me come for a long weekend or for a week or two at a time. She wrote me newsy, long letters, even when I was a little girl and I heard my mother say more than once, "I don't know why she doesn't write more letters to me."
Grandma and I shared many characteristics--ones that had skipped a generation and my mother (her daughter) didn't have. For instance we both loved the same stupid jokes. One that Grandma told and no one else thought was funny was about a traveling salesman who, when facing a difficult situation lost his grip (an old-fashioned name for a suitcase). Then there was the one about the man coming home very late one night and had taken a short-cut through a cemetery. Since it was dark, he accidently fell into a newly dug grave that hadn't been filled yet. He tried and tried to get out and couldn't. Unbeknownst to him another fellow had done the same thing before him and was watching the process. Finally, the first man said, "It's no use, buddy, you can't get out." But he did.
Sometimes my cousin Carol, who was six months older, and I would come together. Grandma worked at Martin and Hoer's Jewelry store until she was 80 years old, so we were left to our own devices during the day. No problem. We would dutifully close up the stucco English Tudor house my grandmother lived in according to her instructions--close the windows and the blinds on the East side of the house after she had gone to work and we were up; later in the afternoon, the West side to keep the house cool.
Carol and I loved to play "movie stars." The way this game was played was that I was Debra Paget and she was Susan Hayward. I thought that Debra Paget was the most beautiful woman in the world. Grandma loved magazines (one of the things I inherited from her) and had many. In those days, women's magazines had lots of movie ads with large pictures of the stars. We cut out all of "our" pictures and just ad-libbed conversations and acted in our pictures. This could take hours. We also played Chinese checkers, Flinch and a few other card games. Then it would be time to walk "over town" to meet Grandma for lunch. We almost always went to Woolworth's kitchen counter. I always had grilled cheese and Carol always had a tuna sandwich. Then it was home and more imagining games until Grandma came home for supper.
Our favorite supper at Grandma's was waffles. She had some special plates that Carol later inherited from her that we called "waffle plates." They were actually a pattern of pottery that are very collectible now, as I have seen them a lot of places, but I can't remember what they're called. They have a somewhat primitive design with people and flowers and windmills, I think.
I inherited a china head pin-cushion doll that I played with for hours when I was there without Carol. Grandma had a cardboard box on her dresser that had lots of little drawers in it and they were all full of handkerchiefs. She allowed me to play with them and I pinned them on the doll for skirts and "outfits." I loved that doll.
Grandma's waffles were the best I have ever eaten and I make them now for the inn and for my family. They are not low calorie, but for a special treat, try them.
Grandma DuBois' Waffle Recipe
2 1/4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup salad oil
Sift together dry ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients; add just before baking, beating only till moistened. (Batter is thin.) Bake in preheated baker. Makes 10 to 12 waffles.
The Minnesota River was in Grandma's back yard, with a woods between the house and the river. There was a sand road that led down to the river and when I was a little older--probably 8 or 9--I was allowed to walk down and watch the river. What fun it was to walk barefoot on the sandy road, feeling the hot sand between my toes; and to watch the large carp (the river was pretty dirty) doing lazy dolphin-like lunges out of the water for insects. If I had shoes with me I might come back through the woods, though there were many nettles that really stung if you weren't careful to dodge them. The woods were full of wild flowers, though, and they were beautiful and fun to pick and bring home to Grandma.
Grandma always had leftover rice in her refrigerator--not true at our house--and there was nothing I liked better than rice with cream and sugar for breakfast. She would make glorified rice as well--another favorite--and for my Dad when he came with Mom to pick me up, she would make Fruit Cocktail Cake. These foods are so old-fashioned that I doubt anyone under 50 has even heard of them but they are still a treat. I had to dig for the fruit cocktail cake recipe but here is one that is close to what she made:
Fruit Cocktail Cake
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup of flour
1/2 tsp. of baking soda
1 can (15-oz) fruit cocktail
1 egg
Brown Sugar
Mix fruit cocktail with dry ingredients. Add egg. Pour batter into greased 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. Sprinkle top with brown sugar. Bake about 40-45 minutes. Cool. Serve with whipped cream.
Grandma and I shared many characteristics--ones that had skipped a generation and my mother (her daughter) didn't have. For instance we both loved the same stupid jokes. One that Grandma told and no one else thought was funny was about a traveling salesman who, when facing a difficult situation lost his grip (an old-fashioned name for a suitcase). Then there was the one about the man coming home very late one night and had taken a short-cut through a cemetery. Since it was dark, he accidently fell into a newly dug grave that hadn't been filled yet. He tried and tried to get out and couldn't. Unbeknownst to him another fellow had done the same thing before him and was watching the process. Finally, the first man said, "It's no use, buddy, you can't get out." But he did.
Sometimes my cousin Carol, who was six months older, and I would come together. Grandma worked at Martin and Hoer's Jewelry store until she was 80 years old, so we were left to our own devices during the day. No problem. We would dutifully close up the stucco English Tudor house my grandmother lived in according to her instructions--close the windows and the blinds on the East side of the house after she had gone to work and we were up; later in the afternoon, the West side to keep the house cool.
Carol and I loved to play "movie stars." The way this game was played was that I was Debra Paget and she was Susan Hayward. I thought that Debra Paget was the most beautiful woman in the world. Grandma loved magazines (one of the things I inherited from her) and had many. In those days, women's magazines had lots of movie ads with large pictures of the stars. We cut out all of "our" pictures and just ad-libbed conversations and acted in our pictures. This could take hours. We also played Chinese checkers, Flinch and a few other card games. Then it would be time to walk "over town" to meet Grandma for lunch. We almost always went to Woolworth's kitchen counter. I always had grilled cheese and Carol always had a tuna sandwich. Then it was home and more imagining games until Grandma came home for supper.
Our favorite supper at Grandma's was waffles. She had some special plates that Carol later inherited from her that we called "waffle plates." They were actually a pattern of pottery that are very collectible now, as I have seen them a lot of places, but I can't remember what they're called. They have a somewhat primitive design with people and flowers and windmills, I think.
I inherited a china head pin-cushion doll that I played with for hours when I was there without Carol. Grandma had a cardboard box on her dresser that had lots of little drawers in it and they were all full of handkerchiefs. She allowed me to play with them and I pinned them on the doll for skirts and "outfits." I loved that doll.
Grandma's waffles were the best I have ever eaten and I make them now for the inn and for my family. They are not low calorie, but for a special treat, try them.
Grandma DuBois' Waffle Recipe
2 1/4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup salad oil
Sift together dry ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients; add just before baking, beating only till moistened. (Batter is thin.) Bake in preheated baker. Makes 10 to 12 waffles.
The Minnesota River was in Grandma's back yard, with a woods between the house and the river. There was a sand road that led down to the river and when I was a little older--probably 8 or 9--I was allowed to walk down and watch the river. What fun it was to walk barefoot on the sandy road, feeling the hot sand between my toes; and to watch the large carp (the river was pretty dirty) doing lazy dolphin-like lunges out of the water for insects. If I had shoes with me I might come back through the woods, though there were many nettles that really stung if you weren't careful to dodge them. The woods were full of wild flowers, though, and they were beautiful and fun to pick and bring home to Grandma.
Grandma always had leftover rice in her refrigerator--not true at our house--and there was nothing I liked better than rice with cream and sugar for breakfast. She would make glorified rice as well--another favorite--and for my Dad when he came with Mom to pick me up, she would make Fruit Cocktail Cake. These foods are so old-fashioned that I doubt anyone under 50 has even heard of them but they are still a treat. I had to dig for the fruit cocktail cake recipe but here is one that is close to what she made:
Fruit Cocktail Cake
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup of flour
1/2 tsp. of baking soda
1 can (15-oz) fruit cocktail
1 egg
Brown Sugar
Mix fruit cocktail with dry ingredients. Add egg. Pour batter into greased 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. Sprinkle top with brown sugar. Bake about 40-45 minutes. Cool. Serve with whipped cream.
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