Cooking with Grandmoma

Thanksgiving at Grandmoma's was always exciting. GM made everything from scratch. Starting that week, she would save her leftover buttermilk biscuits and corn bread so it would get stale for the dressing. She would rise early in the morning to get the dressing and turkey in the oven. The smell was intoxicating on a cold morning. I would wake up to that wonderful smell of turkey and dressing, I can still remember it to this day.

At this time GM would also make her fruit cake. Yes, I know most people do not like fruit cake, but hers was delicious, even better by Christmas after a month of Mogan David wine saturated the cake and absorbed into ther cheese cloth. None better anywhere. So, November was a time of preparation. Making divinity, cakes, cookies, and home made gifts. A time for remembrance and celebration.

Growing up as a young child, my sister and I had very specific jobs in helping with the meal. Even though they were small, I felt so lucky to be next to my GM in the kitchen as she would guide me through everything. My job was to cut up all the vegetables for the dressing. She had this tiny wooden chopping board, which I have today, and I would carefully chop the bell peppers, celery, onion, green onions, parsely into equal size pieces.

The first time I made turkey and dressing by myself was frightening to say the least, but a sense of calm came over me because I felt my GM's hand on my shoulder guiding me every step of the way. It was as if she were standing next to me. To this day, I remember it so vividly. That was the most comforting moment and my dressing was great. I feel so close to my GM everytime I make dressing or chicken N dumplings. It recreates the moment for me, I am ten years old and with the person I love the most.