The Electric Skillet

Before starting I just wanted to say, Sister, get better and get out of the hospital soon!!

While working on today’s blog I was speaking to three of my sisters to help me piece together the missing pieces of my memory. I started thinking back again to my Grandmother’s house, only before she got sick, to the time when my Grandfather was with us.

We weren’t wealthy by any means. My Mom worked a full time job and two part time jobs to support us all – but she did it! While she was working (24/7) our care fell mainly under the control of our grandparents. They lived diagonally behind us. We would ‘escape’ our house by running through the backyards. They we would find all the comforts children looked for. Cookies, milk, maybe a piece of candy.

What amazed me most was Gram’s electric skillet. The electric skillet was located on the left side of the counter. I remember this as being an almost magical appliance. (If I knew at the time what an appliance was). My grandmother would make the most amazing American Chop Suey in this electric skillet. Chopped onion, ground beef, canned whole tomatoes, salt, pepper, and elbow macaronis. That is it, simple. The amazing part of this, when cooked, this one fry pan of American Chopped Suey would feed us all, my grandfather, grandmother, aunt, at least one sister and myself.

My sister told me the story of how my Grandmother would make apple pies. She would literally put them in the window to cool. Because she helped, my sister would receive a tiny apple pie, just for her. It’s a shame, I don’t remember this.

My grandmother would make pot roast on Sundays. When is the last time you made a pot roast? I remembered the meat had strings tied around it to hold it together, quartered potatoes, carrots, and the onions!!! The onions just falling apart on your plate! And the brown gravy!!?!!! Hmmm

My Aunt… a master of Jiffy Pop popcorn!

But the absolute best thing I remembered Gram made was tapioca pudding! From scratch! OMG it was the best. There was no Cool Whip back then so it was real whip cream made with a beater. The tapioca was so smooth where it should be, and lumpy where it should be, thick, sweet…yum.

Let’s move ahead forty-five years…

American Chop Suey = Pasta and Ragu

Apple Pies = Stop and Shop

Pot Roast = too long to cook, too hot to cook it, too expensive…too bad.

Jiffy Pop = Smartfood

Tapioca = Jello or Snac-Pak puddings

I commit to myself this fall or winter I am going to bake something from scratch. Maybe start a new memory and bake a tiny apple pie!