I had a busy morning yesterday. I made three pies. Two went into the freezer, the other for our company last night. As I cleaned up the kitchen, I asked Jim, “Did I tell you the history of this rolling pin?”
“Tell me,” he said.
When Grandma Quiring died, we five grandchildren were asked to choose something from her things. These items were not valuable necessarily in the market place, but certainly precious to us. My sister Joyce chose my dad’s blue and white mug with the alphabet along the top of the cup. My brother chose a cat pitcher. When you poured the beverage, the liquid came out of its mouth.
I chose this: Grandma’s rolling pin.
Looks pretty good for 104 years, doesn’t it? In the days my grandparents were married, the groom made a rolling pin for his bride. He made it on his lathe and presented it to her. Now I don’t know if bridegrooms all over the country did this, but in the German community where they lived in Nebraska, that was tradition.
That rolling pin has made countless good things to eat in the more than 100 years it has existed. When used by my grandma, it made the best egg noodles; all hand made and cut as thin as possible. Her chicken noodle soup the best! The rolling pin also made my favorite treat: apple tarts. They were thick pastry with apple filling inside. She made pies and cookies too. I loved her sour cream cookies. She delighted in watching us enjoy as many tarts or cookies as we wanted to eat.
Since I’ve acquired the rolling pin, there have been more goodies made from it. Pies, cookies, egg noodles. I Hope one of my grands remembers it and wants it for their food preparation in their own home one day.
The best part about that rolling pin? A reminder of my sweet, sweet Grandma. The smell of her house–apples–is still in my memory bank. As are the horehound drops she had in her refrigerator, the french green beans she always served, and the Beechnut gum grandpa always carried in his pocket.
Even better than those wonderful memories of times with Grandma, I look forward to catching up with her one day in heaven. We’ve got lots to catch up on, huh Grandma!
What are your memories of your grandma, nana, nonnie, granny, or grammie? I’d love to hear some of them. Please share in the comment space below. Tell me what you called her. Did you use any of the terms above?
And Granpa prayed over those wonderful meals in the language of his heart: “Unser Vater, wir danken Die for diese Speisen.” (Our Father, we thank you for this food.) Apologies to German speakers if my grammar is not quite right.
Perhaps you can finish the prayer. My German is non-existent! Wonderful memories!
I remember your grandma’s noodles. They were thin and perfectly shaped. Your grandma hired me for a day or two when I was quite young and your parents were not yet married. By the way, did you know I recited a poem at your parents’ wedding? I don’t remember it any more. But back to working for her. It was just a day or two and your future father came through the house singing about the chocolate cookies we were making. Aunt Ruth
Thanks for those memories of my grandma! I loved them!I do remember your saying you recited a poem. I’ll bet you were the hit at the wedding! Miss you Aunt Ruth! Love you!