Granny Eells

My Granny would have been 105 today!  She passed away five years ago, shy of her 100th!  And she was awesome!

Granny lived about 15 miles from town, on a sweet little farm.  She never drove.  She gardened and went for walks, watched TV and visited with anyone who stopped by, she cooked and canned, and generally sat around and was cool.  You remember learning to make farting noises by pumping your armpit???  My granny taught me how to do that behind my knee.  Picture it.  She was old the entire time I knew her, but she laid down on the floor, legs up, grabbed behind her knees and kicked and kicked.  Darin and I about died!

We had Sunday dinner at Granny's house almost every week.  Darin and I would take bets during church and, as I remember it, we were freakishly accurate at naming the meal.  A few of her staples were fried chicken, roast, spaghetti, wilted lettuce, canned pickles, homemade jelly, rolls, and so many different kinds of desserts - my favorite...cinnamon rolls.

Granny read the Harper County Journal.  She made new recipes found it, and at the first comment of approval from anyone at her table, she would recite the recipe.  The unique part, though, was that she ALWAYS made some substitution.  "It called for frozen corn, but I didn't have any, so I used some canned hominy."  Awesome.  I owe my fearlessness in the kitchen to her - it doesn't always serve me, but I'm fearless, nonetheless!

I made Granny's chicken and noodles today.  Perfection.  I wish I was a food photographer...I'm just not.  But, here's the recipe for her noodles:

1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
1/4 c water or milk or half and half or cream (Granny's recipe, remember!!  Use something wet, whatever you have on hand!)
Whisk together.
Add in:
1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 c flour

Turn out onto a floured surface, knead in more dough then roll to the desired thickness.

Let dry, then drop into boiling broth.

I like my carbs over carbs, so I eat my chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes.  Tasty.  Granny showed she loved you by cooking for you, and you showed her you loved her back by cleaning your plate...twice.  She would feel loved in this house tonight.

I think about what she would think of the babes.  How she'd get a kick out of them, teach them funny things, love to just watch them explore.  I think she'd love them best when they are silly and dirty and tired from a big day of play...like this:

I wanna be like her when I grow up,

Erin