[Fearless Females, Prompts for Women’s History Month, March 7th: Share a recipe…this is a repeat from last year]
Oh, I know what you were expecting. My Grandma’s secret recipe for pound cake or corned beef. My Grandma Shellabarger was hospitalized when I was in 4th grade. She had a brain tumor and was partially paralyzed. Since she became incapacitation when I was young, I don’t really recall her cooking anything. And, my Grandma Lassalle was not know for her cooking. That was Grandpa’s speciality.
What I do remember is this. One day while my Grandma Shellabarger was up visiting us (She was living in Chula Vista in Southern California), I was outside playing with one or more of my siblings. Someone did something and I got my feelings hurt and was crying. My Grandma who wasn’t exactly known for her tenderness, came out to console me.
She took me inside. Then she made me toast. It wasn’t so much that Grandma made me toast. It was how she did it. She toasted the bread just right so it wasn’t burned. She butter the top lavishly. Then she cut it ever so lightly to make little square, but not so the pieces broke apart.
I sat down and began to snack on my toast. I tore off each square one by one. The butter had melted into the little squares make the flavor seem more intense. It was the best toast ever!
It’s funny how something as simple as a piece of bread can form a memory. I remembered that day and the toast. Whenever I make toast for nieces and nephew, I always do it the same way. Though, I’m a little more creative. I might cut triangles or spell their name, depending on how silly I am. Instead of passing on her grumpiness to me, Grandma passed down her superior toast making abilities. I guess it’s better than nothing. LOL