I want to tell you a story about my father, actually about my grandmother.
My family has an unusual way of eating our favorite family meal. When my husband was new to my family, he thought our custom was strange until he tried it and heard this story...
My father was born in 1941 and some of his earliest memories are of the difficult and sacrificing times of World War 2. Like most families, rationing was a part of his life and to help feed her family through the winter, my grandmother grew a garden and canned and preserved food. I can only imagine how hard it must have been; it is so easy to take food for granted when it's constantly available in limitless quantities. One day, Grandmother went to the cellar to take down a jar of peaches to add to the family's Sunday pancakes. When she found that she had none, she looked at her dwindling stores of food and took up what she had--a can of corn. She mixed the sweet corn into the batter and served it to her family with pride. My father's family looked at her corn pancakes and said nothing, they were so grateful for the food and fellowship of their family that they could find nothing to complain about. They were grateful for all that they had and they found the pancakes delicious.
So much of a family's history is tied to the foods they eat. To this day, my family always eats our pancakes with corn kernels as a tribute to the ingenuity of my grandmother and the courage it takes to feed a family during times of struggle and hardship. It might be a corny story, but I think of my grandmother every time I eat pancakes with corn and it makes me proud.
Here's what we ate today,
Breakfast
- S PB&J
- K Oatmeal w/ Brown Sugar
- C&G Eggs, Toast, Bananas and Milk (Connor's choice)
Total $1.08
Snack
- S Banana
- G Milk
Total $0.23
Lunch
- SKC&G Split Pea Soup, Carrots and Ranch Dressing
- C&G Leftover Mac & Cheese, Carrots, Milk
- S Tea
Total $1.62
Dinner
- SKC&G Pancakes with Corn, with Syrup and Margarine, Oranges and Blueberries
- C&G 1/2 Chocolate Bar
- K Tea
Total $3.55
Total Spend $6.48-Wow, breakfast foods make CHEAP meals!!!
Tomorrow, Hosting a Party for less than $40
What a great story!
ReplyDeleteI knew your family always had corn I'm their pancakes, but I LOVE the history of why.
ReplyDeleteP.S. - Good thing your grandma found corn and not pickles.
I tried them with my picky 2 year old, who hates corn and she loved them!! DId your grandma invent the how to get my kids to eat more veggies without them knowing game?
ReplyDeleteOh, What a great idea! I will have to try that with this weekends pancakes.
ReplyDeleteWell, you got me weeping! And I may head to the freezer to pull out some corn pancakes that Daddie makes in massive quantities when he has the time! This is a fine tribune to Grandma. I could not have asked for a finer woman for a mother-in-law: she raised 2 outstanding boys--one of whom I married and both of whom I admire, she completed her college degree after Grandpa's untimely and far too early death,she made a mark on many youths' lives as their teacher, she could cook and sew and socialize in the most amazing and dignified ways, she graciously shared her last name with me, and it is clear that her fine legacy lives on through her grandchildren. How I enjoy your blog!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting way to add a unique flavor to something you normally wouldn't have in a food. It also strikes me as something similar to what Chef Boyardee does with their ravioli (years after what your grandmother managed to do with pancakes!) They 'hide' a full serving of vegetables in each can but your kids cant tell!
ReplyDeleteThis is just a great story and a great idea. I appreciate you sharing it with the rest of us and impressed with how well you're doing with your experiment. I cant imagine the number of people who are looking at their own eating habits and are eating differently. Personally, I just started eating oatmeal for breakfast every morning and was shocked by some of the great health benefits I read. You're not only making a positive impact in the lives of your family but a lot of other people too. Keep up the great work!
LOVE THIS!! It makes me smile and cry!
ReplyDelete