Tag: grandma project

Heirloom Offerings :: Mennonite Zwiebach
This offering to Heirloom Offerings :: The Grandma Project was contributed by Maria Epp. Are you interested in sharing? Read our submission guidelines and get started.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my Grandma. She loved to share her skills with us in baking, sewing, crocheting, preserving and house-keeping. Now that I live far away from her, I cherish those childhood memories that much more.
Maria learning to bake in Grandma’s kitchen

Coming from a Mennonite background meant that there were a lot of traditional foods that we would look forward to each time we visited Grandma’s. Roll Kuchen, Perishky, Wereniki, Borscht and more. I’ve tried making many of them on my own, but of course, they never come close to Grandma’s!

The traditional bun was called Zwiebach. Watching my Grandma make the beautiful white dough and squeeze the little balls through her greased fingers was so fun. Trying it myself as a kid was often humbling as I fumbled along, not nearly as fast as she was. These have always been a treat and now that I’m gluten-free I can’t enjoy them any longer.

Her tricks of the trade were marvellous though. She would use potato water and bacon fat to make them fluffy and rich! Re-using a meal, rather than throwing those parts out. This type of thrifty cooking was not only tastier but meant that there was a rhythm to each week. There was no money to buy a quick loaf of bread. Everything was made from scratch, over and over again. The recipes were tried and true and the routines were depended on and cherished.

As a kid, I was comforted by the familiar. The same recipes became our favourites. It may not have been the healthiest, but I still long for the simpler, more grounded life that was shared by my Grandma. No surprises. No doubt, that the food was good, the home welcoming and the love strong.

Passing on the tradition to the Great Grandchildren

Here is the Zwieback Recipe (unaltered):

1 package yeast

2 cups warm potato water

4 cups milk

2 eggs

2 level tbsp. salt

1 cup shortening (or bacon fat)

1 cup margarine

Sprinkle yeast into warm water, cover and let stand 10 minutes.

Scald milk.

Beat eggs well, and after milk has cooled somewhat, add eggs and salt slowly.

When still warm, add yeast mixture and beat in enough flour to make sponge.

Cover and let rise until light, 1 to 1 1/2 hours in warm place, free from draft.

When light add shortening, which has softened at room temperature, and enough flour to make a smooth elastic dough.

Knead well.

Cover and let rise until double in bulk, punch down and let rise again.

Punch down and set buns on greased cookie sheets (You pinch off round pieces, and after your pan is filled you pinch off somewhat smaller pieces and put these on the first bun, and put your thumb in the centre right down, to hold these two balls together.)

Let rise until light and bake in 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes.

{Kris}: I love that Maria’s family recipe can get a quick whole foods boost without compromising the recipe by simply using butter in place of margarine, sea salt instead of table salt, and perhaps experimenting with different flours.

Maria Epp is mom to two beautiful girls, partner to Nathan, and creative explorer with a passion for nature and working with her hands.

{Kris}: Those photos are oozing with sweetness! What a special experience for your girls to bake with their great grandmother and carry on the traditions of your family. Our family bread tradition is for all the women to gather to make paska (easter bread) each year. Thank you for sharing this!

Share your family’s traditional foods in the comments. What do you remember your grandmother (or other significant person in your life) making when you were a child?
November 6, 2013
Heirloom Offerings :: Get Frugal with Fat

This offering to Heirloom Offerings :: The Grandma Project was contributed by Kris Antonius. Are you interested in sharing? Read our submission guidelines and get started.

My grandma was one of the most generous people I knew, and was also quite frugal. When she used Crisco lard for baking, she tore off the wrapper to open the block and used it to grease her cookie sheet, muffin tin, or cake pan. If the piece was large, she’d tuck it back into the box in the fridge for the next time.

Though we use butter or coconut oil in place of Crisco, we have learned from my grandma and save our butter wrapper in the fridge for the same purpose. I also melt coconut oil for use in recipes now and then, and have started to use the tiny bit left in the pot to grease the muffin tin – there always seems to be just the right amount!

This photo of us baking was taken about twelve years ago! Based on the yeast package on the counter, my guess is that we were making Paska (Easter Bread).

Kris Antonius has a crew of four budding gardener chefs, ages 4, 7, 11, and 14, and is passionate about good food and learning. She enjoys exploring sustainable farms, food, and recipes with her family and nurturing the seeds that are planted on their numerous food and learning adventures.

*Photo of Kris by Pauline Boldt.

This post was shared as a part of Simple Lives Thursday at My Humble Kitchen, Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Unprocessed Fridays at Girl Meets Nourishment, and Simply Natural Saturdays at The Pistachio Project, Thank Goodness It’s Monday at Nourishing Joy, Natural Living Mondays at Natural Living Mama, and Fat Tuesday at Real Food Forager.

October 30, 2013
Heirloom Offerings :: Tea + Coffee Cake
This offering to Heirloom Offerings :: The Grandma Project was contributed by Stacy Fuller. Are you interested in sharing? Read our submission guidelines and get started.

Something I remember about growing up were tea parties with my grandma. I would have my half tea/half milk, plus lots of sugar, and we’d always have a yummy coffee cake to go with it…warm out of the oven. Over the past year, I’ve introduced my daughter to tea parties with my grandma… we have tried to have weekly tea parties with her – enjoying our cup of tea, and often, coffee cake.

It has been so wonderful for me to spend so much time with my grandma…and for my daughter to get to know her great grandmother. It has been life-giving for all of us. When we have to skip a week my daughter notices and misses it. I will always be thankful that we had the time to do that with her. I hope that it will be something my daughter remembers and I’m hoping that she and I can continue to have tea parties throughout her life – it is such a great time to slow down and be present and connect.

My daughter and I were both diagnosed with Celiac Disease last year, so we stopped having coffee cake at our tea parties and enjoy other gluten free goodies instead. I’ve recently found an excellent gluten free recipe that we’ve started to make and it is absolutely fabulous! Here’s to many more tea parties!! Cheers!

Almond Coffee Cake

From Love and Lemons

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/3 cup unrefined sugar (or sugar of your choice)
- 1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumbly topping:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup unrefined sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1/3 cup oat flour (or flour of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 chopped nuts (optional)
METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine sugar, butter, almond milk, flax, and vanilla and set aside.

3. Sift together flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into another bowl.

4. Gradually combine wet and dry ingredients along with milk and gently stir together. Fill an 8×8 or 7×9, baking pan (or 12 muffin cups) with the batter.

5. In a small bowl combine crumble ingredients with a fork or with your hands. Mix until just crumbly. Add more flour if the mixture is too wet.

6. Sprinkle 1/2 of the crumble mixture over muffins and bake for 25-30 minutes.

7. Sprinkle the last half of the crumble mixture over the muffins after they come out of the oven.

Stacy Fuller is a stay at home mom to three little ones. She enjoys spending time outside, cooking, baking and crafting with her kids.

{Kris}: Thanks Stacy! Tea and coffee cake are also a part of my grandma memories. Always Red Rose tea. It’s so lovely that you are helping your daughter get to know her great grandma in such a beautiful way.

Share your memories of tea and coffee cake with your grandma in the comments…

This post was shared as a part of Wellness Wednesdays and Simple Lives Thursdays.
October 16, 2013