jlwe's Blog

Well been awhile since I have felt good enough to sit at the computer longer than a few seconds. Nasty flu bug knocked me out for over a week. Yesterday was the first day I have felt myself for over a week. Of course I had to get this bug on the nicest week we have for a bit. Temps were in the 70's and there I lay on the couch wishing I could be outside. When laying around doing nothing so many memories come to mind.

Got to get my Chicken and Dumplings ready to be made for Thanksgiving at Mom's. Think I will just go in early and make them at her house so I don't have to carry them. That way she can watch me make them and might learn how LOL! Trust me she tried once and the dog would not even eat them. My Mom is a wonderful cook but she can not make homemade noodles or dumplings and she can not make pie crust.

Which is hard to believe because her Mother made these and they would melt in your mouth. When I was old enough to want to learn to make them Grandma said come out to the house you have to watch them being made. So I headed to Grandma's and slowly watched as she worked the dough with her hands teaching me the way the dough is suppose to feel...not look. Watched as she rolled the dough to the exact perfect thickness so that the dumplings would no be heavy and chewy...but light and fluffy.

Then on to the pie crust and again by hand. She said always mix your lard into your flour mixture by hand so you can feel the way the mixture feels...where you learn just what the crumble is suppose to feel like before adding the water. Then rolling it out to the perfect thickness to create a light flaky crust.

Grandma is gone now but her Chicken and Dumpling and her pie crust still lives through me! One memory I can not forget is every Sunday going to Grandma's house for Chicken and Dumplings and I would say " hey Grandma what's for dinner?" and she would always say...."horse poop and hominy" :) I don't know why she would say that but it also lives on because every time I walked into Mom's house with my pot the nieces and nephews say "Aunt Nanni is here with her horse poop and hominy!