Preserving food to preserve a way of life

I seem to find myself blogging about my grandma a lot. She didn't raise me--I had two wonderful parents who did a mighty fine job at that, but she was instrumental in my growth and development as a person. She taught me so much that only she could teach me.

I remember sitting on her couch trying to stay up to watch the Church Lady on Saturday Night Live and doing foot massages. I would sit on one end of the couch and she on the other. We'd exchange foot massages, except she'd begin to doze off and snore. Then I'd conk out. Neither of us got to hear Dana Carvey inquire, "Could it be....Satan!?" very often. But those moments were tender and precious. 

She also taught me to can and preserve food. When I was a small child I remember my grandpa bringing home bags of fresh vegetables. And we'd all sit up shucking corn, snapping beans, slicing peaches while my grandma tended to the stove. Later in life it became I who brought the bushels, bags or boxes of produce. And she and I would stand at the sink or, later in her cancer journey, sit at the table slicing strawberries, blanching tomatoes, or chopping up the peaches. We'd talk about how her mother used to do the same thing. We spilled entire pots of prepared produce all over the floor. We'd have a glass explosion from time to time. We laughed. We cried. We sweated. We got frustrated. Be we always enjoyed the time together. The most wonderful part of this was in the hour or so after we had finished the process...pots cleaned, burners off, stove wiped down. We'd be sitting at the dining room table just chatting over our ice cold water or tea to cool ourselves off. And then, slowly but surely, "pop...doing...ding...pop..." the lids would begin to let us know our work was paying off in dividends: Our jars were sealing. And in those moments, we had successfully preserved more than just a crop of food; we had preserved a way of life for another generation. 

Whatever your activity is, please engage in activities which will preserve a way of life in the same way my grandmother and I did. Truth be told, I still have a jar of peach preserves from our last summer together. I can't bring myself to open it. Every time I see it in my cupboard, I am flooded with such wonderful memories. Yes, canning food most surely preserves a crop for future consumption, and also a way of life for future generations. 

Grandma's Banana Nut Bread

As some of you know, I now live in and own the house my grandmother and grandfather rented since the early 80's. I moved in with my grandmother the last two months of her life (6.5 weeks actually) to help her die at home instead of an institution. And then I just kept renting until the opportunity to purchase and keep it in our family came along.

This house is the house I spent a great deal of time in as a kid. My mom worked full time while also completing a degree in teaching while I was in elementary/middle school and my dad owned an auto-body shop. I remember one year pleading with my parents to let me live with my grandparents (oddly, now my son makes the same plea. I guess the apple does not fall from the tree haha). I loved and adored my grandma for as long as I can remember.

It was in her house that I learned to do things like sew, quilt, can and bake. And tonight, I'd like to share the banana nut bread recipe my grandma gave to me in a cookbook she made me for Christmas, 2004. On the inside cover it says, "Christmas 2004. To: JR. from: Grandma" in her well-known scrawl. I miss her, but in keeping this house...I try to keep her legacy alive and well.

Note: If this recipe is from a book, magazine or newspaper I apologize...she wrote it with no credits and it is the only recipe I've ever used making banana nut bread both with her and on my own.

1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1/3 Cup chopped nuts (next batch I am using bourbon soaked walnuts)
2 bananas, overly riped and mashed
2 Cups flour
My tweaks:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmet
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Pre heat oven to 350
cream butter & sugar
Add unbeaten eggs, nuts and bananas (I usually do this with a mixing spoon)
sift flour and soda and add to mixture (if adding spices, sift along with soda/flour)
Pour into greased loaf pan (makes one full loaf or four mini loaves)
Bake at 350 for 50-60ish minutes til it passes the spring and knife test.

Even though I am not currently baking this bread tonight, I can sit with my eyes closed and smell it. Reliving so many wonderful memories in this house, and many others, with friends and family over coffee and my grandma's banana nut bread.

Y'all, take time to slow down, bake up something delicious (this bread?), and enjoy a story, a laugh, a tear...with friends and loved ones. The only regret you'll have is that you didn't make more time for this when those you love are gone.

Or, at least that's my 26.2 cents worth. Lemme know if you wanna join me for some banana nut bread sometime.

Donald