Thursday, March 11, 2010

Friday Favorites:: Notes from Grandmother

You might have heard me mention my grandmother Other Mama quite a bit {since I named this-here blog in her honor} and might not realize that I have another grandmother who I also love very much!
My Grandmother Hart lived in my hometown, raised 5 children {who all still live their with there families}, picked me up from school in middle school, had a pool in her backyard with a plum tree and a always played Gin Rummy with me. Not DRANK Gin Rummy with me- just to be clear.

Grandmother Hart with boys
One of the most special things that she has done is write me notes through the years. I loved getting her mail in my little college mailbox and I am just as thrilled to see her handwriting in my grown up mailbox. I keep the note cards as book marks and store away most of the letters in my recipe box- because they usually have recipes!

My Grandmother is a great cook and baker. She always had some sort of carbohydrate cooking and that's what love means to me. You might have heard that I have acquired a few extra boxes of cereal recently. So, I was searching for recipes with cereal and came across one of my favorites I'd forgotten.

This week I found a lovely note from my grandmother from 2001. I was a new bride and she seemed to send me recipes pretty often {hmmm...}. But here's the thing- my grandmother has penmanship that is... well... challenging to read. See for yourself:
bran muffin recipe 1
bran muffin recipe 2

Despite her pre-printed name spelled incorrectly on this note {she has an "e" at the end of Celeste}, it includes a fantastic Six Week Bran Muffin recipe. Allow me to translate:

Ingredients
March 10.1 003
1- 20 oz. box of Raisin Bran
2 cups sugar
5 cups flour {plain}- meaning all purpose
5 tsp. soda {she included "little spoon" just so I knew}
4 eggs beaten
1 cup oil
1 quart buttermilk

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients. {I have to go with 2 bowls and Caesar salad tong format.}
March 10.1 007
Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
March 10.1 010
Keep in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Bake for about 25 minutes in muffin cups{she says to check after 10, but mine have been fine without checking}.
March 10.1 012

Here's the thing about this recipe: it makes a boat load of bran muffins. The reason the batter can stay in the fridge for 6 weeks is because it will take you that long to eat it all! I am just too lazy to half all these ingredients, so I always make the whole batch.

And unless you have the digestive system of a rock star, you will most likely be able to share some with neighbors or freeze them.

Tell me, what was your favorite thing this week?
Favorite picture of your kids?
Favorite ex-boyfriend find on Facebook?
Favorite song on the radio?

Link your post here or leave a comment to let me know! Happy Friday!
Instructions are below:


Here's how to link to the carnival:
1. Write your post with your Friday Favorite and then click on the title on your post. That will show you JUST the URL {address} to your own post {if you have Wordpres or Typepad, you should be fancy enough to figure that out all by yourself; I don't know how to do it for those}.
2. Click on the "You Are Next" button below.
3. Copy and paste that address into the URL line. Then in the Title {first blank}, write something with your name and some info about your Friday Favorite. For example, mine would be, "Hillary @ The Other Mama {Consignment Sale Finds}" or something really unique and clever like that.
4. Be sure to have a link to this post in YOUR post so people can find other Friday Favorites. I'm so sure you all would be friends! I can't wait for you to meet!
5. Go visit other sites listed and be sure to leave a comment.

25 comments:

ohAmanda said...

how great that you have a recipe in her own hand. i love that!

glad you started a linky! it's my favorite! ;)

Janna said...

"the little one" how sweet! It's good to see the namesake of the blog and glad to hear you are using up your 24 boxes of cereal:) Love the Karate kid analogy.

Lori said...

This was a special post to me because my Grandma made the exact same muffins and passed away a year ago today. :( Guess who'll be making muffins in her honor this weekend?! Thanks!

Rachel B said...

A friend gave me that recipe a year or so ago but I still haven't made them. She called them Raisin Bran Muffins, maybe I'll get around to is soon and bake and freeze them. You made me miss my Nana and her cooking, she also made some wicked good peanut butter pie!!

Amanda said...

I had a great grandmother we called Other Mama. Her house always smelled like sweet potatoes and Juicy Fruit! I'll have to try that recipe, it looks yummy!

heidi said...

Now that recipe and note is a keeper!! I have a box full of those from my grandma and a couple from my grandpa! Those are so special to me. Looks like a really yummmm recipe.

Jennifer S. said...

That could be my grandmother's handwriting so I was able to translate. Ironically I was just about to google for this recipe b/c I was in the mood for THE Muffins as we call them at our house. My mom always made them for us as kids..perhaps b/c for 6 weeks you had them premixed.....and I had misplaced my copy of her recipe. Perfect timing....thanks! Too bad my cereal stash does not include raisin bran this time around. bummer.

Beverlydru said...

I enjoyed last week's Favorites so much I hopped on the train again. I'll be baking these muffins. Yum.

Jessie Weaver said...

Yes, my grandmas' handwritings are also like that. What gives?

The "little spoon" thing made me snort. That's hilarious. My Grandma R would have also told you what bowl to put it in, what measuring cups to use, and oh why didn't she just come make it for you??

Dawn said...

i absolutely love handwriting and handwritten recipes! especially from someone so close to your heart. i hope to post a favorite today... i was sad to miss last week!!

Mary @ Giving Up On Perfect said...

My Granny had terrible handwriting, too. I should scan the notes I have from her like you did here!

I love raisin bran muffins. Which is funny, because I don't like raisins. Or raisin bran. Hm. I'm weird.

Holley McWilliams hmwill6@hotmail.com said...

Oh my goodness Hillary! Your grandmother looks great! I don't think she has changed one bit since the last time I saw her! I used to LOVE going over to her house with John! She is the sweetest lady!!!!

annies home said...

thanks for sharing with us all about your grandmother this is a new meme to me that I believe I will enjoy participating in. I am going now to write my post

Anonymous said...

Oh Hillary! That is just so wonderful to have her recipes in her own handwriting!

I don't think I've ever baked a bran muffin in my life. I need to try this recipe. It may be nifty to see how fast my boys can eat through the entire batch. Hmm...maybe a Muffin Pool? How Many Muffins Can Teenage Boys Eat?

Jamie said...

I'm in agreement. My Grammy has the same handwriting.Just imagine how antique looking they'll be to our grandkids!

Jennifer Young said...

My Grammy also still sends me handwritten notes. I love it, makes me feel so loved. She has started sending our son notes too--what a treasure!

Allison @ Alli 'n Son said...

My hubby's grandmother sends us notes, with the exact same handwriting. It always takes me 2-3 reads before I full understand it.

Great recipe!

Staci said...

The handwritten notes are so sweet!! And my grandmother's handwriting was "challenging" to read too.

By the way, I saw the comment you left on Angela's post about the meatloaf and if she'd seen the one with Ross' sandwich...it's a classic.

The moistmaker!!

Anonymous said...

You are all going to laugh here, perhaps even *gasp* with astonishment and disbelief.

I've never seen a single episode of Friends. I don't have a clue about Ross and the meatloaf sandwich!

Shelly Wildman said...

Totally meant to do this, but the day got away from me. Grrrr. Sorry! Maybe I'll link up tomorrow if I can.

LeAnne said...

we have a whole box of my granny's handwritten recipes...ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS!! and the handwriting DOES look the same!! thanks for the recipe and for hosting Friday Favorites...AWESOME!!

Zoe said...

love the "little spoon" explanation - how funny. What a sweet blessing to have your grandma still such a part of your life. She sounds like a treasure!

Melissa, Multi-Tasking Mama said...

What a keepsake to have her recipe, in her handwriting. Love it! I just linked up- sorry I was a day late =)

LizzieV. said...

I had no problem reading your grandmother's handwriting, although I did do a double-take at the "Six Weeks" in the title. You should start an heirloom recipe scrapbook, if you haven't already. And include print out from your blog!

Anonymous said...

Hi Hillary!

I just wanted to tell you that I made the Raisin Bran muffins, and they were fabulous! I added in some more raisins because I like them so much and I changed the 1 c oil to 1/2 c melted butter, sort of by accident. I meant to use 1 cup of melted butter. I didn't notice the abandoned second stick on the counter until I was biting into my hot muffin. Oops! They turned out great anyway, and I can indulge in some sort of self-righteous gloating because I reduced the fat content.

It does make a boatload of muffins. The entire batch lasted for TWO DAYS in this house with four starving teens.

Thank you again for sharing; this will become a staple for us.

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Hillary

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