Mother’s Day 2013…Daughter, Mother, Grandmother, Friend

May 10, 2013January 9, 2021 cathysmahaLeave a comment

Mother’s Day 2013 will be a weekend of celebration starting with my annual Mother’s Day Coffee/Tea on Saturday. There will be much laughter, hugging, catching up and, of course, delicious treats. This year our friend Barbara has designed T-shirts to celebrate our annual event.

Sunday, our family will share a meal celebrating daughter Sarah as a Mother and now adding Grandma to my title. We are blessed.

As I reflect on Mother’s Day, I think about my Mother who passed away in 2001. I miss her every day. How many times have I wished that I could pick up the phone and talk to her!

Our journey as Daughters and then Mothers (and now Grandmothers) takes many twists and turns. I recently read this poem which reminds me of my Mother being there to support me and my own journey as a Mother. And the journey continues with my daughters.

Love you, Mom. Love you girls!

Baby Evan with Grandma, Mommie and Aunt Megan

A Mother…

When you’re a child she walks before you,
To set an example.
When you’re a teenager she walks behind you
To be there should you need her.
When you’re an adult she walks beside you
So that as two friends you can enjoy life together..
Author Unknown

My Roots

Wacky Chocolate Cake…childhood memories

March 27, 2012September 26, 2021 cathysmahaLeave a comment

It was a special treat when my Mother made chocolate cake WITH hot chocolate sauce, topped with a scoop (or two) or vanilla ice cream. I can vividly remember my Mother making the cake, putting it in the back porch to cool then making the sauce at the last-minute before serving. Don’t be stingy with the sauce. I love it when the cake soaks up the sauce and the cold ice cream compliments the yummy, chocolate-drenched cake.

Wacky Chocolate Cake with Hot Chocolate Sauce

Wacky Chocolate Cake was popular during the depression since the recipe did not call for eggs, milk or butter all of which were scarce during the Great Depression. This cake, without the hot chocolate sauce, is a great vegan chocolate cake or good for those with sensitivity to dairy products. Just make sure the cocoa is dairy free!

This weekend I made this for my daughters and their guys. I am certain I have not made this recipe for over 20 years but a flood of childhood memories came rushing back. I talked to my sister about the recipe and she recalls our Mother referring to the recipe from our Grandmother Mary Smaha. She also recalls that our Mother would say that you need to add enough cocoa powder to the dry mixture, to where it looks like cinnamon. After discussing this memory, we decided it would be fun to try adding a little cinnamon to the hot chocolate sauce next time. I’m not waiting another 20 years to try this version!

Have a little chocolate cake with hot chocolate sauce today to celebrate your inner child and your fond memories!

WACKY CHOCOLATE CAKE

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups water

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla and water. Do not use a mixer and do not sift flour. Pour in greased 9×13″ pan.
Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

HOT CHOCOLATE SAUCE

1 cup sugar
1 rounded tablespoon cocoa
pinch salt
1 tablespoon white Karo
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 to 2/3 cup milk

Mix all ingredients together (except vanilla) and bring to a rolling boil. Boil 1-2 minutes. Remove and add vanilla and let set for a few minutes.
Serve warm over individual pieces of chocolate cake. This recipe is enough for an 8×8″ cake pan. Double the recipe for a 9×13″ cake.

Family Favorites · My Roots

Best Pumpkin Pie in the WORLD!

November 23, 2011December 30, 2020 cathysmaha2 Comments

How many GOOD pumpkin pies have you tasted in your life? If you are like me, very few. Our family has the good-fortune of having the best pumpkin pie recipe in the history of the world…or so we think. This recipe was handed down from my great-grandmother and, perhaps, even further back. They made their crust from scratch but I must confess, I like the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust just fine.

Growing up, I loved all of the traditional Thanksgiving fare, but Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream was the highlight of the day. My Mother would make multiple Pumpkin Pies because everyone wanted more than one piece. It is fitting that today one of the pies was baked in my Mother’s pie pan.

Once you taste this pie, you will never go back to a commercially prepared pie. It is so easy…so delicious. Try it out this Thanksgiving and your family will sing your praises. I would love to hear feedback on your experience with our family recipe!

BEST PUMPKIN PIE

1 cup sugar
1 heaping teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch ginger
pinch salt
1 cup pumpkin
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
pie crust (I use refrigerated crusts)

Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and ginger until well mixed.
Add pumpkin and beat well. Add 2 beaten eggs and beat until very smooth. Add milk and mix well.
Put prepared pie crust into pie pan. Finish the edges. In this case, I have used a fork to finish the edges.

Put prepared pie crust into pie pan. Finish the edges. In this case, I have used a fork to finish the edges.
Pour in unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees until knife inserted in center comes out clean (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

Cool pie. Slice and serve with whipped cream. Refrigerate remaining slices of pie (if you have any).

My Roots

Cooking from the heart

November 15, 2011December 30, 2020 cathysmaha2 Comments

Once upon a time, a little girl named Cathy sat in her Mother’s kitchen in rural Iowa, watching her Mother make amazing dinners every night with items from the garden or raised on their farm. The smell of baking bread, when walking through the door after school, is forever engrained in my memory. My Mother would tell stories about the food she was preparing and memories of her childhood and my Grandmother’s cooking.

I come from a long line of great cooks who cooked from the heart. A pinch of this. A pinch of that. My Mother was one of six children raised in a 5 room home. Grandma Susie cooked all of her meals over a wood cookstove with all water coming from a water pump. Just think what she could do with today’s conveniences.

Recipes and sharing of recipes is truly a gift for our families. It brings us together to create memories and traditions. Even in the hustle bustle of career and family commitments, this is a tradition I hold dear.

After several years, I compiled a cookbook for my family and close friends including my favorite recipes and short memories of many dishes. Little did I know that my daughters would cherish these comments. The picture below is the cover of my cookbook and captures daughters Megan and Sarah helping to make a cake when they were little girls. They loved to be a part of the process, especially when it came to a dessert and licking the bowl.

In addition, I started a family Christmas newsletter several years ago that always included a special recipe. Friends and family have commented each year about how much they look forward to the newsletter and have adopted recipes shared as some of their favorites.

After retiring last year from a corporate sales leadership position, my daughters encouraged me to take my stories and recipes to the web. I hope that you will join me on this journey and become an active part of this website and discussion. What stories can you recall from wonderful aromas and occasions in your family? What stories and traditions is your family weaving?

Tag: Grandmother