I Wonder What My Grandmother Would Think

United States
June 24, 2018 11:27am CST
My grandmother was my idol when it came to the kitchen and cooking. As far as I'm concerned no one cooked better than my grandma. All my memories of her are in the kitchen preparing something. Her apron was part of her daily uniform and her long hair was neatly tied up on a bun. When I look back at picture of my grandmother where she's all dressed up they seem foreign and not the person I see in my mind when I think of her. Today I'm making sauce (or gravy) and I'm doing it in the crockpot. We decided to have a pasta night for dinner and it's just so much easier to make it in the crockpot than watching and stirring it on the stove all afternoon. Yes, I add meat to it....bits of steak and pork but no meatballs this time. I made me think of the ways my grandmother would cook. Always the traditional way with very few modern conveniences. She would slave over that stove for hours making the perfect sauce loaded with all sorts of meats. She didn't have a crockpot, microwave, air fryer, or a dishwasher. I think the only conveniences I remember are her blender and kitchen-aid stand mixer being on the counter. She whipped up meals for family like it was nothing and yet I have so many conveniences for cooking that I feel blessed and guilty as the same time. Which brings me to this....I wonder if my grandmother was alive today if she'd be in favor of all the gadgets, appliances and conveniences we have or would she still rely on the old fashioned way of doing things.
14 people like this
12 responses
@just4him (303392)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
24 Jun 18
I think she would have those appliances we take for granted, but when it comes to those great family get together's, there's nothing like the old fashioned way, so she would set them aside for those occasions.
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Jun 18
I think you're absolutely right Valerie
1 person likes this
@just4him (303392)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
26 Jun 18
@Marilynda1225 It's what I would do.
@Courtlynn (67002)
• United States
24 Jun 18
that is a good question.. though, I think most, would be in favor of them as it does make things easier. my great-grandmother use to bake and cook all the time, but I believe she had a microwave and dishwasher, and other things, for many years before she passed. glad you have those memories, hold on tight to them.
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Jun 18
I do hold on tight to all those memories. We don't realize how important they are until we get much older
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@Courtlynn (67002)
• United States
25 Jun 18
@Marilynda1225 right. that's good
@bunnybon7 (50975)
• Holiday, Florida
24 Jun 18
i know what you mean. mine was exactly like yours. i can still hear her in my memory up bright and early when we would visit when i was a child, just working away in the kitchen. we would soon smell bacon, fried potatoes, biscuits and coffee wafting through the house and finally we would all get up. i wonder why i am not more able like that. these days and for many years most women have had to work so much outside the home, that we have to have all those conveniences
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Jun 18
Back in those days women were homemakers and like you said, these days many women work outside the home so we need more conveniences.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
25 Jun 18
I never had the joy of enjoying the company of grand parents from both sides although my name is that of my paternal grandmother I think of my mother whenever I am in the kitchen as there are so many of her recipes that I try. but hers always tasted better
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Jun 18
My mother wasn't a very good cook so I guess that's why I enjoyed what my grandmother prepared
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48236)
• Canada
24 Jun 18
My Gramma was my inspiration as far as learning things in the kitchen also. She did everything the good old fashioned way also, and they didn't seem so bad. She had a rather efficient way of getting everything done, by hand. She didn't use anything but a steel hand tool to make her delicious pie dough. Everyone loved her gravy also, and all it took was patience, and lots and lots of stirring. When I was growing up and she didn't feel well enough to make the gravy, my aunts would ask me since they claimed that mine was just as good. I think that both our grandmothers would be astonished at what gadgets we have to work with today, but would probably frown on how many other duties we are expected of as well. Life moves too fast sometimes when we think back to their pace of life.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48236)
• Canada
26 Jun 18
@Marilynda1225 My Gramma would be appalled to know that I no longer hang my wash out to dry because of city by-laws!
• United States
25 Jun 18
I agree 100%. Not only do we have many more gadgets but our way of life is much faster and we have so many things outside of the home (like work) to keep us busy.
1 person likes this
@JustBhem (70601)
• Davao, Philippines
24 Jun 18
If your Grandma is open-minded to almost everything then I think she will consider using the old same ways and the new things.
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Jun 18
I'm sure she would
1 person likes this
@AKRao24 (27427)
• India
24 Jun 18
Yes, I can understand what you are saying! Some people are still interested in cooking in their traditional style though modern gadgets are available and making the lives easy just to have that typical taste and aroma of the food. While some people readily accepted the modern gadgets. Since I don't know the nature of your Granny I can't say how she would have reacted with these modern gadgets! Thanks!
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (168421)
• United States
24 Jun 18
i think both of my grandmothers would have embraced the technology. It would have made their lives easier. You can still do cooking with love even if you save time.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Jun 18
Very true and I'm sure my grandmother would enjoy having extra time too
@marlina (154183)
• Canada
24 Jun 18
My husband's aunt would always ask us "And what are you going to do with your "saved time?"
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Jun 18
NO matter how many conveniences I have my time is still not enough. I don't know how we managed in the earlier years
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
24 Jun 18
Probably not.They have to go to school to learn this.LOL Favor not sure
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
27 Jun 18
You might be surprised as she could have been one to enjoy a faster way so she could do more visiting instead of minding the pot. I'm surprised at those in their forties and fifties that refuse to learn a computer or any type of cell phone yet there are many in their eighties and older that enjoy using them.
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
24 Jun 18
I think your grandmother would have stuck with what was comfortable for her.
1 person likes this