my grandmother's house

in 50 years, my grandmother's (now my mother's) house has not changed.

how wonderful to have something so stable to go home to.

my grandmother's lilac

for all of my life, there has been a lilac bush just outside the kitchen window of my grandmother's house.

with the window open in the springtime, the sweet smell of the lilac bush mingled with the pot roasts, meatloaves, and apple pies.

some days the fragrance was overpowering, but we always awaited the blooms to indicate that spring was finally here.
i wish this were a scratch and sniff photo!

last year there was only one bloom, this year 7.  nearby, along the side of the garage is a more recent lilac bush that was full and lush this spring.

the scalloped potato bowl

You know how at Thanksgiving or Christmas
there is a certain bowl or dish that is always served?
In our family, it is scalloped potatoes in my grandmother's
red pyrex bowl.
Although i'm sure it was used for other things,
I can only remember that bowl being used for
scalloped potatoes.
Whether it was Sunday dinner (every Sunday we
went to Grandma's for dinner), Easter, Thanksgiving
or Christmas, the red bowl was set on the table
and when the lid was removed....there were the
scalloped potatoes, all hot and bubbly, the edges
brown/black with burned and scalded milk.  (to this day,
I have always hated it when it was my turn to do the dishes...
scrubbing off all of those spatters and burnt crust
of starch and milk....easier just to soak it)
50 years later, my sister is in charge of making
the scalloped potatoes for any family gathering.
They are still baked in my grandmother's red lidded pyrex dish and
placed in the center of the table.
We all know what is inside.

scalloped potatoes

4 large potatoes
2 T. Butter
2 T. flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice potatoes, rinse, and arrange in dish.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir flour into
melted butter. Whisk in the milk and stir constantly
until the mixture thickens.
Pour the milk mixture over the layered potatoes.
Bake for approximately 1 hour in a 375 degree F oven.