Sunday, September 13, 2015

Memories of Grandma for #SundaySupper

When I was a child, I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandmother.  Grandma was from Czechoslovakia.  Came over on the boat, all alone, when she was only 15 yrs old.  I can only imagine how scary that must have been.  To leave your parents, siblings and home for the hopes and dreams of a better life.  And I think it was a better life for her.  She got married, had my Aunt and was pregnant with my Mom when her husband, Augustus Johnson, decided he was returning to Sweden. Grandma refused to "go back to the old country" so he left and she stayed behind, all alone again with a 2 yr old and a late term pregnancy.  This gives you some idea of my Grandma's bravery and tenacity.

This is a photo of my Grandma, Pops and Mom.
This is how I see them in my memories of childhood.

When Mom was two, Grandma married Homer Trombley.  This is the man that I knew as "Pa" and the only father my mother ever knew.  Grandma had 4 more children, 2 boys and 2 girls.  She and Pa remained together for the rest of Pa's life.  He passed when I was a young child.  Grandma lived on for many more years, passing away at 89 years of age in 1985.

I have many good memories of my Grandma, so I was excited when the Sunday Supper Crew asked us to celebrate National Grandparent Day by preparing a dish from a recipe of your Grandparent's.  I remember fondly my Grandma's kitchen and the good food it provided.  Mom always said I reminded her of her mother because Grandma, too, loved being in the kitchen and hummed as she worked as I do.

It was a toss up for me between Blueberry Pie and Raisin Bread.  I finally settled on the Raisin Bread because that is where my fondest memory lies.  You know how it is with recipes from Grandma...there is really not one....she would just tell you what to do with a handful of this and a pinch of that....no exact measurements...so I winged it and have tried different ways until I ended up with this recipe that, while not quite up to Grandma's, is still pretty good.


Start by soaking your raisins in the rum.


Heat the milk, butter, and egg yolks.


When the dough is soft and no longer tacky, form into a ball and let rise.


After the first rise, form into 3 loaves and let rise again.


Bake for 25-30 Minutes at 375*


Enjoy!!



Grandma's Raisin Bread

1 c. Milk
3 Egg Yolks
1/4 c. Butter
Zest and Juice of Half an Orange
1 pkg. Yeast
3-5 c. Bread Flour
1/2 c. Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 c. Raisins
1/2 c. Rum, if desired

Soak raisins in rum in a small bowl.

In a small pan over med low heat combine milk, yolks and butter.  Heat to 105-110*.

While milk is heating place yeast, 3 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Turn on very low to combine the dry ingredients. With the speed still set on low, add the milk mixture and the orange juice.  Mix on low speed until incorporated.  Turn to medium speed and continue to mix, adding flour, 1/4 c at a time until the dough comes together.  The dough should be soft and moist but not sticky at this point.  Add the raisins and rum and mix on low speed until combined.  Switch to dough hook and knead on low speed, adding 1/4 c. flour at a time until the dough comes together in a ball. (I used about 4 1/4 c. flour total)  Knead on medium speed for a few minutes.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is soft and not tacky at all.

Spray the mixing bowl you had used with cooking spray and return the dough ball to it.  Cover with a warm, damp towel and place in a warm, draft free area for 90 minutes.  The dough will not quite double in size.  Punch down dough and divide into three loaves.  Place loaves on a baking sheet, cover with a warm, damp towel and allow to rise for another 90 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 375* oven for 25-30 minutes.  Print Recipe

Let's see what memories are being shared by the others around the table today.


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28 comments:

  1. I love raisin bread with lots of butter, and the determination and tenacity of your grandmother! What a wonderful story.

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    1. Thanks, it always made me feel proud when my Mom said I was just like her.

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  2. Boy, your grandmother was a brave woman! I love that your mom saw some of her traits passed along to you. And your bread looks wonderful!

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    1. Thanks so much Liz, I pray that I can be half the woman my grandma was.

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  3. Looks so good! Your grandma was a brave woman to do what she did. Thanks for sharing your memories of her today.

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  4. Your grandma sounds like one amazingly tough lady! Raisin bread reminds me of my Granny. She ate a slice every morning with her coffee.

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    1. My Grandma liked to have a slice of pie for breakfast in the mornings. It was great spending the night at her house LOL

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  5. Raisins breads always one of my favorites! Looks so good!

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  6. You did your Grandma proud! Great story of courage and a lovely tribute recipe.

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  7. Hi there -- my mother's grandmother came from Czech too and similarly came to the US all alone. She was a great cook as was my grandmother and my mom who is still going strong. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Wow! What an amazing role model your grandmother was, so brave. I loved hearing your story.

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  9. That is an amazing story about your grandma. Why did grandpa never return from Sweden, do you know? She had to be a very courageous woman. I cannot imagine that long boat ride at such a young age. Love the raisin bread pictures! Yummy!

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    1. Never a word from him again. And I don't know that Grandma ever divorced him before marrying Pa. My Mom said for years, even after she was married with children of her own, if she would see a strange man walking down the street she would wonder if it was her father coming to find her.

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  10. Your Grandmother was a strong woman. I am super impressed with her. This bread is so good looking and reminds me of something my Grandmother used to make. I will have to try it.

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    1. I was in awe of my Grandma as you can probably tell. I am so pleased with how the raisin bread turned out, Cynthia, please let me know what you think.

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  11. Your grandma sounds like an amazing person and this raisin bread sounds and looks delicious as well. Thanks for sharing.

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  12. That cutting board is awesome!
    Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on that toasted, buttered bread and I'm thinking of my grandma. :)

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    1. Thanks Lauren, It seems raisin bread is a common memory of Grandma.

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  13. Your grandma was a wonderful gal and gave you good memories.
    I love your yeast recipe for this treat. It's time to make some after all these years. Thank you!

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    1. Thanks for the kind words Zip. My grandma was wonderful and I hope you enjoy this recipe.

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  14. I love raisin bread. There's nothing nicer than a bite of it with a raisin and butter. I'm a bit scared of yeast.
    What I want to know is if I can soak the raisins in something other than rum. Something non alcoholic?
    🙂

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    Replies
    1. yes, of course, just use warm water to reconstitute the raisins

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