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[#1]

One of the greatest blessings in my life is that I really knew my Grandma Metzger.

 

I’m so happy I can say that, because since I grew up in southern California, and my grandparents lived in the Midwest, it wasn’t exactly an easy trip! I spent my childhood summers with my grandparent’s on their farm in rural Indiana. 

I made road trips to see her when I was in college.   My first job in television was about an hour and a half away, so I lived with my grandparents for a bit before I got settled, then trekked back and forth on my days off almost every week to spend time together (and to get a home cooked meal and do laundry!).

I’m grateful my Grandma was at my high school and college graduations and that she was well enough to come to my wedding and to get to know Doug and Kylie.

Sadly, she was quite ill when Trevor was born, and passed away just 2 weeks later. She saw his picture…I’m so glad for that.

When I think of a woman who loved her family, I think of Grandma. She loved being a grandmother and she was really good at it!  She always had the best ideas to entertain us and she always wanted to make the foods we loved.  I can’t think of my time with her without thinking about food.  Food was love to her…and you knew it the moment

you sat down in her kitchen.

This still hangs in my Grandmother’s kitchen…my Grandpa, who is now 98, hasn’t changed a thing. I’m so glad.

I’m the lucky one who inherited my Grandmother’s recipe box. Oh!  The fun I used to have looking through it, time and time again, while I’d sit and anxiously await the first taste of something delicious she was cooking. This is one of my most prized possessions.  To see her handwriting…to touch the cards….it’s like she’s with me in my kitchen every day.

I bet my Grandma made thousands of pans of these scotcheroos in her lifetime. There was ALWAYS a pan, sitting on the counter, just calling your name every time you walked by. She’d make a pan in the morning, and between my Grandpa, my Uncles and my cousins, that pan would be empty by dinner.  I’m not kidding.  If you like chocolate and peanut butter, they’re worth a try!

My grandparents have a few apple trees on their farm, so my Grandma would always be looking for a way to make something with them. This apple cake, so moist and flavorful, was always my favorite.  And a little cream cheese frosting never hurt anyone either.

 

There’s nothing extraordinary about this snack mix…other than, once you take a handful you start on an epic snacking journey to find the perfect combination of nuts, cereal and pretzels. And you’ll keep trying, over and over again, until finally you realize you’ve eaten half a batch. Not that I’d know anything about that!  My Grandma used to send me care packages in college with this mix.  I love a good salty crunch!

 

This casserole is one of my all-time favorites. It’s easy to make, hearty, feeds an army, and just tastes good.  When I went through my many knee surgeries, this was the only thing I wanted to eat.  Every bite takes me back to my Grandma’s kitchen table.  I can see her talking to me while she’s making it. I can hear her asking me to help.  I loved those moments with her so much.

So this yummy, no bake dessert has taken on epic proportions in my house. My Grandma always made it for a church dinner, a saddle club meeting, a ladies luncheon, a cousin’s get together, you name it.  She loved this recipe because it was easy and everyone loves it.  I always loved it too, and started making it for holiday get togethers after Doug and I were married.  Now, it’s the only dessert or cake Kylie ever wants me to make.  She’d eat it at every meal if I’d let her (oh, to have the metabolism of a teenager!).  It’s lighter than a traditional cheesecake, and if you’re not into cherries, you can always use blueberry pie filling instead.

My Grandma was kind, loving, thoughtful and full of fun. I never needed anything from her but a place to sit and to be with her.  I loved her with all of my heart…and miss her so much.   I hope you’ll welcome her recipes into your kitchen and savor the moments of a family meal the way she did. 

xoxo,

JB

P.S.  If you want any of the complete recipes, just click on the bold, underlined name of recipe in the blog.  It will take you right there! And if you want to see all of my recipes, click right here> Jill's Recipes