Baking Bread with Auntie

One of my favorite Trails End memories, in addition to quilting, was baking bread with Auntie. The Trails End kitchen always was redolent with fabulous cooking and baking aromas since Auntie loved to cook. Nanny had, too, when she was younger, I was told. However, my memories of her were from her more invalid days.

One of my favorite of Auntie's foods was fresh baked bread. She let me cut the crust, or "heel" from the warm loaf and spread it with her home churned butter. What a delicious treat.

Mother know how to bake bread, but didn't have much time with her work on our dairy and chicken farm. So I learned how to bake bread from Auntie.

Some of those memories:

• the scent of yeast dissolving in warm scalded milk
• watching the yellow butter melt and float over the top of the milk
• the fun of kneading the spongy dough before shaping it into loaves
• checking to see if had risen in the pans enough to bake
• the smell of the bread as it baked in the woodstove oven

I have a photo of me, standing on the south porch of our farmhouse, holding a loaf of freshly made bread. Mother and I were so pleased I'd made it all on my own that she took photos, with her Brownie box camera.

I recently used that photo when I taught a class to young writers (ages 6-14) on writing stories about their lives. I wrote my memories about baking bread.

What are some of your favorite younger recipes? Are any connected with quiltmaking or cooking?

Recipes of the Trails End Quilters

In addition to memories of quilting, when I visited my mom's home, Trails End Farm, I recall with fondness those of cooking and delicious meals. My aunt and grandmother lived in one end of the farmhouse. My uncle and his wife in an apartment added onto the west end.

Auntie, who lived with Grandmother or Nanny, cooked such tasty meals and allowed me to cook with her. From Auntie, I learned to bake bread, churn butter, make cottage cheese (called pot cheese in those days), stir up desserts and other items.

My mom cooked, but she also worked on our farm and took care of raising chickens and getting eggs ready for market. So, when she found I liked to cook, she let me do all I wanted, as well as prepare the family meals. Tidbits I picked up from Auntie came in handy.

I realized that this blog should encompass some of those Trails End memories, too.