Friday Favorites:: Notes from Grandmother

March 11, 2010 By Hillary Filed Under Friday Favorites
You might have heard me mention my grandmother Other Mama quite a bit {since I named this-here blog in her honor} and might not realize that I have another grandmother who I also love very much!

My Grandmother Hart lived in my hometown, raised 5 children {who all still live there with their families}, picked me up from school in middle school, had a pool in her backyard with a plum tree and a always played Gin Rummy with me. Not DRANK Gin Rummy with me- just to be clear.
Grandmother Hart with boys
One of the most special things that she has done is write me notes through the years. I loved getting her mail in my little college mailbox and I am just as thrilled to see her handwriting in my grown up mailbox. I keep the note cards as book marks and store away most of the letters in my recipe box- because they usually have recipes!
My Grandmother is a great cook and baker. She always had some sort of carbohydrate cooking and that’s what love means to me. You might have heard that I have acquired a few extra boxes of cereal recently. So, I was searching for recipes with cereal and came across one of my favorites I’d forgotten.

This week I found a lovely note from my grandmother from 2001. I was a new bride and she seemed to send me recipes pretty often {hmmm…}. But here’s the thing- my grandmother has penmanship that is… well… challenging to read. See for yourself:
bran muffin recipe 1
bran muffin recipe 2

Despite her pre-printed name spelled incorrectly on this note {she has an “e” at the end of Celeste}, it includes a fantastic Six Week Bran Muffin recipe. Allow me to translate:
Ingredients
March 10.1 003

1- 20 oz. box of Raisin Bran
2 cups sugar
5 cups flour {plain}- meaning all purpose
5 tsp. soda {she included “little spoon” just so I knew}
4 eggs beaten
1 cup oil
1 quart buttermilk

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients. {I have to go with 2 bowls and Caesar salad tong format.}
March 10.1 007
Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
March 10.1 010
Keep in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Bake for about 25 minutes in muffin cups{she says to check after 10, but mine have been fine without checking}.
March 10.1 012

Here’s the thing about this recipe: it makes a boat load of bran muffins. The reason the batter can stay in the fridge for 6 weeks is because it will take you that long to eat it all! I am just too lazy to half all these ingredients, so I always make the whole batch.

And unless you have the digestive system of a rock star, you will most likely be able to share some with neighbors or freeze them.

Tell me, what was your favorite thing this week?
Favorite picture of your kids?
Favorite ex-boyfriend find on Facebook?
Favorite song on the radio?

Link your post here or leave a comment to let me know! Happy Friday!
Instructions are below:

Here’s how to link to the carnival:
1. Write your post with your Friday Favorite and then click on the title on your post. That will show you JUST the URL {address} to your own post {if you have Wordpres or Typepad, you should be fancy enough to figure that out all by yourself; I don’t know how to do it for those}.
2. Click on the “You Are Next” button below.
3. Copy and paste that address into the URL line. Then in the Title {first blank}, write something with your name and some info about your Friday Favorite. For example, mine would be, “Hillary @ The Other Mama {Consignment Sale Finds}” or something really unique and clever like that.
4. Be sure to have a link to this post in YOUR post so people can find other Friday Favorites. I’m so sure you all would be friends! I can’t wait for you to meet!
5. Go visit other sites listed and be sure to leave a comment.

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Comments

  1. 1
    LizzieV. says:
    March 15, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    I had no problem reading your grandmother's handwriting, although I did do a double-take at the "Six Weeks" in the title. You should start an heirloom recipe scrapbook, if you haven't already. And include print out from your blog!

  2. 2
    Angela Pea says:
    March 31, 2010 at 3:55 pm

    Hi Hillary!

    I just wanted to tell you that I made the Raisin Bran muffins, and they were fabulous! I added in some more raisins because I like them so much and I changed the 1 c oil to 1/2 c melted butter, sort of by accident. I meant to use 1 cup of melted butter. I didn't notice the abandoned second stick on the counter until I was biting into my hot muffin. Oops! They turned out great anyway, and I can indulge in some sort of self-righteous gloating because I reduced the fat content.

    It does make a boatload of muffins. The entire batch lasted for TWO DAYS in this house with four starving teens.

    Thank you again for sharing; this will become a staple for us.