I'm trying to decide when the best time will be to go to the grocery store. Mom called and told me what I need to bring for Thanksgiving and my grocery list is already made. But now I have to go and actually purchase all of the things on the list. This is the worst week of the year to go to the grocery store. On the bright side, I cleaned my pantry out this week and threw away all of the canned goods that were past their expiration date. So, there is plenty of room in my pantry now. Of course, I'm not planning to stock up on canned goods. I just want to buy what I need to make my assigned dishes.
The assigned dishes are a German Chocolate Cake and Sausage Kolaches. I make Sausage Kolaches usually once a year either at Christmas or Thanksgiving. It is what we usually have for breakfast and snacks throughout the holiday. I use the recipe that we got from my Great Aunt Bessie. They aren't like the ones that you get at your local donut shop. I love them. I tolerate the ones from the donut shops. Don't get me wrong. The ones at the donut shops contain both sausage and bread, so I don't complain. But they aren't like the ones that Aunt Bessie's recipe makes.
The German Chocolate Cake is from a recipe I found in one of those old church cookbooks that was purchased 50 or so years ago. I think my Aunt Ida's church must have been selling them since several of Aunt Ida's recipes are in it. Aunt Ida is an old German woman with an opinion on everything. She was the wife of my Dad's half brother, EC who was his oldest sibling. Uncle EC passed away several years ago. But Aunt Ida is still kicking. On holidays Uncle EC and Aunt Ida used to come to our house along with the rest of the family and Aunt Ida never left the kitchen. Even if she had nothing to do, she would remain in the kitchen so that she could keep Mom or anyone else working in there posted on each thing they were doing wrong. I don't think Aunt Ida ever intended her comments to be mean or hateful. She was just a strong German woman with little tact. I also think that a thick German accent might make all comments sound just a little meaner.
It drove my Mom nuts. Aunt Ida was a good baker. She knew that she was good at it and I think in her mind she was just trying to pass a little of her extensive knowledge on to others. She had no children, so her sisters-in-law and nieces became her students in her mind. It was her attempt to pass on a legacy. But in Mom's mind, everything Aunt Ida said, every grunt or tsk that passed her lips was meant as a criticism. And they all left a mark.
Aunt Ida used to bring this Daffodil Cake to family gatherings. It was the fluffiest, lightest, most wonderful cake in the world. I loved it. But until about 5 years ago, I never expressed my love for that cake. I was afraid to since I was fairly convinced that Mom would be hurt if she found out my favorite cake was one of Aunt Ida's recipes. Turns out, it didn't bother her at all, it just surprised her. That recipe is in the old cookbook that I have with a number of Aunt Ida's recipes in it. There are a lot of other recipes in the book with her name next to them. But the German Chocolate Cake that I am baking for Thanksgiving is not one of them. Some other lady from her church submitted the German Chocolate recipe.
Mom and I each have a copy of this cookbook. I think Aunt Ida gave them as gifts in the year that her church was selling them.... either that or both Mom and Grandma bought one. Either way, I now have Mom's copy and Mom has Grandma's copy. I can tell that I have Mom's copy because there are a number of handwritten recipes at the end of each chapter that were written by Mom.
When Dad had his knee replacement surgery a few months ago, he was released from the hospital in time to celebrate his birthday over the weekend. So, while Mom was getting Dad sprung from Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, I stayed at their house and baked Dad a German Chocolate birthday cake using this recipe. He loves German Chocolate Cake. It turned out really good. So, Mom called earlier this week and asked me to make it again for Thanksgiving. This makes me really happy. Although I knew that it was good and we all enjoyed it, the fact that it was requested for Thanksgiving means that I must have really done a good job on it!
I haven't seen Aunt Ida in a number of years. I am sure that if she were to come to Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving this year, she would be able to make a number of comments and grunts that would undoubtedly improve on the cake. On the other hand, Mom who doesn't have an ounce of German blood in her body is pretty good at handing out those "helpful" comments herself.
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