Grandma's Deviled Eggs

In the interest of full disclosure, here's a recipe Aunt Vena sent this week.  It has a little less mustard that I typically use and has just a touch of vinegar.  Tried it today and I must say, I like it.....a lot.

Grandma's coleslaw was also different than Mama's.  Grandma grated a little carrot and her dressing was some kind of sugar/vinegar combination.

Mama was not a fan of the sweet-and-sour kind of taste.  Grandma was.  Wonder if the difference is due to where ancestors came from:  Coopers from Germany.  Haydens/Dunns: not Germany :-)

Ah Ha! Cake Mystery Solved

I was wrong.  Well, I was 1/2 wrong.  The cake recipe we've been baking all these years did come from Aunt Vena.  That's the 1/2 right part.  However, there was a similar recipe that belonged to Grandmother (Rowena Hayden Dunn).  That's the 1/2 wrong part.  I had no idea she had a Chocolate Spice Cake recipe.  And it appears that over the years, Mama had somewhat combined the two, using ingredients and techniques from each.

I've struggled through the years with the Aunt Vena cake.  It rises nicely, but there's not enough structure to the cake to support the center.  As a result, the it always sags a bit.  Frustrating (although still incredibly delicious)

A Splash of Water

How do you make cornbread? Do you add a "splash of water" after mixing in the buttermilk? Mama and I agree that last little splash of water makes the cornbread more fluffy. She said Maudie always added a little water to her cornbread. We wondered if Maudie added the water to make her cornbread more fluffy OR did she add it because she was running short of buttermilk?

Tonight's dinner: Chili and cornbread

Either way, I always add a "splash of water" to my cornbread (and Tim does the same for his pancakes). And every time I add that splash, I think of Maudie.

Stack Cake = Delicious

It's simply delicious! Tim, Sarah, and David all loved it. Will definitely make it again. Wish I could write Grandma and thank her for her recipe.