About Me
Hi my name is Sarah. I am a Great-Grandmother and what you might call the American Homemaker. Today homemakers have decided this term is unfitting for whom they are. Facts being I am 76 years old and that is what I am. A California girl born and raised but the years spent on that little farm in Roby Texas played had a major impact on my life. From the time of my birth we spent all our summer months on the farm with my Grandma Simpson. My Mother would pack us up after my brother’s school year was over and off we went to Texas. We helped my Grandma canning her winter foods and storing the jars in the food cellar, My brothers’ worked with my Grandpa bring in the cotton crops, milking cows, and fixing up the old farmhouse for winter.
So you say who cares what does this have to do with food and cooking. It has a lot to do with foods and what we eat and how we prepare them. My Great Great-Grandpa born in Ireland in 1829. In 1845 the year of the Great Potato Famine Ireland nearly starved and the death toll was in the thousand. His family migrated to Scotland in 1846. In 1849 he met his wife and marries in 1850. My Great Great-Grandfather was a potato farmer. This was in his blood working the land and raising crops. In 1851 he leaves Scotland to migrate to the United States. He hears land is plenty and for the taking and to a farmer this is where he wanted to be.
The first years were hard in Americafor my Great Great-Grandfather being of Irish decent. The American dream was not what he heard. When he arrived in America all he saw was tall building and no land. Only people and city streets. Finally in 1853 he left for Texas to settle inRobyCounty. The land was barren but to my Great Great-Grandfather this was where he wanted to be. The piece of land he choose to build his home on was where the Indians came to winter. He knew this would be the perfect spot for his new home and life inAmerica. He set out digging a well for water and building the home for him and my Great Great-Grandma. There they lived the rest of their lives having 13 children. My Great Great-Grandpa was a cotton farmer working his land in Roby Texas. This was the American land he had dreamed of since leaving Ireland.
My Great Great-Grandpa passed away in 1904 an Irish immigrant who had found his American dream in Roby Texas. He was 75. In 1933 at the age of 101 my Great Great-Grandma dies. My Great-Grandfather born in 1856 and lived his entire life on the farm. In 1874 he married my Great Grandma and in 1879 my Grandpa also born on the farm. In 1887 he married my Grandma and my Mom born on the farm in 1901.
Seems the women in the family have longer lives on the farm than do their men. My Great Great-Grandma died in 1933 at the age of 101. She had 13 children all born and raised on the farm. My Great Grandma marries their eldest son and lives on the farm. She died in 1948 at the age of 92. My Grandma married her oldest son and lived on the farm until 1979 when she died at the age of 92. My Mom left the farm in 1916 when Grandma sent her to Colorado to school. She said that she didn’t want another one of her daughters’ marrying a Texas Farm boy. In 1918 she meets my Father and married on her 18th birthday in 1919.
My Father was a Russian immigrant sent to the United Statesin 1886 when his Father was killed in Russia. His Mother could not take care of the three children so she put my Father on a steamship headed for Ellis Island. He arrived inAmerica at the age of 9. My Father joined the Army in 1894 just four years before the Spanish American war which he fought in. In joining the Army my father received his American Citizenship after 1898 for his participation in the war efforts. My Father spent 12 years in China from 1902 to 1914. He was order back to Americain 1914 for World War 1. In 1916 my Father sent toEuropeto fight the war. In 1918 when the war ended he was brought home and given a honorable discharge from the Army. My Father served his new county for 24 years. In his travels after his military duty he passed through Colorado where he met my Mom. In 1919 they married and set up house in New York. In 1920 my eldest brother born in New York and the next year my Mother had my other brother in Michigan. In 1922 my Father decided to sell everything and pack his family up and move to San Francisco. My Mother was forced to travel on motorcycle from Michigan to San Francisco with two small children in a side cart. She only had enough clothes for the 4 of them, a tent and some cooking pots that she was allowed to take. My Father said he had no idea where they would go but he wanted to live near the ocean.
In 1933 my Father sold his Tobacco store in San Francisco. Again he moved his family further south arriving in San Diego. He said the San Francisco weather did not agree with him. He wanted a warmer place to live. In 1935 I was born in San Diego and this is where my Mother settled. She died in 1997 at the age of 96. I lost my Father in 1947 at the age of 70. My eldest brother lost during World War II in 1945. They never found the remains of the submarine he was on.
Our summers were spent on the farm in Roby Texas. Over the years the little farmhouse never changed. No indoor bathroom and the only water were drawn from the well using a spike pump. Baths were taken in a large medal wash tub used for laundry and bathing. My Great Grandma loved her wood burning stove to cook on. When she passed away my Grandma finally bought a new gas range. My Grandfather finally put in electricity in 1947 just before he died.
My Grandma taught me that food is essential for your health and well-being. Grandma learned from her husbands’ Mother how to prepare food for her illness. She never saw a doctor in her life. Each time I was on the ranch she would go through all types of natural food that you find in the markets and explain to me what they were good for. She said that herbs, teas, fruits, and nuts all have a natural healing if you know how to use them. She explained the land she lives on where the Indian came to winter had the secrets of health and life. That stone-ground corn to make your breads and to eat held all the essential nutrients needed for your life.
I am here to share with you these secrets and explain foods used in healing and neutering your body. I have special homemade recipes that Grandma used to cook handed down through the family over the years. Before my Mothers’ passing; I use to sit and pick her brain for all that she had learned growing up on the farm. I figured it was because of her teaching that she lived till she was 96. She never suffered from illness until late in life. Finally her heart gave out on her in her sleep. Her body was strong but after 96 years her heart said it was through and stopped working.
Please follow me though this journey of foods and health. I am 76 years old now and if I do not share with someone the knowledge I have gained over the years I feel it will be gone forever. I am not here to sell you some fancy diet or post here wonderful pictured of foods that you can cook. I am here to tell you how sugar effects your body, how fat forms inside you, what you can cook that is a healthier for you than popping something into the microwave that comes in a box. Cooking does not take that much time to prepare a good meal and it is so much better for you than buying all your foods in cans and boxes.
Today with the price of food we need to look at a better way to eat that is more economic and healthier for us. That is why I am here. Excuse me for not having the most wonderful food cooking blog on the Internet today but what you will learn and gain from me will make up for this. I have a series of 19 cookbooks that I am preparing based on what my Mother found inTexas. An old shoe box or should I say boxes upon boxes filled with recipes and articles that Grandma used when cooking. I am no wizard on computers and do not understand all there is about Internet. I just had an idea and my daughter helped me make it come true.
I look forward to sharing with you my wisdom on cooking, food, health, and housekeeping. I have kept the cookbooks recipes written the same as I found them and have used them as they are. I will not post wonderful colored photos of these dishes but what I will do is explain to you the benefit of food and what it can do for you. Thank you for following me in the weeks and months to come. If you like what I write please share it with other. Please encourage me to go on and post comments as you see fit. I look forward to meeting all kinds of new friends here.
I want everyone to share the best times in my life. That was the summers at the County Fair in Roby. Each summer we would cook jams, cakes, chili, and other fine dishes with Grandma. She had to enter the County Fair cooking competition. She came home with more blue ribbons that you could imagine. All these hung proudly in her kitchen and then stored safely away in shoe boxes. I have decided that I want to have a Blue Ribbon contest here each month. The winner will receive the Blue Ribbon Cookbook and the Cooking for County Fair cookbook I have made.
Each month when I release a new cookbook the cooking competition will be based on the subject of my cookbooks. Please keep coming back because the first cookbook will be finished in a few more days. Then I will explain and announce this month competition and the rules. For each entry I will gather the information and make a cookbook with your name on the recipes that you gave. Each person taking part in these competitions will receive the month’s cookbook for all entries. So please give me your e-mail address so I may send you the cookbook competition of the month.
Thanks for reading and putting up with a rambling old Grandma
Sarah
Jun 25, 2011 @ 21:58:51
Brings back many memories only the old farmplace was in another southern state. Ah-h-h-h the good old days! Of course, I have been spoiled by modern day conveniences. Look forward to your blog.
Jul 22, 2011 @ 00:52:43
Thank you so much. I am so happy this bring back good memories for you. Please subscribe and follow along there is plenty more stories of the farm house in Roby Texas. I have plenty of old recipes to share with you.
Jul 22, 2011 @ 00:38:03
I stumbled across your page completely by accident but I am glad that I did. I love to cook and wish I had more time to do it regularly. I look forward to spending time looking through your recipes and posts. Thank You.
Jul 22, 2011 @ 00:51:41
Thank you so much. I am happy that you liked the site and want to visit again. If you would like to subscribe to the site you can receive newletters for the updates and recipes that I add.
Aug 30, 2011 @ 17:25:17
My best friend, Ethiopian American, is in Ireland right now.
…
Great story, of your life, thank you for sharing. And it’s an honor to get your blessings on my blog post. I am humbled! … glad you visited my blog, otherwise, I may never have discovered yours.
… Great recipes, btw!
I am gonna check every now and then here for kitchen inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing!
Cheers,
Aug 30, 2011 @ 17:49:17
You are so welcome my pleasure. I am so happy that you have found my cooking blog and also inspirational blog. I loved your blog and will be back all the time to read it again. Thank you.
Aug 30, 2011 @ 17:27:45
btw ive linked you on my blog …. just fyi…
Aug 30, 2011 @ 17:48:17
Thank you so much. I am so happy to visit your blog and read your post. It was so enjoyable and I will return again. I will link you to my blog site also.
Aug 31, 2011 @ 10:28:59
Lovely blog, Sarah. Thanks for sharing your interesting heritage and recipes!
Aug 31, 2011 @ 12:35:41
You are so very welcome. I am so happy that you have read my story. I hope that you will enjoy all the recipes that I am sharing on this blog. I also hope that you will come back and visit often
Sep 07, 2011 @ 16:21:01
More power to you Sarah, greetings from the homeland. Keep up the good work.
Sep 07, 2011 @ 18:22:13
Thank you so much and I am trying hard to do this one. G\reeting to you too.
Sep 08, 2011 @ 00:25:39
Nice to meet you, Sarah. I’m glad you stopped by my place so that I could. Thank you! I hope you and yours are safe what with all the fires in that part of the country.
Blog on … Keep those delicious recipes coming.
Sep 08, 2011 @ 06:56:08
Yes thank you I am happy to stop by your blog and visit you too. I will keep adding recipes here and I sure hope that you will keep coming back for more
Sep 20, 2011 @ 02:59:26
Beautiful blog…
Sep 20, 2011 @ 07:27:26
Thank you so much I am happy that you stopped by and read this blog hope you enjoyed it and will come back again soon
Sep 25, 2011 @ 15:29:10
Decided to pop over to your cooking blog and check it out, Sarah. You are most industrious! So far I have seen some interesting vegetable recipes and if I just leave out the bacon in some of them–they will be suitable for this vegetarian. I also prefer home-cooked foods most of the time.
Such an interesting life story you wrote here too–I enjoyed reading it so much.
Sep 25, 2011 @ 15:56:37
Thank you so much for stopping by my cooking blog site. I am so happy that you find some of my recipes such a delight and would like to try them. I have a collections of recipes and tried to start off with my veggie recipes and next I think I might go with some of my home canning recipes and jam and jelly recipes for everyone. I love to cook and as I get older cooking for two is very hard but I am learning how to cut down on a few of my recipes so we can still enjoy them. Thank you again for stopping by and I hope that you will enjoy the recipes here and try a few of them
Sep 28, 2011 @ 17:18:52
I love this. I can completely relate…believe it or not.
Sep 28, 2011 @ 20:04:27
Thank you so much and I sure hope you will enjoy some good down home cooking from Roby Texas. Hope to see you visit and check out the recipes here on this blog thanks a lot
Sep 29, 2011 @ 06:47:24
http://gooseberrygoespoetic.blogspot.com/2011/09/poetry-form-week-7-limerick.html
so you have two blogs?
wow.
featured your limerick in our week 7 poetry form post, feel free to visit and leave a comment, or share with our poetry picnic week 6, we are open until 8pm today.
bless you.
Sep 29, 2011 @ 07:38:50
Wow this is amazing and I am so happy that you did this. I love gooseberry garden poetry picnic and love to go there and read and submit some of my poems there
Sep 30, 2011 @ 20:19:04
Sarah,
Thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog. I was looking to read some of your poetry, but I do not see a link in The Poetry Palace Poets’ Rally. Did you enter that? If not, could you let me know what your poetry blog address is?
You have a really beautiful cooking blog here, and I enjoyed this about statement very much.
Oct 01, 2011 @ 07:01:21
I am so happy that you found this blog and liked it so much thank you for dropping by and reading. The poetry blog is http://www.gatelesspassage.com
I hope that you enjoy reading some poetry also thank you for stopping by
Sep 30, 2011 @ 21:27:53
Sarah,
Thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog.
You have a really beautiful cooking blog here, and I enjoyed this About statement very much.
Nix any prior comment/request from me for your poetry blog address. I have found it. Sorry. Thanks for reading so many of my poems and leaving nice comments.
Oct 01, 2011 @ 06:59:54
You are welcome and I am glad that you found my poetry blog site also
Oct 05, 2011 @ 05:50:15
Thank you Sarah. My mother used to cure us in the only way she knew how, with herbs. We rarely saw a doctor and if we did it was for emergencies she couldn’t do anything about. I look forward to reading more of your recipes. My fiance and I endeavor to eat as healthy as possible, and he has been able to lose over 100 lbs! No so small feat.
Oct 05, 2011 @ 07:11:51
You are so welcome. I will be adding more recipes here in the next few days. I am just trying to sort out a few more and get them ready. Thank you so much for your comment and I am so happy that your boyfriend is doing so well and has lost so much weight
Oct 05, 2011 @ 16:23:42
What a great, recorded history. Thanks grandma!
Oct 05, 2011 @ 17:53:45
You are so welcome and I am glad that you enjoyed this story
Oct 11, 2011 @ 10:35:35
From Oklahoma to California to Missouri, my trail is similar in some respects.
I only cook a few things well but sometimes I’m game for learning new tricks. Thanks for inspiring me to do more.
Oct 12, 2011 @ 08:08:24
I use to be this way but thanks to my Grandsma and all her help I learned to cook and my husband really enjoys what I make
Oct 12, 2011 @ 04:43:40
OK… I just have to try some of these recipes. Thanks for stopping by my blog weekly.
Oct 12, 2011 @ 08:06:51
You are very welcome hope you stop by the poetry blog at http://www.gatelesspassage.com glad you liked it here
Oct 18, 2011 @ 21:08:24
How wonderful for you to share all these memories. Thank you very much.
☮ Siggi in Downeast Maine
Oct 19, 2011 @ 07:17:25
Thank you so much I am so glad that you enjoyed my story and have stopped by here to read my cooking blog I hope you will come back soon
Dec 31, 2011 @ 13:26:34
I’ve been reading your blog and think it’s wonderful! It’s like we’re sitting having a conversation and not like you’re writing at all– that’s a good thing!