Welcome! This is the second Friday of National Poetry Month, which means it’s time for me to share a food related poem that I’ve written. This is my way of celebrating NPM. Today’s poem is a story poem that honors my Grandma, Hilda and her delicious nut roll that she made each year for our family’s Easter celebration.
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| My Grandma (Hilda) is holding my mom (Elizabeth), my Grandpa (John), and my aunt (Mary Lou). Photo by Amy |
Grandma’s Nut Roll
Each year just before Easter,
Grandma made her famous nut roll.
Sometimes I got to help.
Recipe, mostly in her head ~
a few notes scrawled in old cookbooks.
The first day, she mixed the dough,
letting its yeasty goodness rise.
The next day,
it was time to roll it out
and spread the sweet, nutty mixture
on the flattened circles of dough.
Then we’d roll them into loaves.
As the nut roll baked
the smell was like heaven.
Afterwards, Grandma would give
each family member their own nut roll
to be eaten on Easter Sunday,
along with hard boiled Easter eggs.
But the afternoon of baking,
we always sampled our hard work.
“Time to taste!” Grandma announced.
Now that Grandma’s
no longer with us,
I carry on her tradition.
Each year, as I pull out her “recipe,”
I’m reminded of so many
sweet memories
of Grandma and her nut roll.
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| My art journal spread honoring Grandma and her recipes. Photo by Amy |
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| Grandma’s “recipes” Photo by Amy
Grandma’s Nut Roll Recipe
Ingredients 5 cups flour. 5 Tbsp. sugar Pinch of salt. 1/2 lb. butter 4 egg yolks. 1/2 pint sour cream 1 yeast pkg. dissolved in 1/4 c. Water & 1tsp. Sugar Nut Filling 1 lb. grated walnuts. 4 egg whites 1 cup sugar (or less). 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice Mix ingredients Directions Sift flour, sugar, salt Beat soft butter, add egg yolks, sour cream, and yeast mixture. Knead until dough is soft (add milk if needed) Place in fridge overnight. Roll and fill. Let rise until double. Brush with beaten egg & 1 Tbsp. Water Bake at 350° For about 30 minutes. Happy Easter! Amy at The Poem Farm is hosting today’s Poetry Friday round up. Make sure you hop on over to The Poem Farm to sample all of the poetry goodness. |
What sweet memories! I love the photo of the recipes, complete with stains from cooking. Many of my recipes have similar stains.
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law always made nut roll for each of her 9 children at Christmas time! She would have been 100 this year. Good memories!
ReplyDeleteLove the stains on the recipes - so authentic! Lovely poem and thanks for including the recipe!
ReplyDeleteOh, everything about this. Sheer joy. I have never eaten a nut roll and now want to do so. I have old family recipes too...but my grandmother died before I could have tasted them. It is lovely to imagine this. Peace and health to you and yours. xx
ReplyDeleteThis is the "sweetest" post, Amy. I love those words from your grandmother, "Time to taste!" I thought they were going to end up as a cinnamon-type roll, but loaves! They sound sumptious, as is your keepsake journal. Thanks for sharing. I will keep the recipe!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post and tribute to your grandmother.
ReplyDeleteFood and poetry go hand in hand. Your poem and recipe are the perfect ways to honor your grandmother and share her goodness. Thank you for your generosity. :)
ReplyDeleteA gift of a timeless treasure, memories and recipes.
ReplyDeleteI love all of this.
ReplyDeleteJanet F.
You had me at the photo because it recalls such wonderful family memories. I love baking so your nut roll recipe sounds delicious.
ReplyDelete