Saturday, July 9, 2011

Zucchini bread and Grandma's handwriting

Let's talk about handwriting, shall we?
My grandma will turn 91 next month and she still sends an occasional {handwritten} note in the mail. She usually apologizes for her handwriting, saying it's gotten so bad and that she hopes I can read it. I smile to myself, thinking about how much I love her notes and her handwriting. Because really, her handwriting is an extension of her sweet self.
In my little recipe collection I have a few cards that hold my grandmother's handwriting. There's a certain amount of comfort and nostalgia every time I pull one of those cards out and create a recipe. I know that my grandma most likely has that recipe memorized...while I refer to the recipe card over and over during the course of creation.
And although my grandmother would surely scoff {and maybe chuckle} knowing that I published a blog post about her handwriting, I'm sure she'd appreciate the sentiment.
And so, let this be a lesson to those of us who aren't real crazy about our own handwriting. Because surely, someday, someone will come across something with our written words and feel a bit nostalgic and comforted. Or at least we can only hope...
♥ ♥ ♥

Here's Grandma's recipe for Zucchini Bread *

In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs until foamy
add - 1 cup oil, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups peeled grated zucchini, 3 t. vanilla

In a separate bowl, sift together:
3 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
3 t. cinnamon (more or less as you prefer)
Add to wet ingredients and stir just until mixed.

Add 1 c. finely chopped nuts (more or less as you prefer)

Pour into lightly greased pan and bake at 325° for 1 hour, or until done.

Makes one loaf pan or five mini-loaves. {I actually baked this last batch in a 9"x13" cake pan and sprinkled some powdered sugar on top...YUM!!!}

*This the most delicious zucchini bread ever! Even Doug {AKA "I'm-not-real-crazy-about-zucchini"} loves this stuff!

17 comments:

scrappyjacky said...

This sounds delicious,Deb.....and I have courgettes almost ripe in the garden.....so am going to try this one with them.
I totally agree about the handwriting....it's why I've started writing on my scrapbook pages...even though I hate my handwriting!!!

Alison said...

I too write on most of my pages for the same reason...and the cake sounds PD good!
Alison xx

Jo.C said...

Sounds like one to try - the photography book arrived today - thank you so much. I have had a quick peek and it looks great. I am sure I will learn lots.
Have a great weekend :0)

Unknown said...

Aww...I love Grandma Reed's handwriting too, though I will probably never try her zucchini bread!

Anonymous said...

What a lovely post! I lost my mom when I was 20, and I've always loved coming across something she wrote. She had beautiful handwriting. The zucchini bread looks yummy!

Gisela said...

It is always precious to have something from a mother or grandmother. Thanks for sharing. I am printing out the recipe and will try it. I have some recipes from my grandmother also, they are really old, in the old German writing which I can barely read, but they are a treasure to keep.
Regards from the other side of the ocean.

Margaret said...

What nice sentiments. Atlhough my kids have such horrible handwriting it's hard to think anyone other than me will feel sentimental looking at it.

Maria Ontiveros said...

98% of the journaling in my scrapbooks is in my handwriting. I'd say it's because my handwriting is precious or beautiful, but, truthfully, it's because I'm lazy. LOL!
Rinda

Anonymous said...

I live with my handwriting but am not entirely happy with it. I would love to be able to write beautiful handwritten journaling but resort often resort to handwriting fonts.

I am definitely going to try the bread recipe.

debs14 said...

I know exactly what you mean about finding something handwritten and although my mum had the most scrawly handwriting, I still love finding her handwritten recipes in the pages of my favourite old cookery book. Maybe I should stop being so ashamed of mine and get writing some more!
The cake looks delicious. Zucchini is 'courgette' over here I think! Although at first I thought 'Courgette Cake?' I guess it is a little bit like carrot cake in that the courgette gives sweetness and moisture to the mix. I love to experiment so will have to give it a whirl!

Becky said...

Recipe sounds delicious! I agree with you about handwriting - it can bring so many memories and remind you of the personality of the person. I know who all our handwritten post is from as their handwriting is so personal to them.

MarleneMAZ said...

Deb this is a really sweet post about your grandma. How right you are about our own handwriting too. The zucchini bread does look delicious and I am not keen on eating zucchini but I would definitely try this.

Cheryl said...

I have just shown my Oh this and he wants to try it so when I get back I will be buying a major amount of courgettes x

Ilke said...

You inspired me to write better! I was actually thinking about if I should take calligraphy lessons as I admire the art but can not seem to keep my letters neat!
Also I think we should send more handwritten letters to friends and family instead of abbreviated messages ! But I think that is a lost cause now!

Mom said...

Instead of making/buying Savannah a birthday card this year, I sent her a 2 page birthday letter. Hope she saves it--maybe it will be a treasure to her someday.

And your grandma always complains about her handwriting but honestly, I think she has the best in the family. Well, with the exception of your Uncle Wes! And I even own recipes in YOUR handwriting which I treasure! Love you! xo

Lizzie said...

Yummy bread and yay for Grandma!

I don't have any of my Grandma H's handwriting, but this morning I was thinking of her, while putting away a casserole from the dishwasher - she gave me a set of 3 casseroles when I moved to my first home, aged 19. I still have all three and treasure them more than any other item in my kitchen, just because they were a gift from my grandma.
I have a birthday card, bought for me by Grandma M - but she died a week before that birthday and the card was never written... so an "almost Grandma's handwriting" again!
I treasure some letters from my dear Auntie. Some are typed, others hand-written. Her writing looks so like my dad's (and rather like my own).
And I have hand-written recipes, for Bread Pudding (a kind of English fruit-cake) and a lemon dessert, given to me by a BF's mum, who was a very special lady. I see them whenever I look in my recipe box...
So yes, Deb, I will remember about my handwriting - perhaps one day it will be special to someone that cares about me.

dianapena8 said...

oh yummy! this is my favorite bread =D

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