Breakfast at Gransma's

So this one goes out to Grandma.

My Grandparents continue to be my greatest mentors and teachers. They have never, that I have seen, turned down someone in need of a place to rest their heads, or of a warm meal. They have let all of us bring whomever into their homes whether it was for the weekly family meal, or a major holiday feast. There has always been room for one more.

As a kid, my Grandparents lived in the same small Kansas town as my nuclear family, so we got to spend a great deal of time with them. Every-once-in-while, Grandma would ask me what I wanted for breakfast. I can not remember answering anything other than "Mash". Well I couldn't remember the name difference of the 2 meals. Loved one, did not love the other.

Grandma knew what I wanted.... cornmeal mush. I loved that stuff. Usually grandma would find the tube of it in the grocery store, slice it up and fry it. When I "grew-up" and moved out on my own, I searched everywhere for that stuff to no avail.

Its been over 20 years and I finally decided to search on the internet, and found out I could make it all on my own with cornmeal or polenta.

So a couple weekends ago I cooked up a batch of polenta. Let it sit out for a few hours to firm up. Sliced it up. Fried it up. Added some bulk earth balance and bulk grade B maple syrup, or home made jam, or local honeycomb (I know how some vegans feel about honey, but i get it from people that are caring for these at risk polinators and reuse jars).

Naturally, it was not as good as Grandma's. It never will be. The flavor from her labor of love is un-matchable. But for a moment, I was transported back to an early winter morning at my Grandparents house. Sitting on the counter in feet pajamas. Watching Grandma awaken the house to the amazing smells of a day about to begin. Maybe this is the reason for my awakening early most days. And my love for creating a breakfast before the rest of the house rises. The moment I take a sip of tea or coffee, as a housemate comes down, hair and cloths still clinging to sleep, is an experience you will not get the rest of the day.

Thank you Grandma for teaching me the gift of sharing food and asking those I care for how they wish to be nourished.