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One of the traditions that my mother enjoyed growing up in the 1920's and 1930's was visiting her grandparents' farm. The country dinners were a memorable part of the visit.
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One of the traditions that my mother enjoyed growing up in the 1920's and 1930's was visiting her grandparents' farm, especially in the summer. They lived in Jackson County, West Virginia, in an area called Cherry Camp.
The family dinners were a memorable part of their visit. Much of the women's day was spent in food preparation. They cooked three hearty meals a day. Everything was homegrown and homemade from scratch.
Her grandmother had what they called a "kitchen garden". It was out from the back porch, and was fenced in so the chickens couldn't get into it. This garden contained produce such as lettuce, carrots, onions, radishes, and beans. Corn and potatoes were grown in fields farther from the house. The women could easily pick the fresh and tasty vegetables that they wanted for dinner, clean them, and get them ready to cook.
Another culinary chore was the baking. A whole day was devoted to this, maybe even two days, depending on the amount of company they were expecting. Great-Grandma baked bread, pies, cakes, and cookies. Nothing was store bought.
The dairy products came from the cows. The cows were milked twice a day. My great-grandparents didn't have a refrigerator or even an ice box. They had what was called a spring house. They would keep the perishables in there to keep them cool. There was a churn for the butter and a cream separator.
Next came the main course, the chicken. First of all, they had to catch one of their chickens. Then they cut its head off and removed the feathers. After this, the insides were taken out, it was cleaned inside and out, and put in the pot to boil. These country chickens were rich, fat, and tasty!
Great-Grandma made her own jellies and jams from berries that she picked. They could be blackberries, rasberries, or strawberries. She kept them in pretty glass stemware with lids.
The delicious dinner was now prepared. The menu would usually be boiled chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, noodles, and the home-grown vegetables. There would also be bread, freshly churned butter, jelly, and creamy homemade cottage cheese. The jelly was lined up down the middle of the table. To complete the supper was fresh milk, coffee, thirst-quenching well water, and pie.
After dinner, all the women worked together cleaning up the kitchen. Not only did the work get done quicker, but it provided time to talk and enjoy each other's company. They would wash and dry the dishes. Then, instead of putting them away in the cupboard, they set the table for the next meal. Finally, everything was covered with a net to keep it clean and keep the flies out.
When the evening meal was over, and the kitchen cleaned up, it was family time. There was a big front porch with a swing and rocker. The swing was made by my grandfather and his brother. Everyone gathered there. The adults would sit on the furniture and the children would sit on the edge of the porch, or under the trees in the front yard. They would visit, catch up on news, and of course tell the famous West Virginia ghost stories!
About the Author
Inez Haythorn is a Christian wife, mother, elementary school teacher, pianist, and freelance writer. Her main writing interests are Christian writing, and writing about lifestyles and memoirs of the past. She is the publisher of Christian Family Treasures, Heirloom Memories, and Cherished Collections. Her goal is to glorify and honor God, and bless and help others. Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. http://www.christianfamilytreasures.com http://www.heirloom-memories.com http://www.cherishedcollections.com