Grandma’s Dinner Rolls
Embrace family memories and keep them alive
This article is dedicated to my family.
Introduction
As the holiday season approaches, I reminiscence. My collection of memories has become very vivid this time of year.
Even though she passed away over 30 years ago, to this very day, the thought of grandma’s delicious dinner rolls fills my senses.
My grandmother invited me to her home when I was a very young woman because she wanted to share her dinner roll recipe with me. She knew how much I loved her bread. She also knew that knowing how to make homemade rolls would help me to become a much better foods and nutrition teacher.
The afternoon of my baking lesson was special because she taught me more than dinner roll making that day.
What My Grandmother Taught Me
She wore a dark house dress, over-sized slippers, and a print apron. I remember her image as I stood next to her over the kitchen sink. I very clearly remember the day when my grandmother shared her secret with me. She showed me how she made her delicious dinner rolls.
My grandmother was an exceptional cook. I think back to how she always had prepared food in pots and pans that sat on top of the range whenever we would visit her home. There was always food ready for anyone who stopped by and wanted something to eat. The memory that I treasure the most was her dinner rolls.
I always wanted to get one straight from her baking pan whenever my family and I visited. There times that I just wished for a little piece of one. I was so bashful that I never simply spoke up and asked for one. I know she would have given me a roll if only I had asked. Grandma’s rolls were sweet, soft and firm at the same time, and filled with buttery goodness. Enjoying one was better than eating a cookie or a piece of cake. Her rolls were just that good.
To have an opportunity to stand next to my grandmother and have her show me how to make her special recipe was a rare delight. I had a small notepad with me and tried to write down her recipe.
Being a very young home economics teacher right out of college at that time, I always wanted recipes to be perfectly written down to make sure all the ingredients were added very accurately. After all, a cooking teacher must teach students how to prepare very precise recipes. But, grandma’s recipe was no recipe at all. Her method of teaching me was based on the traditional soul food method that she learned as a child in South Carolina. She refined her cooking method by marrying at age 13 and by having seven children, countless grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. On August 17, 1983, I documented her instructions for making her dinner rolls on a few sheets of my small notepad as she became my cooking teacher her way.
Before my cooking lesson with her, I used to think that my grandmother had very large hands. At that time I realized her hands were the size of my hands. So, I assumed that I would easily master the recipe that she showed and shared with me. Grandma used handfuls, pinches, and bunches. She showed me by punching, pulling, feeling, and stirring. She also showed me how to measure using her special tin cup. It was not a standard measuring cup but it was her standard cup for measuring. She also made me realize how important it was to wait because the timing in bread making is very critical.
Instead of capturing her precise method of making dinner rolls exactly how she told me, I converted her directions into standard measurements as she showed me what to do. I estimated. I guessed. I assumed that my way was the accurate way to convert her method into a traditional recipe.
The rolls that she taught me how to make that Wednesday afternoon were as perfect and as delicious as they always were. We really enjoyed eating them after they baked.
Despite, the notes that I took, I have not perfected her recipe. The reason is very simple. I just refused to listen to what grandma told me because I thought my traditional way was the right way.
With the holidays approaching, I will make another batch of her dinner rolls with my daughter for Thanksgiving. Even though I was given precise directions so many years ago, I will try hard to remember what grandma told me and what she showed me. Perhaps my daughter and I will get the recipe right if we work on it together.
The Real Lessons I Learned
As I reflect on my afternoon learning how my grandmother made her delicious dinner rolls, I now realize that she taught me powerful yet very simple life lessons that day.
- It is important to be a good listener and equally important to follow directions without deviation.
- The wisdom of older people outweighs the knowledge obtained through years of study.
- If there is something that works well in life, there is no reason to change it or recreate it.
- Patience will cause circumstances in life to turn out to be just fine. This only comes through waiting.
- It is nice to share the things that we hold as dear.
These lessons will help me to continue to grow to be a better human being, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and friend.
My Family Memorial
As I think about the afternoon that I spent with my grandmother learning how to mix and bake dinner rolls, I honor her memory. I also honor the memory of my family members who have passed away during my lifetime. This candle is lit in their honor. The names of my deceased relatives follow.
Tellie Vereen, Jr., Father; Rev. Tellie Vereen, Sr., Grandfather; Essie Mae Vereen, Grandmother; Elizabeth Coker, Grandmother; Ora Mae Farris, Aunt; Hazel Bynum, Aunt; Vernon Vereen, Sr., Uncle; Dorothy Vereen, Aunt; Cyndee Vereen, Aunt; Johnnie Farris, Uncle; James Brown, Uncle; George Coker, Uncle; Jessy Coker, Uncle; Judy Coker, Aunt; Mary Chase, Aunt; Bertha Regan, Aunt; Frank Regan, Sr., Uncle; Anthony Henry, Cousin; Keith Martin, Cousin; Stanley Fields, Cousin; Baby Jeffrey Fields, Cousin; Frank Regan, Jr., Cousin; Marla Regan, Cousin; Virginia Mitchell, Aunt; Rose Wilson, Aunt; Woodrow Wilson, Uncle; Henry Wilson, Uncle; Mercedes Palmer, Aunt; Denise Wilson, Cousin; Alphonso White, Cousin; John White, Cousin; Marva White, Cousin; Joseph White, Cousin; Cheryl McCoy, Cousin; Lea McCoy, Cousin; Charlotte Wilson, Cousin; Charlie Wilson, Cousin; Curtis Mitchell, Uncle; Vernetta Regan, Cousin; Beatrice Wilson, Aunt; Douglas Martin, Uncle; Leonard Ward, Cousin; Henry Blunt, Extended Family; Myra Blunt, Extended Family; Bonita Washington, Cousin; Earnestine Reese, Extended Family; William Reese, Extended Family; Percolia Smith, Extended Family; George Smith, Sr., Extended Family; Preston Ratliff; Extended Family; Mattie Ratliff, Extended Family; and Audrey Ratliff-Vann, Extended Family.
Conclusion
May you be blessed with happy memories of your loved ones who have passed away. May you embrace their memories during the holiday season and forevermore.
Here’s my golden ticket that helps me accomplish my mission.
Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1DPhBeA29UlybU9jzDkdQ.
