Make any one of these classic treats and you’ll understand why Grandpa wanted to keep his wife at home — and why it’s important to call your grandma every once in awhile!
Strawberry shortcake
This crumbly biscuit-like cake soaked in strawberry juices and topped with whipped cream will remind you of simpler times! Like only a few decades ago, when it was extremely rare for smart, capable women like Grandma to contribute to the American economy. Yum, decadent!
Pecan pie
The secret to this rich dessert is boiling the sugar and corn syrup together first. Pop it in the oven and it’ll be baked to perfection in just 50 minutes. Grandma would spend that time gazing out the window, thinking about what it would be like to have her own spending money. A girl can dream!
Angel food cake
The trick to a perfect angel food cake is separating the yolks from the egg whites. Hallelujah! Once, Grandma tried to use an egg as a metaphor to show Grandpa why working in an office would be good for her personal growth. “I am this egg,” she said. “The white is our love. It needs to be in the cake, which is our home. But the egg is more than the white. It has a shell and a yolk. The shell is already hard and dead. It’s too late for the shell. But the yolk is still young and full of potential. I don’t want to throw the yolk away. The yolk should be used for something.” Grandpa looked her dead in the eye as he threw the whole egg at the wall. Of course, Grandma had to get on her knees and clean up that exploded egg. No one else was going to!
Jell-O salad
This often forgotten dessert is known for being lower in calories than most other old-fashioned treats. Suspend fruit, or even shredded carrots, in the gelatin for an extra unique texture! It was the first dessert Grandma made for Grandpa after he told her she had to turn the office job down. He hated Jell-O salad, and she knew it, oh, she knew it, but he ate it anyway just to make a point. Relationships sure were different back then!
Oatmeal raisin cookies
Moist, chewy, sweet and tart! Whenever Grandma made these, she’d fantasize that each cookie was one of her coworkers. She’d arrange them as if they were at desks, talk to them about her boldest career ambitions, and make plans to grab a drink with them Friday evenings. Of course, she never did get that drink, because they were just cookies and they always would be!
Pound cake
This dense dessert is so simple you’ll wonder how it could possibly taste so good! Grandma would make pound cake when she really needed to phone it in, which was pretty often, especially after she started secretly selling handmade soaps door-to-door, all the while hiding her growing enterprise from Grandpa. He died still wondering how she could afford to buy such nice cake and muffin pans. Bon appetit!