Our Breakfast at Grannies Place

[fvanhoose]

Reading the thread about favorite foods (btw mine is bacon) started me wondering what kind of breakfast you had as a kid when you were with your grandparents. I only had one set so I don't have to split it up.

I was born in 1953 in the extreme backwoods of the Eastern Kentucky backwoods. My father was born in 1902 and my grandfather in (best I can figure) in around 1883. I stayed with them over night or on weekends when I was younger. But, I stayed with them the whole school year for first grade. But, visiting or staying with, this was what breakfast was like every day.

Bacon, ham, eggs, biscuits, brown gravy, redeye gravy, home made jelly or preserves, apple butter, molasses which had been brought to a boil and home churned butter.

Now, consider, my grandfather would not allow my grandmother to have anything but a wood/coal burning stove. Even so, she made the most wonderful ginger bread and fruit pies/cobblers.

I suppose that is where my tastes in food originated. My wife won't let me cook and she can't understand why I eat breakfast as I do. City girl.

I chop up my eggs, crumble my bacon over them, put some gravy on top then mix them up really well. Some butter in the yolks, good biscuits to "sop" up the remaining yolks and bacon fat then more biscuits with jelly, preserves or plain butter to top it off.

Probably, it is not odd how the things we ate (and other things) have impacted us all our lives without, sometimes, us even knowing it.

 

[Get Bucket$]

Grapefruit. Sorry, storytelling isn’t my strong suit.

 

[cawoodsct]

Wheaties

 

[CatGotMyTongue]

Reading the thread about favorite foods (btw mine is bacon) started me wondering what kind of breakfast you had as a kid when you were with your grandparents. I only had one set so I don't have to split it up.

I was born in 1953 in the extreme backwoods of the Eastern Kentucky backwoods. My father was born in 1902 and my grandfather in (best I can figure) in around 1883. I stayed with them over night or on weekends when I was younger. But, I stayed with them the whole school year for first grade. But, visiting or staying with, this was what breakfast was like every day.

Bacon, ham, eggs, biscuits, brown gravy, redeye gravy, home made jelly or preserves, apple butter, molasses which had been brought to a boil and home churned butter.

Now, consider, my grandfather would not allow my grandmother to have anything but a wood/coal burning stove. Even so, she made the most wonderful ginger bread and fruit pies/cobblers.

I suppose that is where my tastes in food originated. My wife won't let me cook and she can't understand why I eat breakfast as I do. City girl.

I chop up my eggs, crumble my bacon over them, put some gravy on top then mix them up really well. Some butter in the yolks, good biscuits to "sop" up the remaining yolks and bacon fat then more biscuits with jelly, preserves or plain butter to top it off.

Probably, it is not odd how the things we ate (and other things) have impacted us all our lives without, sometimes, us even knowing it.

Johnson Co?

 

[UKGrad93]

Mammaw would make biscuits, bacon, link sausage, ham, eggs, and skillet taters. There was usually some homemade preserves and orange juice.

My other mammaw would make similar, but sausage patties and it was all burnt.

 

[CatGotMyTongue]

Mammaw would make biscuits, bacon, link sausage, ham, eggs, and skillet taters. There was usually some homemade preserves and orange juice.

My other mammaw would make similar, but sausage patties and it was all burnt.

How are you still alive???

 

[funKYcat75]

Not breakfast, but my grandmother made the best fried chicken I’ve ever tasted. I’ve tried for years to replicate it and never have come close. I could eat fried chicken every day if if wouldn’t kill me. It’s by far my favorite food and someday I will get it right and stop slumming at these fast food places. I don’t know if she never let my mom or aunt in the kitchen when she made it, but they don’t even try.

 

[warrior-cat]

Born in Louisville and was there until 16 years old. First 7 years, whatever we could find for breakfast. Maybe cereal if we had it. Mayonnaise on bread for lunch at school for the most part. Biological father spent most money on alcohol and not much on food. It is why I will not eat mayo, salad dressing or the like today. Was kept awake by father and his friends drinking until early hours. He worked later shift and did not want us (siblings) to get up early for school making noise and waking him up. Mother got us up anyway and I basically slept through the first grade. Failed of course. Later on, with step father, breakfast was rice with butter and sugar, oatmeal, or cereal for breakfast with the occasional donuts. After moving to a 50 acre farm at 16 I saw the type of breakfast the OP described while helping local farmers on weekend mornings. Farmers wife would feed us before going out to help him. Incredible breakfast food, best I have ever had.

 

[UKGrad93]

How are you still alive???

We lived far away from grandparents, so only ate there a few times a year. My mom usually made biscuits and either sausage or bacon though, every morning.

 

[ace on the river]

Reading the thread about favorite foods (btw mine is bacon) started me wondering what kind of breakfast you had as a kid when you were with your grandparents. I only had one set so I don't have to split it up.

I was born in 1953 in the extreme backwoods of the Eastern Kentucky backwoods. My father was born in 1902 and my grandfather in (best I can figure) in around 1883. I stayed with them over night or on weekends when I was younger. But, I stayed with them the whole school year for first grade. But, visiting or staying with, this was what breakfast was like every day.

Bacon, ham, eggs, biscuits, brown gravy, redeye gravy, home made jelly or preserves, apple butter, molasses which had been brought to a boil and home churned butter.

Now, consider, my grandfather would not allow my grandmother to have anything but a wood/coal burning stove. Even so, she made the most wonderful ginger bread and fruit pies/cobblers.

I suppose that is where my tastes in food originated. My wife won't let me cook and she can't understand why I eat breakfast as I do. City girl.

I chop up my eggs, crumble my bacon over them, put some gravy on top then mix them up really well. Some butter in the yolks, good biscuits to "sop" up the remaining yolks and bacon fat then more biscuits with jelly, preserves or plain butter to top it off.

Probably, it is not odd how the things we ate (and other things) have impacted us all our lives without, sometimes, us even knowing it.

Sounds nasty

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

Bittersweet topic for the kaizer.

Grandma used to make the absolute best breakfast ever. And she used to come to our house every Christmas Eve and spend the night. And every Christmas morning I would wake up to the smell of ham, bacon, eggs, homemade biscuits, etc...It was a wonderful holiday tradition. So many great memories.

That is until that one year that Grandma got ran over by a reindeer coming to our house on Christmas Eve.

Now I don't even eat breakfast any more.

 

[fvanhoose]

At the time I was speaking of we lived in the log cabin at the Spring Know forestry tower. The cabin was in Johnson County but t he garden just past the road was in Martin County. My grandparents lived in Lawrence county about two miles from Johnson County and the same for Martin County.

 

[fvanhoose]

Sounds nasty

To each his/her own. I don't recall it much in my early years but my other favorite for breakfast was squirrel, squirrel gravy and hot biscuits. Favorite part(s) of the squirrel was the brain and those itty, bitty cheeks.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Powdered milk, fried cheese (similar to Spanish style cheese), chickpea dip, fava bean dip, this strained yogurt with olive oil that was the consistency of sour cream, thyme and olive oil, tons of pita bread, falafel, eggs, lots of fresh cucumber and tomatoes. Breakfast was always biggest meal, lots of family around, loved it. Obviously in case you can't tell I'm foreign. I'm proud to carry on tradition and my wife and I make that style breakfast on sundays (not as big and exorbitant) and she likes it although she's a West Virginia gal.

 

[funKYcat75]

Powdered milk, fried cheese (similar to Spanish style cheese), chickpea dip, fava bean dip, this strained yogurt with olive oil that was the consistency of sour cream, thyme and olive oil, tons of pita bread, falafel, lots of fresh cucumber and tomatoes. Breakfast was always biggest meal, lots of family around, loved it. Obviously in case you can't tell I'm foreign.

Sounds pretty swarthy.

 

[Bill Derington]

My Grandma would make biscuits, gravy, hand sliced bacon or perfectly cooked sausage patties, eggs that that she’d spoon the hot grease over to ensure the yolk wouldn’t break, and if it was summer we’d have straight out of the garden tomatoes.

 

[TruBluCatFan]

Reading the thread about favorite foods (btw mine is bacon) started me wondering what kind of breakfast you had as a kid when you were with your grandparents. I only had one set so I don't have to split it up.

I was born in 1953 in the extreme backwoods of the Eastern Kentucky backwoods. My father was born in 1902 and my grandfather in (best I can figure) in around 1883. I stayed with them over night or on weekends when I was younger. But, I stayed with them the whole school year for first grade. But, visiting or staying with, this was what breakfast was like every day.

Bacon, ham, eggs, biscuits, brown gravy, redeye gravy, home made jelly or preserves, apple butter, molasses which had been brought to a boil and home churned butter.

Now, consider, my grandfather would not allow my grandmother to have anything but a wood/coal burning stove. Even so, she made the most wonderful ginger bread and fruit pies/cobblers.

I suppose that is where my tastes in food originated. My wife won't let me cook and she can't understand why I eat breakfast as I do. City girl.

I chop up my eggs, crumble my bacon over them, put some gravy on top then mix them up really well. Some butter in the yolks, good biscuits to "sop" up the remaining yolks and bacon fat then more biscuits with jelly, preserves or plain butter to top it off.

Probably, it is not odd how the things we ate (and other things) have impacted us all our lives without, sometimes, us even knowing it.

Sounds nasty

Sounds heavenly to me. But I’m an old mountain boy too.

 

[WonderBraa]

Shoneys breakfast buffet

 

[Elbridge]

Op you nailed it.

"Bacon, ham, eggs, biscuits, brown gravy, redeye gravy, home made jelly or preserves, apple butter, molasses which had been brought to a boil and home churned butter."

My dad's parents were from Pike County. My grandmother's sausage gravy was the best I've ever had.

 

[JDHoss]

My papaw worked hoot owl shift in the mines. When he came home in the morning, my mamaw had the table full with eggs over easy, homemade biscuits, sausage gravy, sausage and either ham or bacon (from their own hogs no less), homemade preserves and sliced tomatoes out of the garden if it was summer.

 

[starchief5]

Powdered milk, fried cheese (similar to Spanish style cheese), chickpea dip, fava bean dip, this strained yogurt with olive oil that was the consistency of sour cream, thyme and olive oil, tons of pita bread, falafel, eggs, lots of fresh cucumber and tomatoes. Breakfast was always biggest meal, lots of family around, loved it. Obviously in case you can't tell I'm foreign. I'm proud to carry on tradition and my wife and I make that style breakfast on sundays (not as big and exorbitant) and she likes it although she's a West Virginia gal.

You had frijoles and tortillas. Admit it.

 

[JumperJack]

My grandmother made the typical country things. She also made chocolate gravy and biscuits. Some on here will know what that is.

She was born in 1916 and I’ve head her many times talk about farm life where the women would cook a huge lunch and the men would come from the fields to eat, while the women stood and waited for them to finish. Then the women ate when the men went back to the fields.

 

[MegaBlue05]

My grandparents' breakfast experiences were polar opposites.

Mom is from an urban family in Louisville. Her parents were health nuts. One lived to 99, the other died at 97. Dad is from rural Breckenridge County. They were farmers. My grandparents on that side died at 74 and 70, respectively.

A. Mom's side: Choice of Total/Special K/Shredded Wheat cereal; whole wheat toast; choice of 1/2 grapefruit or banana; skim milk.

B. Dad's side: 3 eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, country ham (usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas), biscuits, white gravy, red eye gravy, apple butter, molasses; whole milk. (All ingredients including meat and dairy products were farm fresh.)

Choice A was torture.

Choice B is a part of why I'm fat today.

 

[MegaBlue05]

Sounds nasty

I found the guy who eats humus and worries about gluten.

 

[ace on the river]

I found the guy who eats humus and worries about gluten.

LOL, nope, but i do eat healthy.

 

[MegaBlue05]

LOL, nope, but i do eat healthy.

It's the better choice. You'll outlive me.

 

[ace on the river]

It's the better choice. You'll outlive me.

Well, i truly don't know if it guarantees anything, but i have grandkids and have never had high blood pressure, high cholesterol or any of that. Probably just good genes

 

[Ron Mehico]

I'll fill you guys in on the secret to living into old age: having old parents.

 

[GhostVol]

I'll fill you guys in on the secret to living into old age: having old parents.

That’s why I don’t worry about the future. No male in the known history of my family has lived past age 76. I’m 57. I did the math already and I’m heading to my reward before 2037. It’s been a good run for the most part.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

I was drunk the day my granny got out of prison. And I went to pick her up in the rain.

 

[WonderBraa]

Not sure how y'all have the time for such a regal breakfast. I rarely even have something eat before dinner these days.

 

[fvanhoose]

I was drunk the day my granny got out of prison. And I went to pick her up in the rain.

But before i could get to the station she got ran over by a damned old train...

 

[fvanhoose]

My grandparents' breakfast experiences were polar opposites.

Don't know if it has anything to do with food so much as lifestyle. I know I am quite sedentary as I was a programmer and am now retired and play MMOs most of the day. But my grandfather lived to be 87 and my grandmother to somewhere around 100. My brother and I disagree on her exact age. I don't know if I every knew it for sure. But, if she did not make 100 she was darned close.

The reason they had time for such a breakfast is both of them lived on "old age assistance". We always went to Inez to pick up "commodities". Powdered milk and evaporated milk were important when we lived at the tower as there was no electricity. Commodity cheese was some of the best I've ever eaten.

I mentioned I was born to older parents. I was always told I was a "mistake" and my mother swore I was mentally retarded. Maybe she was right. I don't know but I do know I'm somewhat different than those of my age I was around. But, being the last child of older parents and grandparents I grew up on stories from their early years. And let me tell you it was a whole 'nother place.

Used to enjoy going hunting up the Rush fork of Nat's creek. Followed the left hand fork and you came to the Tom Price gap. Right fork you came to the Poppy Gap. At least that is the name we knew it by. Have not been there in well over 30 years but the last time I was there the only thing left was a hole where the cellar had been and the large stone used as the doorstep. A line of dead fruit trees by the path. Huge persimmon tree by the old cellar.

That was where the family lived when my mother was born. I guess I get my lazy streak from my grandfather. Until I came along he might have been the laziest man on earth. My grandmother would have to get up early enough to go out and kill some squirrels, clean and cook them and the rest of breakfast before she woke my grandfather up. Best I can figure that would have been around 1912.

My father, on the other hand, had parents who did not want kids so he got foisted off on an uncle. Talking about the men eating first then the women, he told me the men ate first then the women then the kids. But he was not one of their kids so he did not eat until they had finished then had to make to with whatever was left. He once tole me he was an adult before he knew a chicken had parts other than necks and backs.

Those people lived hard lives. I imagine it was just normal to them at the time but I really can't imagine how it had to be growing up that way.

If there is anyone interested I have a blog with stories from my youth mostly for my grand children so the old family stories might not be completely lost. It is called "Smoking Rabbit Tobacco.blogspot.com". I know, now, I wish I had paid a lot more attention to the tales of my parents and grandparents and others they knew. Bored the heck out of me at the time. Hopefully, I have written enough so my own kids and grandkids won't have those same regrets.

 

[OldEvilleCat]

Granny never made me breakfast but she sure loved her knitting and flower garden....man, what memories!

 

[wildcatdonf]

I found the guy who eats humus and worries about gluten.

McD's has to get their customers from some place.