shelia

INTRODUCTIONSome of my fondest memories of growing up were of the time spent with my grandmother. We spent almost everyday together. I enjoyed watching her and the way she did things, and her memory becomes more precious to me as the years pass.Even though it now seems like hard work, at the time she made it seem so easy. I learned to cook at a young age, just watching from nearby, occasionally stirring, when she or my mom couldn’t get to the skillet, or checking to see what was in the oven. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, I guess that’s why I am so inspired to share the insight with you of a woman who I thought was nothing less than brilliant.I also thank God for another one of the greatest gifts anyone could have: my mother. Through her I have become the great cook I am today. She and my grandmother taught me how to prepare food with love and with passion.My Grandmother was a smart and a hard working woman, with a very small home and what seems like the largest field, full of fig trees, pecan trees, and vegetables. Everything she prepared was from the garden.Everyday, my brothers, my sister and I would go and plow and hoe and plant seeds, and attend to the garden, because it was our livelihood. We are a product of her and we were given the tools to survive in everyday life. My Grandmother’s hands were always there to nurture us, protect and pray for us. She lived in her garden and her garden kept her alive for 98 years.