Introducing My New Substack Column: Grandma’s Recipe Box

A place to share treasured family recipes and the stories behind them

Part of being a Midwestern girl usually involves cooking, baking, and generally just puttering around in the kitchen. And I definitely do all of those things.

I love to create meals and treats for my family. For me, it’s just one way of showing them that I love them. And I think they kinda love it too. Because of this, one of my favorite things to do is serve dishes created from recipes that were used by my grandma (and maybe her mother or grandmother before her). My grandma was my very favorite person. We were so close, and she meant the world to me. The times I spent at her home in Deloit, Iowa (just about five miles outside of Denison) were the best times of my youth.

She left us when I was only 18 – way too soon. But she is always in my heart, and I also want to keep her in the hearts of my children and grandchildren. So one of the ways I do this is to make Grandma Noodles (homemade chicken and noodles) and Butterhorn Rolls (homemade crescent rolls) for our family holidays, using her recipes. These have become family favorites, and no Christmas is official without the Noodles. And I’ve been told no one would even come to Thanksgiving dinner if I didn’t have Butterhorns on the table.

Butterhorn Rolls made using my grandma’s recipe

I know almost every one of you has recipes and stories that mean just as much to you, too. In fact, my friend Julie Gammack, along with her sister Katy (and sometimes brother Tom) have just started a new Substack Column called The Gammack Girls, where they celebrate the recipes from their mom’s kitchen and the memories created around those dishes, and I highly recommend that you check it out.

When discussing her new column, a suggestion was made to Julie by Connie Wimer that it would be a great idea if there could be a platform where we could all share our treasured family recipes and the stories behind them. Now Connie is a highly respected Des Moines business leader and media pioneer. She is the founder of dsm magazine, Business Record, and even created Winefest! So when Connie comes up with a clever idea, it would behoove one to pay attention because it will certainly be a good one.

Julie then reached out to me to see if I would be interested in creating such a platform, and I was immediately on board. I was inspired to create an additional Substack column just for this purpose: to share these edible gems and the tales behind them with each other. It will be a heartfelt tribute to our beloved family members, as we also discover some new (even though old) tasty treats! Along with, I have no doubt, some fascinating stories. To discover what may very well become some new treasured recipes for your family, follow Grandma’s Recipe Box on Substack.

To get my new column started, I will jump in first with the recipe for those delectable Butterhorn Rolls. Yes, they involve yeast and rising times. And LOTS of butter! And worth every minute spent creating them. (And when you are the baker, the reward is that you get to take a warm roll right out of the oven, smear even more butter all over it, and relax into the deliciousness of homemade bread with melty butter.)

I’d love for you to check out my new Substack column, Grandma’s Recipe Box. Along with a great recipe, you will discover how you can join in and share your own recipes. I can’t wait to see – and taste – these foods that have become family traditions. So I will continue to see you here – and hopefully over at Grandma’s Recipe Box as well.

(P.S. Also, while you’re on Substack, please check out the Iowa Writers Collaborative page – a community of over 70 writers with Iowa connections – where you will find stories on any topic that interests you. And I mean any! Just click to discover amazing writing and some stunning photography. Julie is the creator of this Collaborative, and it just keeps growing. In fact, it is the only state-wide endeavor of this type on Substack. Give it a peek!)