The Nut Grinder

In 1955, when I was about to be married, my mother wanted to know what I would like for a wedding gift. There were several things that I chose that she bought for my new kitchen. I don’t remember exactly what things, but I do remember asking for a little nut grinder. It probably cost 50 cents! It wasn’t the price that was important. It was the desire for the small gadget.

I still have the little grinder and use it regularly. I have tried numerous nut choppers, but always go back to that little grinder from 1955. (My family laughs, but I do ‘hand cut’ the pecans for my special pecan pie.) Also, I still use a certain knife that I bought in 1955 - a stainless steel one that has been strengthened with tape for many years and is still my favorite.

Back in the day, girls planned for marriage by learning to cook and sew. That is not exactly top priority anymore. So many more women work outside the home these days, and couples share household duties (including the cooking and even childcare).

As a teenager in the 50’s, I cooked. I could actually make an Angel Food cake from scratch – you know, the one that requires 12 egg whites beaten into stiff peaks and carefully folded into the batter. I certainly don’t go to that trouble anymore when I can buy delicious Angel Food cake mix in a box.

When we were dating, I wanted to impress my boyfriend with my cooking. I invited him over for one of my home cooked meals. Since it was very common for girls to cook, I am not sure how impressed he was. It was a good thing that I enjoyed cooking since he has never known much about cooking… Oh...well, he does know how to punch the microwave button!

Memories… My early cooking instruction goes back to Mrs. Inez Neelley’s 9th grade homemaking class! How many of you relate to that?